0774394 historyof irish dance
DESCRIPTION
This show is about the history of Irish dancing. It starts by introducing you to the earliest form of irish dancing recorded, moves on to the steps and what Irish dancing is like today and shows the viewer the different types of Irish dance shows there are today.TRANSCRIPT
Irish dancing began during the time of the Druids. They performed dances in a circular style to worship the oak tree and the sun. Although there is no solid evidence, the type of dancing they performed still remains in the form of Irish dance that is today. Dance masters started to make their way around Ireland in the eighteenth century. They would go to people’s homes and teach them how to dance. They would dance on barn doors, and have kitchen ceilis (group dances) with their neighbors. Each dance master had their own territory and did not cross into another master’s territory.
Today there are two organizations that have rulings over Irish dance. The oldest organization is An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha founded in 1920 in Ireland. The other organization that exists is called An Comhdhail. Later on in Irish dancing Moira Doherty wanted to create a number for the Eurovision Song Contest. She invited the world’s first American Irish Dance World Champion, Michael Flatley and Jean Butler to create a piece called Riverdance. This started the boom of Irish dancing all over the world.
History of Irish Dance
There are two organizations that have rulings over Irish dance. The oldest organization is An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha in 1920 in Ireland. It now operates out of Dublin Ireland. Each dancer who wishes to teach under this organization must undergo several tests that include reading music, teaching personalized steps and ceilis. A teacher then gains a TCRG which qualifies them to teach anywhere in the world. In order to become a judge the teacher must take a test for their ADCRG which qualifies them to teach anywhere in the world under An Coimisiun le Rince Gaelacha.
Images courtesy of irishdancingorg.com and clrg.ie
The other organization that exists is called An Comhdhail. An interview with Brendan McKenna, Chairperson of An Comhdhail, he describes the difference between the two organizations as, “a ‘teachers’ organisation’, in the sense that it is run exclusively by teachers. All teachers have a voice within An Comhdhail and help shape its future.”(Antonio Pacelli)This states that this organization is much more relaxed and as many people have said, “It has been said to me that the structure of An Comhdhail is very democratic.” (Antonio Pacelli).
An Coimisun vs An Comhdhail
Riverdance premiered at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest as
an interval act. The performance was so memorable that people
wanted to see more. Jean Butler and Michael Flatley
choreographed most of the show with help from Jean Butler and
Moira Doherty. The show ran for five weeks in Dublin and was
sold out every night. Michael Flatley left the show to pursue his
own show due to artistic differences. He created Lord of the
Dance which caused a huge stir in the Irish dance community
because it was so untraditional. There was a separation in
people between Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Lord of the
Dance went on to sell out venues world wide and gaining a
celebrity following such as Donald Trump, Michael Jackson,
Bill Clinton to name a few. These two shows influenced people
to start Irish dancing no matter what their race or age and
started the boom of Irish dance.
Images courtesy of riverdance.com and lordofthedance.com
Riverdance vs Lord of the Dance
Soft Shoe: Reel and Slip Jig
For a beginner, one would learn soft shoe dances, the reel, light jig and slip jig. These soft shoe dances involve more grace and flexibility. The following are examples of time signatures one would perform these dances:Reel : 4/4 timing. The most enthusiastic of the dancesSlip Jig: 9/8. Requires the most endurance of all the dances
Image Courtesty of tirnanogacademy.com
As the dancer advances, they move on to the hard shoe steps called the hornpipe and treble jig. The hard shoe dances involve rhythm while the soft shoe dances involve more grace and flexibility. Each dance is performed to different timings:
1.Treble Jig: 6/8 More fast paced of hard shoe steps
2.Hornpipe: 2/4 Slower and more exact of hard shoe steps
Image Courtesty of celtic-dance.ch
Hard Shoe: Treble Jig and Hornpipe
10
10
16
16
1996 1997 2004 2006
The Boom of Irish DancingResults based on enrollment at World Championships over the years. Statistics from clrg.ie
Are the Irish Really Better?
0
0.5
1
1.5
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2.5
3
AmericanIrishBritish
Data based on consecutive World Championships from the three largest regions
BibliographyAn Comhdhail irishdancingorg.com
An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha clrg.ie
Ireland’s Eye irelandseye.com/dance.html
Dunedin High School dhsshb.com/images/Riverdance-Logo.gif
Lord of the Dance lordofthedance.com
Riverdance riverdance.com
Dafont http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=403
Belfast City http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/photoquality/2006UlsterIrishDancingChampionships3.jpg
Garden Vision gardenvision.net/funpics/riverdance.jpg
Tir na Nog Academy of Irish Dance tirnanogacademy.com/
Aleksandar Zec http://lh5.ggpht.com/_VdTUYWvlYok/SD6w-YsRozI/AAAAAAAALPU/u10BMgw6CCw/Lord+of+the+dance++dvorana+Beogradske+Arene+Beograd++28+maj+2008+photo+by+Aleksandar+Zec++-+005.jpg