Modern Irish dance: description, history and movements

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

Ireland has always been famous for its unsurpassed dance culture, but recently the interest of the world community has increased even more thanks to spectacular shows that use Irish dance in a modern twist.

The history of the creation of dance art

This type of Irish culture has passed its thousand-year history and, according to many researchers, originated from the time of the Celtic peoples, who founded their state on the territory of modern Ireland.

The most ancient image, somewhat reminiscent of an Irish dance, is the Celtic Sean–Nos performed by the Gauls who lived on these islands in the distant past.

The first mention of dance movements similar to today's modern dances was dated around the eleventh century.

A little later, under the influence of the Norman conquerors, a completely different performance culture began to emerge - a group of people leading a round dance. And in palaces and balls, Irish dance began to gain its popularity already in the sixteenth century.

A little later, about two centuries later, the first teachers of dance art appeared,thanks to which many types and varieties of the current modern variations have arisen. But at the same time, a terrible oppression of this culture began, so the performance of the dances was kept in strict confidence. The church considered dance art to be something obscene. Many historians agreed that the Irish dance acquired the characteristic motionless position of the hands on the belt precisely after the Christian priests announced that dancing in this way was indecent and inappropriate, reminiscent of sacrilege or an invisible connection with a demon.

Modern look

Already in the nineteenth century, various competitions began to gain popularity in small villages and cities, the prize for which could be a big pie. The modern period in dance art begins at the end of the same century. The Gaelic League was created, which set itself the goal of preserving the Irish musical culture, which had been oppressed for the last one and a half centuries.

Dance rules were established in 1929 by the then Irish Commission, which acted on various competitions. As a result, the technique has changed significantly - modern Irish dances are performed on it to this day. In the 30s, women began to take part in productions more often and got the opportunity to teach in educational institutions where they taught the art of dance.

Solo performances

Irish dances have many varieties and types. Amazing pattern of movementsview performed by solo dancers. They are a real embodiment of a certain grace and lightness, but at the same time, energy and rhythm. Both soft and hard shoes are suitable for solo. It can look like lace-up ballerinas or boots with heels, depending on who it is intended for (men's and women's).

How to dance Irish dance, many dancers participating in competitions learn from childhood to a variety of national melodies (reels, jigs, hornpipes) that are used for solo performances. They all have their differences, but the generalizing features are arms pressed to the sides and a beautiful posture with a motionless torso. This is done in order to pay as much attention as possible to all the complexity and clarity with which the dancers' legs move.

Sets

It is worth highlighting, as a separate category of solo Irish dances, traditional sets. They are performed in hard shoes and represent a standard set of movements. The name of the Irish dance set is the name of the melody to which it is danced.

There is also an unconventional version of this style, performed to a slow tune by dancers of the open level. The set of movements may depend on the imagination of the teacher or the wishes of the performer.

Group dancing

This variety is different in that the dancers stand opposite each other, thereby forming a square, mostly the famous quadrilles. They are not native Irish, so their movements maypresent in various European styles. The differences between the dances are in the number of figures, which can vary from three to six.

In the 80s, this form became widely known to the public and was taught in many dance schools. Today, social group dances are performed at a very high speed and in a kind of wild manner.

Kaylee

This word translated from Irish literally sounds like "a fun holiday with music and dancing." At the beginning of the twentieth century, a new style of group performances was also called by this term, which has survived to this day.

Kaley is usually danced in soft shoes and, unlike the solo dances, the dancers use hand movement in it. The main thing in its execution is the full interaction of all partners.

Basically, this type of dance is performed to jigs and reels. They include a different number of dancers: from four to sixteen. Variations can be very different, but often these are two or four pairs of people standing opposite each other. All types of keili can be conditionally divided into linear (progressive) or curly. The former imply that all the dancers stand in the form of one large and long line. When they dance the entire full cycle, they move one position, respectively, they already perform the next stage of the dance with a new partner.

The second type of keili is most often found at competitions or representative events. Various choreographic productions have led tothe fact that this category of dances began to look like real spectacular shows that won the hearts of many viewers.

Currently, people of all ages can also dance at various parties. And no matter in what manner and at what level they will be performed - an amazing feeling from freedom of movement and fervent rhythm will always arise for anyone dancing this dance.

Interesting facts

It is believed that Irish dances are in no way inferior in their passion to Oriental dances, they are simply performed in a more intelligent and secretive manner.

It turns out that Irish tap is one of the main steps among many dance and stage shows.

The motifs to which Irish modern sets and square dances, as well as other types of this art, are played mainly on bagpipes, violin and accordion, the result is a rather groovy and perky melody.