About the Irish dance usually speak so: heels which have shaken the world

Not so long ago I told about the Irish style of dance. And today has decided to write a little about its origin and history.


The Irish culture has joined already more than 6,5 million person which has visited about two thousand of representations of the Irish show.

Time having got on performance, people come again and again, and here already more than 6 years the Irish show «Riverdance» walks on a planet under celtic music in beat step. When on a stage the rank of the dancers smoothly beating about a stage by legs in heavy shoes moves, the hall rises. Explain this phenomenon anybody cannot.


The first data on the Irish dances are dated XI century From now on at us there are first data on dancing parties of the Irish peasants which refer to feis, however the description of dances for the first time has appeared in the middle of XVI century and was vast enough and not clear.

The described Irish dances included group dances which were divided into "long" dances (dancers carried out movements, costing long ranks the friend opposite to the friend), "round" dances (executed figures, costing in pairs on a circle), and also dances with swords. Not absolutely clearly, what of the dances described at that time, were actually Irish and what have obviously appeared in Ireland under influence of the French and Scottish dances.

In any case it there were more likely primogenitors of modern set-dances and kayly dances. However for all ancient Irish dances fast rate and added steps were characteristic. Some Irish dances were so popular, that have crossed the sea and have been borrowed by Englishmen. So, often mentioned English rural dance Trenchmore is Irish Rince mor, that is " long dance " in a line.

The Irish dances can be divided into some directions which are anyhow connected among themselves historically or on structure:

1. Reel initially was the Scottish dance, упрощенно the name can be translated as " a wheel of a distaff ". Legs of dancers as-as if spin an ornament. On an example of the given dance it is possible to result division on a level of complexity: easy reel, advance reel. On style (a software or степ): light reel, teble reel.

2. The irish Jig actually is the most ancient Irish dance. Unlike reel it is possible to divide it not only into kinds (a software or step), but also the styles differing among themselves on rate: single jig (68), double jig (128), treble jig (slowed down 128), slip jig (98) Let alone various characters (slip jig - exclusively female dance:)

3. Hornpipe youngest of the Irish dances. We shall not recollect, that earlier there was also a soft variant, and rigid danced only men. Now hornpipe (standard) represents dance on 44 of which one of shares represents a triplet (1 account as time-two-rub:). Exclusively "step" dance so be reserved hardshuse (their review can be found in Archive).

And at last the Irish dance ceili ...

4. Ceili On the business ceili name traditional party with music and dancings... Well we not about that: summarily in narrow-minded understanding, style "ceili" that other, as pair dances, whether it be 4 persons (for example, Four hand reel) or 16. Only in a software - the main difference ceili from other dances in which some dancers can participate, in various footwear.

Today the Irish dances have won all world. Dancing schools involve set of pupils not only in the Ireland, but also in many other things the countries. The Irish dances became popular everywhere.

Four large competitions on the Irish dances - the National championship of America, Irish the championship, Championship Great Britain and the World championship are on a regular basis spent.

On traditions, the World championship passes in Ireland, and on it there arrive thousand dancers for which the worthy result in the championship can become the beginning of star career.

For example, in 1998 the World championship which is passed in Ennis, has collected three thousand participants and seven more thousand trainers, teachers and fans of the Irish dances.