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Brief Intro of Irish Dance
Many people today have been introduced to Irish dance through stage productions such as River dance or Lord of the Dance. Most people are unaware that the demanding step dancing performance they are watching is the only one form of Irish dance. But the Irish dance does not carry by the single thread of its solo performance form. It is a rich tapestry of interweave 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 remain 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.
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. 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. ...
There are two major different ways to explore the relationships among the various Irish dance forms: structurally and historically. The structural root of Irish dance was found in step dance while the historical root lies in ceili dance. It is important to recognize that no detailed descriptions of Irish dances have been found from before the mid-nineteenth 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, respectively (Breathnach 122). ... Dancing is at the heart and soul of Irish culture. In villages around the country locals regularly organise a Céilí (gathering of people in a house at night, to sing and dance and socialise). ...
There are two forms of Irish dancing, solo dancing and figure dancing. ... In recent times Irish dancing has taken off throughout the world thanks to the Irish-American love of competitive dancing and also due to the worldwide success of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.
Approximate Word count = 1967
Approximate Pages = 7.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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