Irish Dance: A Very Brief Background
Irish dancing began in Ireland, but today it is taught and performed in many of the countries where the Irish emigrated: Scotland, England, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although Irish dancing only came to the attention of a world-wide audience through shows like Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, this special dance form has a long and rich heritage.
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The first known mention of Irish dancing dates to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, when in 1549 a group of Irish dancers performed at court. Legend says that after the queen saw the performance, she claimed that she saw the "Spanish" origins of the dance. Irish figure dancing certainly began much earlier than the sixteenth century, for it was common for villagers to get together in an open space, such as a village square or crossroads, to celebrate and dance. Most Irish school children today learn the basic movements required for these group dances. Solo step dancing has only been around for about 200 years. At one time, traveling dance teachers would receive bed and board in a village in return for teaching step dance to the children. Even today, well-known teachers will travel great distances to teach workshops and bring new material to dance students.
There are two basic types of Irish dancing. Group dancing is called ceili (party) dancing or figure dancing, because of the patterns the dancers make. Solo dancing, called step dancing, focuses on learning steps of intricate footwork rather than figures. In fact, Irish dancing is unique because step dancers concentrate on footwork and do not use their hands when dancing. Step dancing includes two types of dances:
soft shoe, performed in ballet-like, laced leather shoes, and hard shoe, performed in special Irish tap shoes. The tapping in Irish dance may originally have come from English clog dancing (done in heavy wooden clogs), or from Spanish or North African traders. No one is sure of the true origins, but over the years, a purely Irish tapping technique and style developed.
Irish dance is performed to traditional Irish music, including reels, jigs, slip jigs, and hornpipes. The slip jig is a light, airy dance, done in soft shoe, and only performed by girls. Hornpipes are only performed in hard shoe, while reels and jigs can be either soft or hard shoe and are danced by boys and girls alike. For ceili dancing, performed to jigs and reels, dancers like to have live music, usually including a fiddle, accordion, piano, and sometimes guitar or tin whistle. Because of the noise of the tapping, the step dancer needs loud musical accompaniment such as the fiddle or accordion. Musicians who play for dancers must learn some special traditional tunes (called set dances), and they must play to specific tempos required by the dancers.
This past century has seen great changes in Irish dance. In the early 1900s, dancers wore normal work shoes, which were heavy-soled leather and produced a loud sound when dancing. Since many country homes still had dirt floors, people sometimes took the door off the hinges to have a wooden surface to dance on. Men wore knee britches, and women wore long skirts with shawls. People danced with their hands on their hips. Dance competitions began in the early 1900s, and the oldest surviving trophy belt, on which the name of each year's winner was engraved, dates back to 1909.
By the 1930s, boys and girls wore kilts and jackets for dancing. As shoes came to be made of thinner leather, dancers started adding a thickened toe piece to increase the sound. Dancers would wear all the medals they won in competitions pinned to a sash across their chest as part of their costume. By the 1950s, girls were wearing dresses that came to the knee, with a small amount of embroidery in a very simple design. Dancers no longer wore the medals, as this was too cumbersome while moving. Dancers began adding nails to the thickened toes and heels of their shoes to get an even better sound.
Over the last thirty years, dancing competitions have driven the evolution of Irish dance styles and technique, as well as changes in costumes and footwear. Most noticeably, girls’ costumes have evolved from wool dresses with simple embroidery to velvet and even silk dresses with elaborate embroidered and appliquéd designs, many taken from the Book of Kells. Some costumes depict scenes from Irish myth and legend. In the past ten years, boys began to wear pants and shirts
instead of kilts and jackets. Around twenty years ago, hard shoes with fiberglass tips and heels appeared, and shoes with nails were actually banned in competition.
Today, Irish dance instruction and competitions are monitored by An Coimisiún in Dublin, Ireland, which certifies all dance teachers (TCRG - Teastas De Coimisiún na Rinci Gaelacha, or TMRF - Teastas Múinteoireachta Rince Foirne) and adjudicators (ADCRG - Ard Diploma An Coimisiún Na Rinci Gaelacha). Dancers must take class with a certified teacher to be eligible for competition. In competitions, dancers are judged based on their posture, timing, and execution of the steps. But the desire to put the best foot forward has spurred the development of fancier costumes, more intricate steps, and more high-tech footwear. The recent traveling shows featuring Irish dance—Riverdance and Lord of the Dance—have introduced the professional Irish dancer not bound by the strictures of the Irish dance commission. Irish dance has now found a much broader audience, and dance classes that once appealed to a rather small Irish community are now attracting a wide range of people. Irish dance has truly become a world-wide phenomenon.
- Ann's Place - History of Irish Dance (A great site; her history has links to other history pages)
- The History of Irish Dance (An Irish tourism site with cultural information)
Dr. John Cullinane has written four books which you may find on sale at dance competitions:
- Irish Costumes, their origins and evolution
- Aspects of the history of Irish Dancing in North America
- Aspects of the history of Irish Ceili Dancing (1897-1997)
- Aspects of the history of Irish Dancing
You may also order them directly from the author at 55 Brandon Rd., Cork City, Ireland. Tel. 353-21-314094; cullinanejohn@eircom.net, or from OssianUSA.com.
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