Figure 1.--All Irish dances begin with the dancers in this standard position with one foot forward. |
Irish dancing includes a wide range of different types of dancing, including solo, pair, and group dances. Round and Long dances are group
dances, requiring a minimum of four dancers
depending on the dance. Round dances are known in step dancing as figure dances, e.g., six-hand reel, eight-hand reel, four-hand jig.) There are
four basic Irish step dances (solos): reel, (light) jig, slip jig, and hornpipe. There are, of course, many many variations of reel, light jig, slip jig, and hornpipe steps. Each dancing school has its own versions of
the steps.
Irish dance has a distinctive, recognizeable timing. For those who are musically inclined and care about the timing of these dances:
the reel is in 2/4 time; the light jig is in 6/8 time; the slip jig is in
the complex 9/8
time; the hornpipe is also in 2/4 time, although with a different
structure than that of the reel.
The general public has been introduced to Irish dance relatively
recently through
stage productions such as Riverdance
or Lord of the Dance.
They are unaware that the demanding step dancing performance
they are seeing is only one form of Irish dance. But Irish dance
is not carried by the single thread of its solo performance form.
It is a rich tapestry of interwoven solo and social dance forms:
the solo step dances and set step dances, the ceili dances that
directly reflect several of the forms and movements of the step
dances, the set dances that also reflect many of these same movements
but retain different aspects from those emphasized in ceili dances, and even the waltzes and other couples dances which are danced by the Irish in forms that reflect the cultural dance heritage. The structural unity of the step, ceili, and set dances were brought
home to one Irish dancer as a powerful visual metaphor in a demonstration given by one of his dance teachers (Megan Downes at the Irish Arts Center). She danced the "lead-around" to reels, gradually varying the emphasis to show the step-dance style, the ceili-dance style,
and the set-dance style, smoothly and without any abrupt change in style, showing the strong ties among what may appear at first to be rather different forms of dance.
It is unfortunate when adherents or practitioners of one form or another of Irish dance feel the need to diminish one of the other forms as being "foreign", "inauthentic", or "non-traditional". This is especially so in the context of the Irish culture which, for many centuries, was systematically suppressed and outlawed. That so much has been able to be reconstructed
is close to miraculous. That so little represents an unbroken continuity is tragic. Of the nearly 150 ceili and set dances danced today, only four have a record of being continuously used as social dance forms for the past century. But this in no way lessens the stature or meaningfulness of the other dances as traditional dances.
Figure 2.--Boys lining up for a dancing competition at an American feis during the 1970s. Note that the shoulder sash is worn on both the left and right shoulders. |
There are two different ways to explore the relationships among the various Irish dance forms: structurally and historically. The structural root of Irish dance is found in step-dance while the historical root lies in ceili dance. Virtually nothing is
known of ancient Celtic dance or even dance in Ireland as late
as the 18th Century. Historians have not been
able to find detailed descriptions of Irish dances before
the mid-19th century, and that all of the forms
of Irish dance seen today were present in the culture by then.
Even the Irish words for dance, damhsa and rince, derive from
the French danse and the English rink (to skate on ice), respectively.
However, the general outlines of their history are known.
Ceili dancing is popular with older Irish dancers as well as many who never danced seriously as children. Ceili dancing in general is less competive than step dancing.
Ceili dances represent an informal tradition of dance that is common to much of humanity since prehistory. Many are structured as sword dances, round dances, line dances, and
progressive line dances. The Normans have been credited for introducing
the round dance into Ireland around the 12th century. The "rince fada" (long dance) is actually a family of dances, one of which was described in the end of the 17th century as performed by "three persons moving abreast, each of which held the end of a white handkerchief, followed by the rest of the dancers
in pairs". The Gaelic Revival in Ireland in the late 19th century destroyed the practice of dancing these dances so effectively that when the Gaelic League decided to resurrect them in the 1920's, they had generally been lost and new dances had to be codified
to write the "Ár Rinncidhe Fóirne". Many
of the modern ceili dances have known authors. For example, the
"Fairy Reel" was composed by An t-Athair Ó Flannagáin
around 1930, to a tune written by Neil Gow for the Fife Hunt Ball
in Scotland in 1802. It is interesting to compare these to the
dances described in "A Handbook of Irish Dances" and
some of us will be quite interested to read the publication resulting
from the
Dundalk Manuscript.
The modern Ceili dance form was codified early
in this century by the Gaelic League who were simultaneously establishing
the form to be used for step-dancing competitions. As well as
the often noted "hands at the sides" aspect, ceili dance
today emphasizes the height, turn-out, dancing on the toes (not
the same as the ballet stance), extension of leg and foot, long
reach and quick movements seen in the step dances as well, but
tends to de-emphasize the use of battering and foot percussion.
