Irish Dance Throughout The 16th And 17th Century

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.

The Jig is a lower class dance, which was associated with the customs and festivals celebrated in Elizabethan England. The dance consists of flailing legs, hopping feet, and bending legs (Evans / SCA Renaissance Dance). Lastly, Morris Dancing was a ritual folk dance performed in rural England by groups of specially chosen and trained men. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. The dancers wielded sticks, swords, handkerchiefs, and bells to apply creativity (Hall 81).

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.

Dance is a unique sport because it combines the grit and sweat of sporting events, such as track and field, with the style and extravagance of a fashion show (D.Fowler, 2000).

One thing that contributed to the popularity of dancing in the 1920s is how universally simple they made the dances. If these dances would have been harder to learn, not as many people would have been doing them. Many people know that, during the “Jazz Age, almost everyone danced so they did a dance almost anyone could do”(Nelson). When Billie Putman was growing up, there were dances every weekend at the big auditorium in the middle of town. Everyone in her small town would show up to dance. She remembered going to the dances with her mom to help her serve refreshments downstairs, while most of the town was upstairs dancing. If dancing was so popular in such a small town in Idaho, it’s unimaginable how influential it must have been in big cities(Nelson).

Originating during the late 60’s early 70’s, this new style of dance was about to revolutionize the industry and the sport known as dancing. Popping up from around the Bronx, during one of the most violent times in New York’s History,

Irish dance is depicted by firm control over body movements with a focus on the feet. Traditional Irish dance is a vital piece of the Irish history and will forever impact the culture.

Irish dancing was created by different religious groups. The early history of Irish dance reveals a constant shifting of population through migration and invasions. Each of these peoples brought their preferred types of dance and music. There are only vague references to the early history of Irish dancing, but there is evidence that among its first practitioners were the Druids, who danced in religious rituals honouring the oak tree and the sun. When the Celts arrived in Ireland from central Europe over two thousand years ago, they brought with them their

One of the most influential events that shaped the creation of Irish dancing was the presence of dancing masters in about 1750.beginning a tradition that proceeds even to this day. But first of all, these so-called dancing masters are actually people who travel throughout a county, staying for nearly six weeks in each village they passed.Furthermore, The masters ordinarily taught Irish dancing in farm outbuildings, crossroads, kitchens, or schools.

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.

Being Irish is a big part of who I am. I love being apart of the Irish community and I am proud of my heritage. My grandma and grandpa are from Strabane, county Tyrone and my mom mom is from Aghamore, county Mayo and my pop pop is from Fanad, county Donegal. My heritage is important to me and I like to express that by involving myself in Irish activities. I take pride in being an Irish dancer at the Lavin Cassidy School of Irish Dance and I love being able to celebrate my Irish culture while having fun and making friends. I have been dancing since I was 5 years old starting at the McDade-Cara School of Irish Dance in Philadelphia. I recently moved to Chicago and wanted to keep irish dancing because it is so important

Ireland, many know this country for its vast never-ending green grass, and from the tales of the never ending rain. Or maybe just from the celebration that we practice every year called “St.Patricks Day.” Well, luckily we are going to take a brief look into this country’s culture, the role that dancing plays in Ireland, and also we will go over three of the most influential dances that Ireland has. So lets get started as I take you to a beautiful country about 4,000 miles away from sunny Tampa, Florida.

There is very little reference of Irish dance before the 20th century. The earliest reference was a group dance with various different formations. Before the Gaelic League formed, dance classes were mainly held in rural Munster. There were held simultaneously with language classes. Irish dance became more popular in Ireland as a result of regular weekly classes, competitions and ceili dances. Dance was once forbidden in houses of rural Ireland. In Brennan's article, we learn that during the

Out of the two sessions, I was far better at the Irish dancing. The session itself was one of the most fun things I did in Ireland, learning the various dances and the meaning behind them. Irish dancing, like Gaelic, is very important to the Irish people, even our language instructor know some of the Irish dances. That was not the only place that I saw Irish dancing, it was common at pubs when bands were playing and even people in the crowds joined in. The Irish dancing itself is

Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th and 16th centuries. Court musicians and dancers collaborated to make flowy dances. These were just the roots, if you were to watch a tape of this early form of ballet (which you can't) you would notice that it looks absolutely nothing like anything that you see today. Every ballet of the time was not choreographed and often had the audience partake in the festivities. As the 15th century went on Ballet evolved into choreographed steps and the dance was more often being used at aristocrats weddings and anniversaries. One of the most famous choreographers and dancers of the time was a man by the name of Domenico da Piacenza, he with his students created some of the first recognizable ballet numbers. There were others after him who had similar roles in the development and evolution of Ballet. The dance had then moved with the Aristocrats of the time to France where another big stage of evolution occurred. As it moved to France it made a jump from wedding performances to large theatre shows. The king at the time; Louis the 14th developed a true passion towards the art and set aside ministers and other officials solely in charge of Ballet. Many Italian choreographers had traveled to France to follow their passion and had trouble mixing in with the French appointed choreographers and dancers. At the time many of the Italian choreographer's shows would not sell well and the dancers would often go on strike. This