History of Irish Dance
"Ireland: traditional dance"
From the International Encyclopedia of Dance. Format edited for the Web by Ashe.
Ireland
Ireland is an island that consists of thirty-two counties, twenty-six of which make up the Irish Republic (Eire); the remaining six counties, called Northern Ireland, are part of the United Kingdom. The Irish people are the Celts, and their language is Gaelic, although English is the language spoken commonly today.
The rich folk dance tradition of Ireland comprises solo step dances, set dances (similar to country dances), ceili dances, and various social dances.
Dancing Masters and Dances
The dancing masters systematized the solo step and ceili dances
Dancing masters were first mentioned in A Tour in Ireland, 1776-1779, by Arthur Young, who wrote, "Dancing is very general among the poor people. ... Dancing masters of their own rank travel through the country from cabbin [house] to cabbin, with a piper or blind fiddler; and the pay is six pence a quarter." Each dancing master had his own territory and taught at each location in rotation for six weeks at a time, instructing young rural people in winter, often at a barn or farmhouse.
The dancing masters systematized the solo step dances known today as the reel, jig, light jig, slip jig, and hornpipe, as well as the ceili dances and the traditional solo set dances, such as The Blackbird and Saint Patrick’s Day.
Besides the dance schools, the Irish danced at weddings, "patterns" (patrons' days), fairs, holy days, and Sunday gatherings, as well as on annual festivals such as saints' days and harvest. The dances were primarily communal including jigs, minuets, and country dances; step dancers might also perform between the communal dances.
Dancing masters displayed their art here to attract students; some danced on a small platform or barrel, and it was said that a good step dancer could perform on a space six inches square.
The Role of the Church
There was conflict over dancing between Roman Catholic church officials and the rural communities.
Dancing on religious occasions was condemned from church pulpits, as it was considered unruly behavior, and parish priests were asked to suppress it. In some parishes dancing masters had to have the permission of a local priest to conduct a school.
Set Dancing and Regional Styles
During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, sets and half sets were performed at all informal dance events in rural Ireland, including house and crossroads dances, patterns, pilgrimages, fairs, weddings, harvest festivals, and feast days. Impromptu performances of step dances might also occur.
The set dances are believed to have been derived from the French quadrilles to local abilities and traditional Irish music, and regional styles became differentiated. Throughout this period, Irish dancing was integral to the social lives of the rural people and was integrated with other aspects of Irish culture (e.g., music, singing, and storytelling).
Public Dance Halls Act, 1936
In 1936 the Public Dance Halls Act was passed, and all public dances had to be liscensed. Consequently rural dances at home, a primary social event in winter, declined. They were replaced by events at the larger parish halls, and some older dances were supplanted by newer ones, such as the waltz and the polka.
The Gaelic League
The Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilage) had been established in 1893, with a desire to resurrect a sense of national identity. Although primarily concerned with the Irish language, the Gaelic League promoted other aspects of traditional culture, including dancing.
The Gaelic League held its first ceili not in Ireland but in London, in 1897
It held its first ceili not in Ireland but in London, on 30 October 1897; there were sets and waltzes to Irish music, singing, and step dancing. The ceili spread to Ireland and to Irish emigrant communities worldwide, becoming a popular venue at which Irish people could express their common identity and solidarity.
It was later decided that the sets and waltzes of foreign origin should be replaced by Irish dances, such as the Eight-Hand Reel, Sixteen-Hand Reel, and High Cauled Cap; these were invented by the dancing masters who had combined steps from the quadrilles with Irish stepping.
Today ceili dancing is still held under the auspices of the Gaelic League, either in competitions or as a social event. The dances are relatively easy to perform and are done by young and old. The most popular ceili dances are "The Walls of Limerick," "The Siege of Ennis," and "The Haymakers' Jig."
A revival of set dancing in the 1980s led to set dances also being included in many ceilithe (plural of ceili), both in Ireland and abroad. The most popular set dances are the Caledonian, the Plain, the Lancers, Sliabh Luachra, the Baile Mhuirne Reel, the Baile Mhuirne Jig, and the Kerry Set.
