How Did The Gaelic League Affect The Irish Dance

I started dancing when I was 8 years old with the Shanahan School of Irish Dance in Columbus, Ohio. Peggy Shanahan, my first teacher her son played baseball with my brother, so when my she and my parents became friends and she asked if I wanted to start dance lessons, free for boys for a year, my response was Dzsure!dzI had at the time absolutely no knowledge of what Irish dance was, and at the time questioned it as to how or why it was even a thing. My first class, I heard Peggy shout out DzGood Myles that’s itdz while we learned skip 2, 3s. I didn’t even know I was doing all that good, but hearing Peggy say that made me know I wanted to never stop hearing that from anybody in any situation. Over the years I would have two boys with me in class, both older and both at different stages of my dance career. They weren’t really

Subcultures are “A set of distinctive values, norms, and practices within a larger culture.” (Brym and Lie 2012: 47). Dance in this case is placed under the subculture of sports; sports in many ways obtain special kinds of standards within the culture. Sports value the need for strength and courage to be the best; in other words, the importance of competition, is quite relevant within a player and team. To compare, dancers value competition as a way to strive for the winning spot; if they fail to do so, they believe they have destroyed all they have worked for. In spite of that, sports have set numerous norms with in the culture, norms are defined as certain types of ‘standards’ which were created for the players to avid by as guidelines to how they should act, or react in certain situations. For example, if you do not place first, you are taught to not show your defeat in public, as it shows bad sportsman ship to

Cole used many ethnic and folk styles of dance (like East Indian, flamenco, and the lindy) as a source for movements. His style was derived from dance movements performed for centuries by common people, but theatricalised for use on the stage. This is why, when pressed for a definition of his movement, Cole termed it "urban folk dance."

Dance is found in all cultures. It is considered a way to communicate without talking. During the Renaissance period, ballet was considered a Russian specialty. The highly qualified and sought after dance companies would tour the world performing in front of those who had never experienced ballet before. By exposing ballet to the United States of America, the Russians inspired and sparked a demand for legitimate ballet in America. It took place throughout the 20th century, currently known as the Russo-American Era.

There are various parts of Irish dance that have lasted throughout the years to remain an influence on the form known today. These basics have laid the foundation on which the dance has grown. Performed mainly during festivals, which date from the period of Eric the Red and the Viking raids of Ireland. While the Vikings did destroyed most books and written records, it was acknowledged that music and dance were important to the Gaelic culture. These festivals were a mixture of trade fair, political gathering, music, dance, sports, story telling and crafts. Today, the sole purposes of feiseanna are competitive dance competitions. There is still music, crafts, and trades, not as much. Officially there is no political aspect to the festivals anymore, many who participate would tell you otherwise.

Dancing skyrocketed during the 1920s. Many styles of dance that were created before the era did not become popular until the

Dance began as a form of communication and storytelling. Thousands of years ago dancing served as a way for people to tell a story and helped distract themselves of the hardships they faced. Furthermore, dance was a form of storytelling through communication, which then turned into using storytelling through dance as entertainment. According to the History World, many dancers during the BC time danced in front of only a few people to get a story across. That later turned into hundreds of thousands of people as dance was used by many. Today, dance is also a form of entertainment and storytelling, but in a modern sense. However, today perfection and technique are stressed more than they were in the past. Yet, the passion for dance has not changed. Many dancers who share this passion also have many of the same qualities. Among a discourse community of trained dancers, one expects to find individuals who are healthy and active athletes, expect perfection from themselves through competition, and religiously attend dance performances.

For centuries classical Chinese dance was passed down mostly among the common people. After 1919, however, dedicated artists believed that they had a responsibility to systematically document Chinese dance—that was the beginning of the formal teaching of classical Chinese dance. To develop and rejuvenate folk dance, the artists learned from dance elements of folk operas, and incorporated techniques in ballet training and Chinese martial art forms, creating a unique system of classical Chinese dance.

Australian Aboriginals used danced to communicate stories of the cultural spirits and legends, along with tell stories of the past, present and future with those in their community (Cheeky Dancers, n.d.). There is a sense of pride when they dance and pass on their history and culture to the generations after them (The age, 2013). Aboriginal people are proud of their heritage and dance allows them to express their thoughts and views of the world the way they see

In the 1960’s, Ballet Folklorico was founded in the United States by the famous choreographer, Amelia Hernandez. With the combination of her own heritage and experience of classical ballet, she merged the two, creating Ballet Folklorico. It is traditional Mexican dances and ballet characteristics with a great emphasis on local folk culture.

Ballet started in the late 1400s during the Renaissance. When Catherine de Medici who married King Henry the second of France know for throwing large parties. These parties would last for 8 hours straight of music, food, dancing and other entrainment. These

important foundation in understanding the broader scope of how dance can be seen as a

Mrs. Farrell’s book is quite technical when it comes to the lengthy descriptions of the dances she rehearses and performs; from a dancer’s view these varied conclusions of the types of movements she was dancing is quite astonishing. In fact, it adds a whole new level to the imagination that can come alive in a person’s thoughts when they read an expressive book. Although the technical explanations will excited, astound, and reveal how much passion and deep meaning ballet had in Suzanne Farrell’s life, but a reader, who may not be involved in the arts will be unfamiliar with the ballet and musical terms in

When thinking of a specific type of dance, the vast majorities of the time people generally relate and direct the art form to a certain type of culture or race. As times develop and cultures start to merge, people tend to try and get to understand other diversities. This happens especially when we look at various forms of dance, where the people of origin are no longer the only ones who strictly perform it. Shown in the movies “Save the Last Dance” and “Take the Lead” both show a great deal of racial status and stereotypes involving dance, where the minorities try their best to fit in. Proving themselves by showing how they can adapt to other cultures by the flow and movement of their bodies. Both show a great understanding on how people of different races can be brought together by something most people can relate to, dance. To what extent does race inform the dancing as portrayed in the films “Save the Last Dance” (2001) and “Take the Lead” (2006)? To support the following argument stated above, there are several sources that will be implemented throughout the essay found within the dance community (journals, articles and books).

Dance is said to have existed prior to the invention of written languages, and was perhaps an essential aspect of storytelling for the passing of knowledge and information from generation to generation. And it has been, since time immemorial, a part of every culture and religion as a means of self and collective expression.