Irish dancing is a group of traditional dance forms originating from Ireland, encompassing dancing both solo and in groups, and dancing for social, competitive, and performance purposes. Irish dance in its current form developed from various influences such as Native Irish dance, French quadrilles and English country dancing.
Dance was taught by “travelling dance masters” across Ireland in the 17th-18th century, and separate dance forms developed according to regional practice and differing purposes. Irish dance became a significant part of Irish culture, particularly for Irish nationalist movements.
From the early 20th century, a number of organisations promoted and codified the various forms of dance, creating competitive structures and standardised styles. Solo Irish dance includes the most well-known form of Irish dance, Irish stepdance, which was popularised from 1994 onwards by dance shows such as Riverdance, and which is practised competitively across the Irish diaspora. Stepdance is characterised by the rigid upper body and intricate footwork of its performers.
Other forms of solo Irish dance include sean-nós dance, a relaxed and social dance style involving improvised steps, and festival Irish dance, a style which separated from step dance in the mid-20th century. Irish dancing in groups is made up of a number of styles and traditions, which developed from French and English dances and formations.
Ceili dance, practised both competitively and socially, is performed by groups of two to sixteen people, and often uses traditional or codified dances and formations. Its footwork is simple, and emphasis is placed on the figures and formations of the dances. Set dance is primarily a social tradition, for groups of four dancers, and includes elements of the intricate footwork found in step dance.
When Riverdance comes to a Wedding! – Watch when the Bride and Groom join the dance.
Irish dancing originated with the Celts and druids and as Christianity started spreading, was influenced by similar dances from Europe. Remnants of the formations and the patterns used by the druids still seen today.
Dancing was always accompanied by traditional music and was usual at special occasions or religious events.
When the Normans invaded Ireland in the twelfth century, they settled in the country and brought with them their native customs, dance being one of them. The ‘Carol’ was a popular Norman dance that was soon performed all over Ireland,
The Carol dance involved one singer placed in the centre of a circle of dancers who then followed his singing and danced accordingly. It is the first historically recorded dance in Ireland.
Three types of dancing evolved over time, the Irish Hey, the Rinnce Fada (long dance) and the Trenchmore. Instead of circular formations, line formations became common. These in turn became more complicated with female dancers weaving between males, or interchanging couples.
In the 18th century the phenomenon of the Dancing Master emerged a teacher who travelled between villages and towns holding lessons for peasants. Group dancing and more disciplined forms of dancing evolved, eventually leading to the dance competitions we know today.
In 1893 the Gaelic League was founded as an organisation to promote and encourage all aspects of Irish culture in Ireland. It organised formal competitions, lessons and rules for Irish dancing, and this further developed into the launch of the Irish Dancing Commission in 1930 to regulate the now immensely popular past-time. Irish dancing really took off once it had its own governing body, and over the following decades it spread to the vast Irish diaspora around the world.
Is Irish dancing popular in America?
In particular, the popularity of Irish dance is stronger than ever among Irish-, and non-Irish, Americans alike. For generations, Irish dancing remained a local pursuit, enjoyed recreationally among the Irish and Irish- American communities that developed across America.
What about the rest of the world?
We’ll sometimes Irish dancing spontaneously errupts!
But nobody does it like the locals!
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