Irish dance

Irish dance

Irish dancers in modern Irish dancing costumes, wearing makeup and ringleted wigs for performance display
Medium Dance
Types
Ancestor arts
Originating culture Irish
Originating era 18th century

Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dances and performance dances.

Irish social dancing can be divided further into céilí and set dancing. Irish set dances are quadrilles, danced by four couples arranged in a square, while céilí dances are danced by varied formations (céilí) of two to sixteen people. In addition to their formation, there are significant stylistic differences between these two forms of social dance. Irish social dance is a living tradition, and variations in particular dances are found across the Irish dancing community; in some places, dances are deliberately modified and new dances are choreographed.

Irish step dancing, popularised in 1994 by the world-famous show Riverdance, is notable for its rapid leg and foot movements, body and arms being kept largely stationary. The solo stepdance is generally characterised by a controlled and rigid upper body, straight arms and back, and quick, precise movements of feet and legs. The solo dances can either be in "soft shoes" or "hard shoes". Soft shoes are often called ghillies or pumps. They are constructed of very soft kid leather - similar to ballet shoes in texture. Their laces crisscross across the top of the feet and are tied up either around the ankle or under the arch of the foot. Hard shoes are often called heavy shoes or jig shoes. They are used to create the beautiful rhythmical percussions. They are made of black leather with fibreglass heels and taps on the tips of the shoes with a leather strap across the top of the foot.

History

The dancing traditions of Ireland probably grew in close association with traditional Irish music. Although its origins are unclear, Irish dancing was later influenced by dance forms from the Continent, especially the Quadrille. Travelling dancing masters taught all over Ireland, as late as the 18th and early 19th centuries. During this time, places for competitions and feis' were always small, so there was little room for the Dance Masters to perform. They had to dance on tabletops, sometimes even the top of a barrel. Because of this, the dancing styles were very contained, with hands rigid at the sides, and a lack of arm movement and travelling across the stage. As time went on, larger places for dance competitions and performances were found, so styles grew to include more movement, more dancing across the stage as seen, for example, in Riverdance.[1]

Irish céilí dances

Irish social, or céili /ˈkeɪli/ dances vary widely throughout Ireland and the rest of the world. A céilí dance may be performed with as few as two people and as many as sixteen.

Céilí dances may also be danced with an unlimited number of couples in a long line or proceeding around in a circle (such as in "The Walls of Limerick", "The Waves of Tory", "Haymakers Jig", "An Rince Mor" or "Bonfire Dance"). Céilí dances are often fast and some are quite complex ("Antrim Reel", "Morris Reel").

In a social setting, a céilí dance may be "called" – that is, the upcoming steps are announced during the dance for the benefit of newcomers. The céilí dances are typically danced to Irish instruments such as the Irish bodhrán or fiddle in addition to the concertina (and similar instruments), guitar, whistle or flute.

The term céilí dance was invented in the late 19th century by the Gaelic League. Céilí as a noun differs from the adjective céilí. A céilí is a social gathering featuring Irish music and dance. Céilí dancing is a specific type of Irish dance. Some céilithe (plural of céilí) will only have céilí dancing, some only have set dancing, and some will have a mixture.

Irish set dancing

Irish set dancing (also referred to as "country set dancing") are dances based on French quadrilles that were adapted by the Irish by integrating their sean-nós steps and Irish music. The distinguishing characteristics of Irish set dancing is that it is danced in square sets of four couples (eight people), and consist of several "figures," each of which has a number of parts, frequently repeated throughout the set. Each part of the set dance (figure) is danced to a music tempo, mostly reels, jigs and hornpipes. The sets come from various parts of Ireland and are often named for their place of origin; examples are the Corofin Plain Set, the South Galway Set and the Clare Lancers Set.

The organisation Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann promotes and hosts many set and ceili dance events.

Irish stepdance

A variety of forms of solo Irish dance have developed which are described as stepdance. These include the well-known "modern" stepdance performed competitively; old-style stepdance, which is closer in style to the dance practised by 19th-century travelling dance masters; and festival dance, which separated from modern stepdance over stylistic and administrative disputes in the mid-20th century.

Modern stepdance

Irish step dancers from Scoil Rince na Connemara in Wilkes-Barre, PA, dance at the HUB, Penn State University.

The most predominant form of Irish stepdance is that popularised by Riverdance and other Irish dancing stage shows since the late 20th century. Characterised by a rigid torso and dances performed high on the balls of the feet, this style became distinct from the late 19th century when the Gaelic League began efforts to preserve and promote Irish dance as part of a broader nationalist movement concerned with Irish culture. In 1929, the League formed An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (The Irish Dancing Comission) in order to codify and standardise stepdancing competition and education. Over the following decades, CLRG expanded globally, and promoted this particular form of stepdance by developing examinations and qualifications for teachers and competition adjudicators. Today, stepdance in the style codified by the Gaelic League is performed competitively in a number of countries, and under the auspices of a number of organisations which have at various times broken away from CLRG.

