Irish Jig and Reel

Step Dance

Popularised by

Riverdance in 1994 at the Eurovision

Song Contest.

Reels and Jigs: Key Characteristics

Step dances

Intricate footwork Limited upper

body movement

Often stand in linesSoft or hard shoes

ReelJig

Simple time (2/4, 4/4, 2/4)

Slip jig, light jig, single jig (soft

shoes); hard jig (hard shoes)

Compound time (6/8, 9/8,

12/8)

Common Musical Features

Relentless quaver rhythm

Melody: mainly small

intervals Fast tempo; bouncy feel

Binary form; repeated sections

Ornamentation added by performer

Tonic-dominant

alternationMajor or modal

Solo or ensemble

Instruments

Fiddle, flute, tin whistle, accordion, bodhran, Uilleann

pipes, harp

Semi-quavers

Sharp movements, fast,

angular.

Light, graceful, slower than reels

Instruments

Bodhran

Uillean Pipes

Tin Whistle

Accordion