Figure 1.--The issue of how much foot work to noise to make when dancing is being debated my modern Irish dancers. This was much less an issue in the 1970s when this photograph was taken. Notice the buckles on the shoes, this disappaered by the 1980s.

One growing debate in Irish dance is the "battering" or the noise made by hard shoes on wooden stages. This is another of the impacts of the popularity of Michael O’Flaherty and "River Dance" in which the sound of the feet is very important. Batttering is, however, is rooted in the tradition of Irish dance long before "River Dance". Modern dancers debate the issue of battering and the type of soles on their shoes to achieve the level of sound that they want. Many dancers are currently experimenting. I like to do some battering while dancing but most of the time cannot hear what the tip of my shoes is doing. I have tried metal bits but it is rather too noisy and sounds like tap dancing. So I finally found a shoemaker near my place that would be ready to do it the old-fashioned way." Light-weight fiberglass soles have proven popular with some dancers. A dancer explains, "We used to have the shoemaker put a graded leather toe piece on the tips of the shoe and bang tons of nails into the tips and also on the heels. Now we use fiberglass and composites instead. Much lighter." Another dancer reader asks, however, "Lightweight maybe, but incredibly noisy! Can you not just wear leather dancing shoes, like character shoes or summat? It seems to me that a rake of nails or fiberglass tips would make for quite a clackity-clackity-clackity sound, no? I find loud shoes extremely distracting, myself."

Growing Debate

One growing debate in Irish dance is the "battering" or the noise made by hard shoes on wooden stages or dance floor. Some do not like this at all, especially when it is nor solo dancing competitions. One dancer writes, "Now-a-days of course EVERYONE batters (or rather stomps). How many hobnails or sole protecors is necessary to be heard a/ above the highly amplified band, and by above all the other stompers in an echoey hall!!"

River Dance Impacts

This is another of the impacts of the popularity of Michael Flatley and "River Dance" in which the sound of the feet is very important. Flatley hasn't been associated with Riverdance since the mid-1990s. He got too demanding about artistic control. Riverdamce publically said they couldn't do without him, and was forthwith dismissed.

Tradition

Traditional dancers had nails added to their hard shoe soles to create more footwork noise when dancing. This allowed for a rather muffled sound than is generally the case today. According to the number of nails, a volume that could be heard by the dancer without annoying other dancers too much.

Music

Music is a factor that has affected battering. Some Irish dance experts report that in the old dys (19th and early 20th century), the music was slower with more lilt. Thus the 'battering' (primarily heel beats) was a wonderfold aspect of te dancig to behold. It was elegant, seemingly effortless, and with nasterful economy of movement and performed perfectly in time with the acoustic (unamplified) music. This has changed with modern dancers. Some report that the music is as much as twice as fast as it was formerly. Dancers now seem to take the term quite literally and beat the datlights out of the floor, with metal tipped or studded shoes. Dancers engage in what can only be called heavy stomping and sometimes actual jumping. Some dancers perform with feet and legs flying around, not uncommonly out-of-time with the music. This creates an addiional problem in that the battering can be so loud that the dancers can't even hear the music.

Experimenting

Dancers debate the issue of battering and the type of soles on their shoes to achieve the level of sound that they want. Many dancers are currently experimenting. I like to do some battering while dancing but most of the time cannot hear what the tip of my shoes is doing. I have tried metal bits but it is rather too noisy and sounds like tap dancing. So I finally found a shoemaker near my place that would be ready to do it the old-fashioned way."

Soles

Dancers that feel that they must make an audible impression have many options beyond te traditional leather hard shoe. They can use use fibre glass soles, professional taps, carbon soles, or even steel soles. Light-weight fiberglass soles have proven popular with some dancers. A dancer explains, "We used to have the shoemaker put a graded leather toe piece on the tips of the shoe and bang tons of nails into the tips and also on the heels. Now we use fiberglass and composites instead. Much lighter." Another dancer reader asks, however, "Lightweight maybe, but incredibly noisy! Can you not just wear leather dancing shoes, like character shoes or summat? It seems to me that a rake of nails or fiberglass tips would make for quite a clackity-clackity-clackity sound, no? I find loud shoes extremely distracting, myself."

Gender

Batttering is rooted in the tradition of Irish dance long before "River Dance". In the old days, out of courtesy and tradition, it was only the man of the house (host) who did any battering. Or perhaps in a cottage only the male partner of the couple who were currently dancing 'at home' on the hearth flag (i.e. nearest the open fire). Then everyone could hear and appreciate the expertese of the man of the moment battering. And it would not matter how few hobnails or sole protectors were in his shoes - with only one person battering all could hear what he (not she) was doing. Some Irish dance authorities do not approve of thge girls battering, but are more acceptive of the boys. Times change and so do traditions. Many girl dancers like to make much more footwork noise than was the case in the past. One dancer asks, "If a lady is good at what she does, why make an issue of telling her that she isn't supposed to do it in the name of 'tradition?'"

Dance Shoes

All costumes are worn with either hard shoes or soft shoes depending on the dance being performed. The hard shoes have metal heels attached for the sound effects made popular with River Dance. For the soft shoe dances, ballet shoes are used. Battering of course involves hard soes. Some basic information on the shoes used in Irish dance are available here for background on the topic of battering.

Personal Opinions

Many dancers have very strong opinions on the issue of battering in Irish step dancing while others have observed the ebolution of modern trends with interest.

Brief comments: Various dancers

Observer: Michael

Created: February 2, 2002
Last updated: 3:42 PM 8/14/2006