The World of

Irish Dancing!

Irish dancing is a form of cultural dance originated in Ireland hundreds of years ago.  It is a dance rich in tradition and ethnicity.  It is a form of dance where a dancer's arms and hands are not used. Dancers perform intricate movements with their feet while holding their upper bodies straight and tall.  Irish dancing is very different from other forms of dance such as ballet, tap or jazz. Most people will recognize Irish dance when seen in performances and such shows as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.  It is a beautiful form of dance which many people enjoy watching.

Irish dancing gives children a sense of pride and confidence in their own abilities.  It shows them how to dance and learn steps improving memory and cognitive abilities. Irish dance shows them how to collaborate and work with other children of different ages.  It lets them learn how to have a healthy competitive drive and it teaches them to be a gracious winner and loser.  It gives them a sense of where they come from by allowing them to get back in touch with their family's roots and history.  Overall, the benefits are physically, mentally, and emotionally productive to a child’s well being. 
 
Dancers, if they choose to, can compete in a feis (pronounced "fesh") or many feisianna (plural for feis).  Feis is the Gaelic term for competition.  Feisianna are held on Saturdays or Sundays, all year long, at venues all across the United States. Check the North American Feis Commission site to see how many there are every year! Students dance to live music and perform their steps in front of judges.  They can sometimes win medals or trophies if a judge scores them high enough.  It is a very fun and exciting experience that helps bring Irish dance to a different level.

Beginners

Beginners are new Irish dancers who are at least 5 years old by September 1st (for the Fall Session) or January 1st (for the late Winter Session) and dancers that have not mastered the Reel and Jig are Beginners.  The first few months of each session are trial months for 5 year olds.  Learning Irish dancing is a progression.  Beginners start by learning the basics of Irish dancing – posture, foot positions, timing, “threes” and “sevens”.  With this solid foundation, each year adds intricacies in footwork, rhythms and figure dancing.  Practice and class attendance play important roles in this progression.

The Costume

Beginner costumes for 1st and 2nd year dancers consist of a white round collar short sleeve blouse and a green pleated skirt.  Poodle socks and an embroidered Irish headband complete the traditional costume.  Each new Beginner will need this costume for  at mini-performances and feis (if they choose to compete).  Total cost of the girl’s Beginner costume (excluding shoes) is approximately $70.

Dancing Shoes

Irish dancing shoes are unique in many ways.  There are two types of shoes worn by an Irish dancer.  Beginners start in soft shoes or ghillies.  They are made of soft leather with long laces that tie around the ankle.  Soft shoes do not have any kind of toe support in them.  Dancers must rely on the strength of their foot muscles to keep them high on their toes.  Hard shoes are usually worn the second or third year of dancing, depending on the progression of the dancer.  Hard shoes have fiberglass tips and heels that produce tapping sounds.

Solo Dances

There are five basic Irish Step Dances: the Reel, Jig, Slip Jig, Hornpipe, and Set Dance. There are many variations of these dances, and each Irish dance school choreographs its own version of the steps. Students begin by learning the soft shoe dances – Reel, then Jig, then Slip Jig.  Students progress to the hard shoe dances – Treble Jig and Hornpipe – during their second or third year of Irish dance.

Reel

This is the first dance a student learns at Erickson Academy. It is in 4/4 time and danced in soft shoes.

Jigs

The Light Jig is usually the second dance a student learns. It is danced in soft shoes and is in 6/8 time. The Treble Jig is also in 6/8 time but is danced in hard shoes in order to beat out the rhythm.

Slip Jigs

The Slip Jig is a very graceful dance performed in soft shoes in the complex 9/8 time. This dance is taught to all students but it is performed only by females in competition.

Hornpipe

This is danced in hard shoes and in 2/4 or 4/4 time with a different structure from a Reel.

Set Dance

When a student advances to Preliminary Championship and Open Championship Levels, s/he will learn a Set Dance (Set Piece). This is a hard shoe dance performed to a specific piece of music. There are 38 different set pieces that are choreographed by the teacher specifically for each student. The set dance has two parts, which are referred to as the step (first part) and the set (second part). In a set dance, the dancer is performing to a prescribed tune, so the footwork and rhythm of the dance are expected to interpret the tune.

Irish step dancing is complex art form that demands a significant level of commitment and dedication — we are constantly amazed at our dancer’s passion for Irish dancing. If a dancer wishes to compete, there is no substitute for class attendance and practice! We find that our dancers (on all levels, from the Beginners to the Champions) desire to be the best s/he can be!