Dances

Irish solo stepdances fall into two broad categories based on the shoes worn: hard shoe (or heavy shoe) and soft shoe (or light shoe) dances.

There are four soft shoe dance styles: the reel, slip jig, light jig and single jig (also referred to as hop jig). Reels have a 4
4 (or sometimes 2
4 or 2
2) time signature. Slip jigs are in 9
8 time. Light and single jigs are in 6
8 time, with different emphasis within the measure distinguishing the music. Hard shoe dances include the hornpipe in syncopated 2
4 or 4
4 time, the treble jig (also called the heavy jig or double jig) in a slow 6
8, the treble reel (hard shoe dance done to reel music) and traditional sets, which are a group of dances with set music and steps. Many traditional sets have irregular musical phrasing. There are also more advanced "non-traditional sets" done by advanced dancers. These have set music, but not steps. There are multiple traditional sets, including St. Patrick's Day, Blackbird, Job of Journeywork, Three Sea Captains, Garden of Daisies, and King of the Fairies.

Competitive dancers generally dance two or three steps at a time, depending on their dancing level. Each step lasts sixteen bars of music. They are each danced starting with the right foot for eight bars, then repeated with the left foot for the last eight bars, doing the same movements with the opposite feet. Set dances, however, have a different format. The dancer usually dances one step, which is limited to eight bars, and is then repeated, resembling the steps of other dances. Then the dancer usually dances a "set" which is not repeated. It is a highly sought after and competitive feat to dance this "third round" — at regional, national, and world competitions, only a small percentage (typically the top half of dancers graded after the first two rounds) of dancers are invited back to perform.

The céilí dances used in competitions are more precise versions of those danced in less formal settings. There is a list of 30 céilí dances which have been standardised and published in An Coimisiún's Ar Rinncidhe Foirne as examples of typical Irish folk dances; these are called the "book" dances by competitive stepdancers. Most Irish dancing competitions only ask for a short piece of any given dance, in the interests of time.

Shoes and costume

There are two types of shoes; soft shoes (also known as ghillies or pumps) and hard shoes. Hard shoes are similar to tap shoes, except that the tips and heels are made of fiberglass, instead of metal, and are significantly bulkier. The first hard shoes had wooden or leather taps with metal nails. Later the taps and heels were made of resin or fiberglass to reduce the weight and to make the sounds louder. The soft shoes, which are called ghillies, are black lace-up shoes. Ghillies are only worn by girls, while boys wear black leather shoes called "reel shoes", which resemble black jazz shoes with a hard heel. Boy's soft-shoe dancing features audible heel clicks. A new trend includes adding white laces to the soft shoes, and white tape to the straps of the hard shoes in order to give the illusion of elongating the legs.

Several generations ago, the appropriate dress for a competition was simply "Sunday best" (clothes one would wear to church). Irish Dance schools generally have school dresses, worn by lower-level competitors and in public performances. As dancers advance in competition or are given starring roles in public performances, they may get a solo dress of their own design and colours or wear the team dress. In the 1970s and 1980s, ornately embroidered dresses became popular. Today even more ornamentation is used on girls' dresses. Solo dresses are unique to each dancer. Today most women and girls wear a wig, a bun or hairpiece for a competition, but some still curl their own hair. Most men wear a shirt, vest, and tie paired with black trousers. Each Irish dance school has its own distinctive full skirted dress, often featuring lace or an embroidered pattern copied from the medieval Irish Book of Kells.[2]

Competition structure

An organized dance competition is referred to as a feis (pronounced "fesh", plural feiseanna). The word feis means "festival" in Irish, and strictly speaking would also have competitions in music and crafts. Féile (/ˈfeɪlə/) is a more correct term for the dance competition, but the terms may be used interchangeably. Dance competitions are divided by age and level of expertise. The names of the levels and other organising rules vary between countries and regions. Dancers are scored based on technique (placement of the feet, turn out, off of their heels, etc.), style (grace, power, etc.) and other items such as timing, rhythm, and sounds in their hard shoe dances.

An annual regional Championship competition is known as an oireachtas (/oʊˈrɒktəs/). An Coimisiún holds various "national" championship competitions. Each of the major Irish step dance organisations hosts a premier championship, going by differing titles. An Coimisiún's World Championships are the largest, with over 6,000 dancers competing from over 30 countries worldwide. The Aisling (pronounced 'Ashling', Gaelic for dream) is awarded to the highest placing dancer in each category from oversees (Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia) to encourage them to continue their dream of dancing.

