Irish Dancing

Past to Present

Stone Age Start!

• Religious dancing for things like:WorshipWar AnimalsFun• Originally, dancers wore “Sundays best” to dance.

Development! • The dance changed through out the

centuries from the mixing to cultures of invaders.(Vikings and Normans.)

• Dances before invasions were done in groups with hands on hips and upper body relaxed.

• Once “Dance Masters” came along Irish dancing began to change then, too, by:

1. Introducing solo dances.2. Using moves from solo dances in

group dances.3. Spreading the culture of the dance.

Foot wear!

Socks:Poodle socks are worn today because before woman would

wear black stockings to church, but they were too incorporate .

We have two kinds of shoes in Irish Dancing one is soft shoes.

Soft shoes:• They are worn by the girls.• Originally they were bare foot when dancing. • Over time the developed a shoe that had a light material

that mimicked being bare foot.

Clicks: *The men’s version of soft shoes.* The men originally wore the more durable and added heel for

working in the field.

Hard shoes:* Hard shoes were worn by both genders. * They were create because for a while music was not allowed

with dancing so those shoes kept the beat.

Costumes! Dresses:When the people danced their “Sunday best” was

a dress because it was considered fancy.

• Later when schools were established, each school had a team dress for each student. (Called “School Dresses.)

• Solo dresses also developed much later. A dancer gets their solo dress once they advance to a high place.

Hair and posture!Curly Hair:Curly hair was considered “Sunday’s Best” *(Later it turned into a tradition.)Arms and Posture!Originally, arm movements and relaxing of

upper body was common, but later it changed to stiff arms and good posture because;

1. People used unhinged doors as a stage. 2. A couple dancer instructors took out the

tradition of arms for more attention on feet and keep discipline.

3. It was said before the movement to America, for a short time dancing was outlawed.

Solos!Groups to solos:Once the “Dance Masters”

came, they began to introduce solos. Mainly the master trained the star pupils solos to show off their talent.

After a while the solos became popular and spread.

The solo dances eventually developed different kinds of solos depending on time measure

Dancing Events!

Feis:A Feis is a festival of the Irish culture. Over time it turned into just a competition for

dances, where usually there are small shops and vendors selling goods. Originally called a Feiseanna

Ceili: a Ceili is a big gathering of friends and family where music and dancing take place. Commonly, it was a showcase for dance schools that taught the dance.

Modern Differences!• Wigs replaced curling• Dresses got fancier• Dresses became your

labels• Stiff posture became

mandatory• Solos are very common• Feises are only for

competitions• “The Worlds” competition

and others developed.• New dances created

Questions Answered!

Learning Target:I can explain how the culture defines my chosen group in the world today and how this

group shows a unique perspective.

My Project Question:How has Irish dancing connected the past to the present?

Irish dancing is a very rich culture. Even with the loss of records, the mixing of cultures, and the migration to America, they have still kept the Celtic culture itself. It has been handed down from generation to generation. Many things happened in its past that have lead to the style and traditions of the Irish we see today. That is a huge connection from Irish dance’s past to the present day.

Bibliography!

• “ The Irish Path.” The Irish Path. 2007. Web. Feb. 25th 2012.