The Gaelic League promoted step dancing at festivals (feiseanna) and field days (aeraiochtai) at which step dance competitions were held concurrently with those in music, singing, and sports. Beginning int he 1920s, schools of step dance were founded in the cities and towns of Ireland to provide regular tuition. Teachers obtained recognition and students obtained success in competitions, so these became the focus of step dancing.
An Coimisíun le Rincí Gaelacha (The Irish Dancing Commision)
In March 1931 the Irish Dancing Commission (An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha) was established under the auspices of the Gaelic League to administer step-dance competitions, training, and standards. Qualifying examinations for teachers and judges were developed. Three booklets produced in 1939, 1943, and 1969 remain the key textbooks for all Irish step-dance teachers and judges.
An independent group, the Organization for Irish Dance (An Comhghail la Rinci Gaelacha), emerged in 1969. Both organizations now have their own registered teaches and judges and hold competitions exclusively for their own memebrs. Today registered schools of Irish step dance exist not only in Ireland but also in England, Scotland, Wales, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Competitions are held at local, regional, national, and international levels
Progressive competitions are held at local, regional, national, and international levels. They are divided by dance type, age group, and standard. The principal types are the reel, jig, and hornpipe. Soft laced pumps are worn when dancing the reel, slip jig, light jig, and single jig, which are thus known as "light shoe dances"; hard shoes are worn for the jig, hornpipe, treble reel, and solo set dances.
The dances themselves are choreographed by the teachers and taught by imitation; there are identifiable and innovative movements used from year to year. The Coimisiun’s control has led to a uniformity of style among Irish step dancers worldwide, but to the loss of regional styles and regional step dances.
There are also competitions for ceili dances and a new category, dance drama, introduced by the Coimisiun at the world championships in 1970. This is a choreography competition in which music, decor, and costume are combined with dance to illustrate an aspect of Irish culture, such as a historical event, a social custom, or a traditional story. The ceili dance competitions consist of particular dances selected and documented by the Coimisiun in Ar Rinncidhe Foirne; other regional ceili dances are disallowed.
Style and Costuming
In the solo step dances the dancer’s torso is held upright, with the hands held loosely at the sides and the emphasis laid on footwork. Hands are, however, used for the creation of figures in the ceili dances and in the dance dramas.
Costumes have become more elaborate during the course of the twentieth century. Today women wear embroidered dresses and decorative shawls adorned with motifs from Celtic art. Men wear kilts with shirt, tie, jacket, and shawl.
The Age Change
Another change that has occured in the past century is a decrease in the age at which step dances are learned; today the students and competitors are mostly under age eighteen. The older step dances were earthy in style and were performed in a confined space, but with younger performers and the larger space of the hall and stage, the steps became more airborne, the leg gestures higher, and traveling movements increased. In addition, more men now perform the older style whileas the younger women perform the contemporary style.
Improvisation
Improvisation was traditionally important in step dances, but because competition is so important today, the dancers perform what they have been taught. Older dancers, particularly those who have retired from competing, may still improvise, but this is not commonly seen.
The Music
The music accompaniment for traditional dance at first depended upon what was available. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the fiddle and uillean pipes (a kind of bagpipes) were popular, and the melodian or button-row accordian became widely used in the twentieth Any combination and number of traditional Irish instruments has generally been acceptable. Most of the music for classes and competitions today is recorded1, but social and concert dances often feature live music. Irish step dance is no longer integral to the lives of rural people. The city and big towns have become the centers for step dancing, where it is taught separately from other aspects of Irish culture (e.g., music and singing).
Siamsa Tire, Riverdance, and Stepping Out into the World
A theatrical venue for Irish dancing was established is 1974 when Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre, was founded; in its productions step-dance motifs are adapted to dramatic contexts. Riverdance, performed at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, showed Irish step dance freed from the characteristic controlled torso and combined with movements from flamenco and tap dance. This event provided the first professional Irish step dance touring troupe.
In 1978 the Irish Ballet performed The Playboy of the Western World, based on a play by J. M. Synge and choreographed by Joan Denise Moriarity; it employed step dance motifs in a ballet context. More recently the Irish-American step dancer Liam Harney collaborated on a work for the New York City Ballet.
Footnotes
1Presently, American competitions typically use live music. (Back)