As the name suggests, Irish dancing originated in Ireland and is a set of traditional dances. Ireland has been home to many different cultures over a long period time, and each of these have influenced the Irish dancing we see today. Originally, Druids used to dance in their religious rituals and the Celts then arrived, bringing their own folk dances. During the late 12th century, Ireland was invaded by the Normans (of Normandy, France but with Norse origins) who again brought to Ireland their own folk dances and music which they performed in the towns they conquered. By the 16th century Irish dances were commonly performed for arriving royalty and as entertainment, particularly a dance called the Hey which is similar to the reel we see today.
In the 18th century, dancing masters became common and would travel between villages in their own districts, teaching the peasants there to dance. Solo dances were taught to the most talented, while group dances were more suited to those simply dancing for the joy of dancing. During this time the jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas, and step dances of the present were beginning to be developed. In 1893, the Gaelic League was established to promote Irish culture and set up dancing
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Riverdance began in 1994 as a performance during the interval of the Eurovision Song Contest, an international talent competition, created by husband and wife John McColgan and Moya Doherty. It was then developed into a stage show which opened in Dublin in February 1995 and travelled the world, becoming one of the most successful international dance productions and is still performed today. The original cast featured American Irish dancing champion Michael Flatley, who also choreographed many of the show's numbers. However, tension rose between Flatley and the show's producers and he left the show in October 1995, hours before the opening of the second run in
Dance halls were growing increasingly popular, on average, most people attended at least once a week. Twenty-five percent of San Francisco youths regularly attended their local halls, according to American Mercury magazine. Admission ranged from fifty cents to dollar and a half (McCutcheon 217). Many times women would supervise so that the proper rules of dancing were overlooked. Proper dance rules were that the p...
A club known as the Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers possibly began this trend in 1935 when they formed their group of 12 dancers (Swingin’). This group of dancers began, and performed the majority of their lifetime as a group in the Savoy Ballroom. They created the Lindy Hop quite simply, using movements from the Charleston as well as basic tap movements. And because of their dance, they had the opportunity to perform both on Broadway, and even in some movies. First, two partners would dance around together in various ways. Then, the man would complete a series of lifts with the girl, usually ending with them apart. Finally, a section of solo footwork would occur to bring the couple back
Irish Step Dancing started around 1750, when the appearance of dance masters came about. Dance Masters would travel from town to town teaching their dances to people that were interested and that could pay for it. They would teach in barns, kitchens, crossroads, and hedge schools. These teachings went on in secret due to Penal Laws that were enacted in the late 17th century. The English were determined to suppress Irish culture and abolish Christianity so these laws banned the education of catholic children, which was why the Irish created hedge schools. The Dance Masters would start with dances like the Reel and the Jig. Each dance master had his own collection of dance steps and would also create their own over time, which lead to Step Dancing. 8 measures or bars or music is one step, thus the name “Step Dancing”. Often competitions were held where Dance masters would show off there steps and perform on small areas like a table top, top of a barrel, or a small stage. Dancing in these small areas showed great talent. The greater number of steps that were preformed or known the more respect a dance master received. Some Dance Masters would even compete at Feisianna, which was a combination of a trade fair, political gath...
A leader would sing while surrounded by a circle of. dancers who would sing back in reply (“The History”1). For century’s Irish dancing had been a peasant dance done in the villages to celebrate community gatherings and family events. Until the seventeenth century, when Queen Elizabeth I received a letter from Sir Henry Sydney describing the beautiful dance he saw (“The History”1). The Queen invited dancers to perform to her court. This created a new drive for people to start dancing, and in the early eighteenth century formed the Irish dancing we know
Origins are a blur, but evidence points to the ancient Egyptians. However, the use of this dance form is most commonly paired with the Middle Easterners.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Irish rapidly flowed into the United States. The Irish immigrated in different waves and for various reasons, only to be greeted with significant barriers when landing in America. The Irish were essentially pushed out of Ireland because of the awful economy and the great potato famine. Upon arriving in the United States, the Irish had a difficult time with jobs, discrimination, housing, and money in the populated urban cities in which they settled. Having a rough life in the New World, the Irish still managed to leave a powerful legacy and an influence still visible today.
