History and types of Irish dance
Since Ireland was once a colony of England, it influenced the development of its culture. In the 17th century, the British were forbidden to flourish in anything Irish, and accordingly the folk dances were forbidden. The Irish did not break them, but in the evenings at an agreed place, groups of people met secretly from society to give their soul to the dance. In the 18th century, Irish dances began to revive in large numbers in villages and towns. Some masters even opened their choreographic schools. In the 1890s, the Gaelic League was founded, which began to revive the Irish language and culture, and accordingly the dance opened a second wind.
For today, there are three types of Irish dance - a solo, a cayley and a set. Solo is based on spectacular technique - the body and hands remain motionless during its execution, but the feet perform fast and precise movements to the music.
Kayli is based on solo movements, but is performed by a group or a pair of dancers. Thanks to the spectacular synchrony of the movements that are carried out, the cayley is ideal for celebrations.
The Irish set is a group dance with elements of the French quadrille. Seth has simpler combinations of movements than keili. The steps in it are simple enough and this is understandable by the fact that the set is a social Irish dance.
The best Irish dances (see the video) are now available for viewing by many thanks to the Internet, where they fall almost immediately after the competition, and where they can delight the entertainment of their fans.
Irish dance lessons for beginners (video technology)
Lessons of Irish dance for beginners are held today in almost every school or dance studio. But if you have a desire to learn choreography at home, online video will help in this.
In order to start studying the base, you need to take care of the right shoes, because in the process of its execution, all attention is focused on the feet thanks to the fixed upper part of the body. Shoes for Irish dance can be of two types - female and male. And they are very different.
Women's shoes resemble soft ballet flats with lacing, thanks to which the shoes tightly cover the foot, providing a reliable fixation. In addition, for steppe (and it is important enough in Irish dances), often shoes leather shoes with a small heel and a strap in front, which fixes the shoes. In addition, in front and behind in the step-shoes, there must be a heel made of plastic.
Men's shoes are also soft, and for steppe. Steppings for men have an important difference from the female model - they do not have sabers on their toes, but only on the back to create a sound - a click. Traditional shoes for Irish dancing have a black matte color, but today there are already varnished varieties, and white inserts on shoes.
Irish have three types of melodies, under which all folk dances are performed. They are called rila, jig and hornpipe. Jigs are of Celtic origin, Rila-Scottish, and Hornpipe - English.
Irish Dance Technique
The technique of performing each type of Irish dance has its own peculiarities in movements. For example, performers dancing in one line or forming a circle dance dancers. Hands are firmly pressed to the body, only the legs work. A lot of jumps are used in the cache.
The set is also carried out according to clear rules - in conditions even the number of people who can be involved in the room is prescribed. As a rule, the set is executed by four pairs, which are opposite to each other, forming a square. Another difference of the set from other species is that jumps are not used at all.
Well, solo Irish dance - this is not just a performance, but a whole spectacle. To perform it before the audience, you need to have the skill and many years of experience.
Now let's look at the basic steps. Each of them has its own name and principles of implementation. Moreover, teachers from different dance studios can differently refer to basic steps.
The main step is called step, it can be done forward (step-step) and back (side-step). Another basic step is called the chassis and it is performed with the help of a change of legs. A jump in Irish dance is referred to as a hip. It is performed mostly with legs flailing.
The basic rack looks like this:
- Become smooth, put your hands to the body.
- Now put your right foot forward and lead it by the left - you get a cross leg. The toe of the right foot should look to the left, and the toe of the left foot - to the right.
The stand can be changed in a mirror form, that is, to change the legs in places - instead of the right one will be left, and instead of the left one - the right one. Of this stance, all the main steps in Irish dance will be performed. If it's bouncing (hiping), you just end up waving your foot, but landing on the floor will still be in this starting position.
Nowadays Irish dances are very popular, and most of all they are loved by children. Kids like to make jerky movements or bouncing under the winding music. Modern dances are perceived as something unusual, that's why they attract the attention of beginning dancers.
We wish you success in mastering the technique of a difficult dance, at first glance, and our video lessons will help you in this!