Oireachtas Rince Na Cruinne, or "The World Championships" (for An Coimisiún dancers), first took place in Dublin in 1970 at Coláiste Mhuire, a school in Parnell Square. The "Worlds" outgrew its original location and moved around the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2002, for the first time, the "Worlds" left Ireland for Glasgow. In 2009, for the first time, the World Championships were held in the United States, in Philadelphia. The 2011 championships were held once again in Dublin. The 2012 championships were held in Belfast, with the 2013–2016 Worlds scheduled for Boston, London, Montréal and Glasgow respectively. The BBC documentary film Jig provided an insight into championship level dancers competing in the 2010 World Championships held in Glasgow.[3] The Oireachtas Rince Na Cruinne will be held in Dublin in 2017.

An Coimsiún also holds the Oireachtas Rince na hÉireann, or "All Irelands" which will not take place until February 2018, as the date has been moved from October. The location for 2018 has not yet been announced.

An Comhdhail's World championships take place each Easter week, with the competition being held in Killarney in 2015. The largest NAIDF (North American Irish Dance Federation) competition currently is The Nationals held at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 2010, and at The Valley Forge Convention Center in Pennsylvania in 2012. The WIDA (World Irish Dance Association), which is mainly dancers from European countries, also hold their own World and European Championships over the Easter week, with the competition being held in Berlin in 2011, and scheduled for Poland in 2012.

Old-style step dancing

Old-style step dancing is a tradition related to, yet distinct from, sean-nós dancing, though it is sometimes called "Munster-style sean-nós". Old-style step dancing evolved in the late 18th and early 19th century from the dancing of travelling Irish dance masters. The dance masters slowly formalised and transformed both solo and social dances. Modern masters of old-style step dancing style can trace the lineage of their steps directly back to 18th century dancers.

The Irish dance masters refined and codified indigenous Irish dance traditions. Rules emerged about proper upper body, arm, and foot placement. Also, dancers were instructed to dance a step twice—first with the right foot then with the left. Old-style step dancers dance with arms loosely (but not rigidly) at their sides. They dance in a limited space. There is an emphasis on making percussive sound with the toes. The Irish dance masters of this period also choreographed particular steps to particular tunes in traditional music creating the solo traditional set dances such as the Blackbird, St. Patrick's Day, and the Job of Journey Work, which also persist in modern Irish stepdancing. In this context, "set dance" signifies a separate tradition from the social dance tradition also called set dance.

Festival dance

Following criticism of CLRG for its emphasis on certain regional forms of stepdance to the detriment of others, dance teacher Patricia Mulholland developed a new style of stepdance, beginning in the 1950s. It was described as a form of "folk ballet" which appealed to dancers of both Catholic and Protestant religious persuasions.[4] Like other forms which share the heritage of modern stepdance but have departed from its codification, festival dance emphasises individuality and practises more relaxed style and posture.[5]

Sean-nós dance

Sean-nós, or "old style" dance is a form of Irish dancing which originated from western regions of Ireland. It has been described variously as a regional style of stepdancing,[6] and as an entirely separate style that was virtually unknown outside small areas until the late 20th century.[7] It is distinguished by footwork which is percussive but low to the ground in comparison to step dancing, and by its more freeform nature. Performers use a more relaxed posture, and improvise steps to fit with music. Typically, sean-nós dances are performed in small spaces, traditionally doors laid flat and table tops.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Royston, Peter Riverdance on Broadway – Study Guide Abhann Productions, p. 17-18
  2. ↑ Margaret Scanlan (2006). "Culture and Customs of Ireland". p. 163. Greenwood Publishing Group
  3. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (16 June 2011). "Jig: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  4. ↑ McGonagle, Suzanne (7 March 2015). "Irish dancing legend honoured". The Irish News. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Dorrity, Christie (28 May 2015). "Interview with a Festival Dance Teacher from Tir Na n-Og Irish Dancing School". Antonio Pacelli. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Hill, Constance Valis (2014). Tap Dancing America: A Cultural History. Oxford University Press. p. 11. ISBN 9780190225384. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  7. ↑ Wulff, Helena (2008). Dancing at the Crossroads: Memory and Mobility in Ireland. Berghahn Books. p. 18. ISBN 9781845455903. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  • Brennan, Helen (1999). The Story of Irish Dancing. Mount Eagle. ISBN 0-86322-244-7. 
  • An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha: Ár Rincí Fóirne [The Irish Dancing Commission: Our Dancing Staff] (2003). Thirty Popular Céilí Dances. Westside. 
  • Cullinane, John (1998). Aspects of the History of Irish Céilí Dancing. Clontarf, Dublin: The Central Remedial Clinic. ISBN 0-9527952-2-1. 
  • O'Keeffe, J. G.; O'Brien, Art (1902). A Handbook of Irish Dances (1st ed.). Dublin: O'Donochue. OL 7092184M. 
  • Murphy, Pat (1995). Toss the Feathers – Irish Set Dancing. Mercier. ISBN 1-85635-115-7. 
  • Murphy, Pat (2000). The Flowing Tide – More Irish Set Dancing. Mercier. ISBN 1-85635-308-7. 

General information

Irish Dance Organisations

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