Intermarriage between the African Americans also blurred the ethnic lines. Greater participation in multicultural public schools also shows how Irish no longer needed parochial school system for all Irish students. Irish are also well represented in law, medicine, and other prestigious professions. They spoke English from the beginning, so language barriers were not seen as a result of this immigration. Irish history influenced many aspects of American life. In 1993, the University of Notre Dame and New York University established Irish studies and from then on, the classes doubled on Irish history. In 1995, Riverdance, an Irish dance show debuted in Dublin. Irish feis, or festivals last a few days and at the event many tourist companies promote Irish tourism. At the Irish feis there is food, music, and dance all related to Irish culture.
Breakdancing was born as a result of the song “Get on the Good Foot” by James Brown when it was featured on television. People would attempt to copy his moves in their living rooms. Clive Campbell, or more famously known as DJ Kool Herc, is credited with evolving breakdancing. Breakdancing started with fancy footwork and intricate tricks such as head spinning. Breakdancing became popular in dance and disco clubs. As breakdancing further evolved, there was the addition of groundwork with moves like handgliding, windmilling, and headspinning. This addition of groundwork helped shape what we know breakdancing to be today (Bedinghaus).
In the heart of Miami, Miami Dade College’s (MDC) dance majors put on a performance called The Art of Dance. Under the direction of Michelle Grant- Murray, guest choreographers challenged the students of MDC. The students were also able to exhibit their own work, as this was also their student choreography showcase. The evening consisted of diverse styles such as – African, contemporary, and world dance; unfortunately, I cannot say the all of the pieces impressed me.
Traditional music and dance in Ireland have strongly survived throughout the years. Music in Ireland today has not strayed too far from that of the mid twentieth century’s music. Think back to the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Even though the year is 2014, men are wearing kilts playing old-style Irish instruments to the songs of the Irish as they are led by the young women wearing brightly colored costumes and dancing the Irish step dance. One can hear the rich sounds of the bagpipe, the beating of the drums and the sharp, up beating sounds of the fiddle as they parade past. Add something!
But the next major influence on the style was in the 1990’s when the appearance of Irish dancers changed drastically. People’s perceptions of step dancing were influenced by the introduction of commercial step dance shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. These shows in the 1990s flung Irish dance into the global scale and were the biggest influential force on the dance before and after 2000 . This new international stage allowed the dance form to become transnational with people of all backgrounds wanting to take part in what was once a cultural dance form . Irish dance has since been practiced and performed in countries across the globe. The introduction of new and exciting dance shows coupled with the economic prosperity in Ireland during the 1990s allowed for changes in Irish dance to occur much more rapidly. Appearance then started to be a larger determination on performance. Riverdance caused many changes to occur in both the style and costume of Irish dance. Wigs, expensive dresses, makeup, and tanning are now also characteristics of dance competitions . Elaborate colorful costumes covered in designs and gems are also popular. These flamboyant dresses are not used more than once anymore; often a performer will purchase and wear an outfit for one or two competitions before going out and buying a new one. This moves away from the old way of using a costume to build personal identification as well as identification to one’s dance school. Favoring presentation over technique not only makes Irish dance a costly hobby, but it also takes away from the initial intent of Irish dance being an historical pastime. These factors over the turn of the century have turned Feis, Irish dance competitions, more into a pageant like event. This is characterized by the change in mentality of dance groups such as the Celtic Tigers to move towards a more over the top appearance. As Tom Inglis says it represents “a
Ballet is a popular dance form that originated in the 1500s around the time of the renaissance. It consists of many different forms that have evolved over the years. Some examples of these forms include French Ballet, Vaganova (Russian Ballet), Cecchetti (Italian Ballet), and Balanchine. Ballet forms and variations originated mainly from Italy, Russia, and France.
Ballet was first brought to light in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th Century, where the dancing masters would teach the steps to the nobility and the royal court would partake in performances. In the 16th century an Italian noblewoman by the name of Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henry II of France began to invest in ballet
The Northern Territory is known for its culturally diverse population and some would say it is the ‘multicultural hub’ of Australia. With all of these cultures comes distinctive customs and traditions. Throughout history dance has been used to help people develop a sense of identity, the younger generations are also taught social patterns and values through the different dances. The significance of these traditional dances was to reinforce and celebrate cultural law and practices including the celebration of the passage from child to adulthood or spiritual worship. The predominantly Western culture in Australia often causes minority groups to struggle for recognition regarding their beliefs and traditions. This is parallel to the Australian dance industry, where many cultural dance groups feel they have to justify who they are and are often
Folk dance is also a popular types of dance. Folk dance is a variety of dances that reflect a certain culture. There are many types of folk dance including aboriginal dance, clogging, irish dance and square dance. Folk dancing started in the 18th century, the steps were then passed through the generations. Many children songs and games today come from folk