The Importance Of A Irish Step Dancing

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

Tap dance is an uniquely American dance form. The percussive use of one’s feet combined with the use of rhythms and amplification of sound, has a complex history that involves the intercultural fusions of English, Irish and African musical and dance traditions. The evolution of tap dance in America is further complicated by issues of race, class and gender. Unlike ballet with its formal technique, tap dance emerged from people listening to and watching each other dance, in a variety of settings, where steps were shared, stolen and reinvented. Through its metamorphosis the dance form has progressed from local entertainment, to Vaudeville shows, to Broadway shows, to the Silver Screen and to Concert Halls across the world. The legacy of the art form is characterized by the rise, fall and reemergence of popularity. Savion Glover, a 21st century American dancer, is credited with bringing tap into a new era of popularity as he has wowed the masses with his unique style focusing on African American rhythms. Tap dance, uniquely American in that it is a true melting pot of dance forms, is a dance form rich in rhythms, sounds and amplifications and has transcended social and cultural barriers.

Irish step dancing has existed since the 1700’s, over 300 years. Families in Ireland have passed down Irish step dance from generation to generation as a way of preserving their culture. While the meaning of the dance remains the same, the performance and showmanship has changed dramatically. From girls and boys with pale skin and natural hair to girls with fake tanned skin, huge curly wigs, and thousand dollar dresses and boys with fake tanned skin and outlandish outfits. Irish dance has become more of a spectacle—such as “Riverdance” and “Lord of the Dance.” Those dances are some of the most enjoyable and respected around the world. Over time this type of dance has taken on a life of its own and changed

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.

Have you ever watched the Nutcracker as a ballet? Or seen a professional dancer dance? You probably thought of some of the things that they did were effortless. The truth is, it isn’t what you think. Dancers go through pain, stress, and shoes (Seriously!) to do what they do. There are a lot of people that think that dancing is easy, and I am here to set that straight. Let me start off by talking about the pain.

The Sioux Grass Dance is considered to be the most popular style of Native American Music. As one dances to this music, they follow a pattern known as “toe-heel.” This consists of the individual placing the left foot in front of the right and repeating with the other foot. Each male dancer makes many

The third Mexican cultural activity that has survived and influenced the development of Chicana cultural practices in the U.S. is the Folklorico dances. These dances can be seen in the U.S. especially when there is a Mexican celebration or event. I personally experienced begin part of a group that danced folklorico. The dresses we used for the dance were inspired by the Yucatan look. We also accessorized with a crown of flowers made with fabric, long earrings, and a necklace of perals. We also combed all our hair back, and used make-up. It took alot of time to learn the three dances, and a lot of practice for the dance to come out good. In the end it was all worth it because I learned how to dance and how the women dress to dance. This cultural

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).

Dance demands the same physical skills that are required in other sports. Flexibility, strength, and endurance are key characteristics that most dancers need to posses. As with other “athletes,” most dancers are not born with these abilities but must establish them through practice and repetitive training. Similar to traditional sports practices, dance rehearsals are extensive and require diligence, dedication, and patience from the dancers as they will have to repeat exercises and stretches to perfect their technique and stay on

a) Many ask, “How can dance be a sport? You can't judge on time and the scoring is subjective!” Just like figure skaters, competitive dancers are judged on many criteria: technique, posture, timing, line, hold, poise, togetherness, expression, presentation, power, and foot or leg action. Dancers have a lot on their minds while performing. They are constantly asking themselves, am I extending correctly? Is my technique right? Is my head facing the right direction?

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).

The movements were very specific and showed the story of the dance. The partners used many movements that contained many body

The history of choreography is also very important Any choreography that seems new, fresh and different is usually a variation of something that has been done before. As long as men and women have lived upon this earth, they have danced. The art of movement is among the oldest of the arts.

Much of our exploration of dance improvisation involved delving into the eight movement “efforts” that Rudolf Laban developed, and these eight effort qualities can be categorized into four different groups: direction, weight, speed, and flow. For direction, movements can either be direct, which means there is intention and thought before every movement, or indirect, where the direction of one movement does not necessarily correspond to that of the next. For weight, movements can be either heavy, which can often be visible or the weight of the limbs and the awareness of gravity and the floor, or light, where a sensation of weightlessness or floating is often used. For speed, movements can either be quick, where movements rapidly progress from one to the next, or slow, where the urgency of time is neglected. For flow, movements can be either bound, where there is a sense of an imaginary outside force acting