Figure 3.--One of the competitors intently watches the footwork and moves of the dancer doing his routine. The shoulder sash by the 1980s had become standardized on the left shoulder. |
Much of what the general public thinks of as Irish dancing is step
dancing.
Irish step dancing evolved as the creation of Irish
dancing masters, subsequent to their appearance in the late 18th century.
Dancing masters would often travel from town to town, teaching basic dancing steps to those interested and able to pay for them. Since the basic folk dances had been done for centuries in their absence, one must suspect that their appearance was motivated
by a desire to learn the "upscale" dance styles then
beginning to be introduced from France. The dance masters often paraphrased these dances to fit the traditional music available and, in doing so, laid the basis for much of today's traditional
Irish dance--ceili, step, and set. The dance masters taught steps, the 8-bar units out of which most Irish traditional dance is constructed.
The steps involved both the movements needed for various dances
and the foot percussion, called battering, used for rhythmic emphasis.
Competitions were often held in which the demonstrations of steps
by masters were performed on a table-top or similar small stage.
In fact, dancing in a limited space was viewed as such an important
aspect of the style that one of the greatest tributes to be paid
to a dancer was to note that they could "dance on the top
of a plate."
The codification of style that defines modern step dance took place in the 1920's and provided a basis for judging of competitions. Although none can deny the great response and popularity induced by competitions, they also tend to push style into emphasizing extremes in preferred characteristics rather
than overall balance of effect. The early (sean-nos) dance
style for step emphasized a close form and posture - legs kept
together, no high kicks, little or no turning and, obviously,
no traveling. The preferred style for competition step-dancing
changed through the 1950's and 1960's. The availability of lorries,
then small stages in halls, and then larger stages, especially
in the larger cities made it possible to perform the traveling
steps, circular lead-in's, sevens-and-threes, and turns we see
as a characteristic of modern step-dance.
Figure 4.--Boys competing in set dancing at a feis. Some of the costumes in the 1960s and 70s were sinpler. Some boys performed without jackets. |
Part of modern step-dancing competition involves the dancing of
steps to certain particular tunes. These are called "set dances". What characterizes
these set dances are the particular tunes to which they are danced. Instead of the conventional 8-bar structure usually used in social dancing, the set dance tunes generally have a one or two part structure with 8 or 12 bars in the first
part and 12, 14, 16, or even more bars in the second. Associated
with each of these tunes is a corresponding solo dance. The footwork
and the movements are supposed to particularly interpret the set
tune.
As much as Irish dancing has become a symbol of Ireland, it is interesting to
note that the very conservative Catholic Church in Ireland did not
always look favorably on dancing.
Figure 4.--Boys discussing the results of a feis competition. Notice that these American boys do not wear turn-over-top kneesocks. |
Set dances are danced by four couples, generally
(but not always) arranged on the sides of a square. They are generally
divided into several (usually 5 or 6, but ranging from 2 to 9)
"figures". Set dances are danced flat on the feet, and
generally avoid the leaps and traveling movements of the ceili
dances, although the feet of some of the dancers from Cork and
Kerry are only occasionally found near the floor. Unlike the ceili
dances, set dances retain and feature strong regional variations
in the style of the dance. Sets from Cork and Kerry lean heavily
on the jigs and polkas played so well by the mu sicians of these
counties, while the sets from Clare feature the reels of which
those people are so fond. Sets, like the Clare
Lancers, from North Clare are danced with a smooth, gliding styl e
while those from other parts of Clare are da nced with battering
reminiscent of that introduced by the dancing masters of old into
their step-dancing performed on small platforms.
A perennial controversy between set dancers and ceili dancers concerning which form of dancing is "more traditional" or "more Irish". This basic issue leads to some of the most controversial subjects in the set dancing world. Utltimately there may prove to be an acceptable compromise between "tradition" and "change". Indeed, many believe that dance enthusiastsd should accept the responsibility of learning how the sets were originally danced through workshops and classes. Many also believe, however, think that the heavy burden of tradition should not necessarily restrict the many dancing styles
seen today at ceilis.
Very little has been written on the subject of the Irish origins
or adaptation of Waltzes and other dances. Well-loved dances like
the "Stack of Barley", the "Gay Gordons", "Schottische", and "Shoe
the Donkey" are a regular pa rt of the program at many ceilis,
as are the waltzes which are interspersed with the ceili or set
dances. While the waltz, like the quadrille or even, perhaps,
the round dance may not have originated in Ireland itself, the
Irish adapted the dance form to suit their own style, leading
to lovely dances like the "Pride of Erin" and the "Waltz
Marguerite" or "St. Margaret's Waltz" with its
set-dance-like weave of advance/retires, ladies chains, and house-arounds.
Many of the American dancing teachers are Irish dancers. They are
passing on the lovely dances on to another generation
in a world far away from the Dublin and other Irish cities where they
learned them as children.
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Created: December 27, 1998
Updated: December 16, 1999