History of Dancing

Music and Dances
The four types of Irish music and associated dances are the jig, reel, hornpipe, and the set dances. First, some basic music definitions are needed. The time of a tune is shown at the beginning of the music; for example, a jig is in 6/8 time. The second number is the basic unit for a beat (4 for quarter note, 8 for eighth note), and the first number is the number of beats per measure or bar. The tempo of the music determines the speed of the beat. In a fast tempo, beats occur rapidly. The hornpipe may have a slow or fast tempo.

Beginning dancers at a feis may be asked whether they want the music to be slow or fast, often confusing them. Metronomes measure tempos precisely; thus you can observe advanced dancers requesting their set dance in a particular tempo (e.g., Planxty Drury at 68). Slower tempos allow dancers to pack more movements into a particular dance. During the age of the dance masters, some would refuse to compete at a feis if the musician insisted on playing a tune at too fast of a tempo.

Just as costumes are evolving, dances are also evolving because of the development of new movements. Examples of recent innovations include the butterfly and toe stands. These developments are sometimes controversial because they conflict with maintaining the authentic or traditional aspect of step dancing. However, highly skilled dancers are always pushing the limits and innovating. back to menu

Jigs
There are references to the jig in ancient Ireland. A number of variations of the jig are performed including the single (or soft), double, treble, and slip jig. The music is 6/8 time (the emphasis on beats in a jig is: ONE-two-three four-five-six). Slip jigs are in 9/8 time (ONE-two-three four-five-six seven-eight-nine). Dancers perform single or soft jigs in soft shoes.

Solo competitions only occur at the level of beginners, advanced beginners, and at some feisianna, Open. Competitions at all levels also occur in the treble jig which has a slower tempo, but dancers triple beats in hard shoes. The slip jig (soft shoes) is the most graceful of Irish dances and features light hopping, sliding, skipping and pointing.back to menu

Reel
The reel originated around 1750 in Scotland and the Irish dance masters brought it to full development. The music is 4/4 time and it is danced at a relatively fast tempo (ONE-two-three-four). Both men and women dance the reel. For women, it is a light, rapid soft shoe dance that allows for plenty of leaping and demands an energetic performance from the dancer. Men often dance the reel in hard shoes. Often a feis will include a special competition in the treble reel. Here, dancers in a single line have two chances to display their best efforts in a competition matching boys and girls from multiple age groups. Usually, audiences are extremely enthusiastic in their appreciation for this exciting performance. back to menu

Hornpipe
The hornpipe began around 1760, evolving from English stage acts. It was originally danced exclusively by males in hard shoes, but now, both men and women compete. It is reported that the ladies of Cork were the first to brazenly perform the hornpipe in the male style. The hornpipe is in 4/4 time, reminiscent of a slow reel with accents on the first and third beat (ONE-and-a two-and-a three-and-a four-and-a). A notable feature is the frequent use of a rocking motion with the ankles. back to menu

Set Dances
A set dance is performed to a specific tune which has remained set over time (at least during the 20th Century). Both males and females dance sets in hard shoes. Competitions begin at the level of Open because of the difficulty of the dances. Because the tune is always the same and the dancer knows the tune, adjudicators expect greater interpretation of the music. (In the jig, reel, and hornpipe competitions, the particular tune may vary depending on the musician.) The dances can be either in jig or hornpipe time. In one case, Is the Big Man Within? the time changes mid-tune.

Regular jigs and hornpipes follow a particular structure of the number of measures per tune, but sets vary. Sets contain two parts, the first is the lead around (from 8 to 16 measures), the second is the set (12 to 16 measures). Some tunes are more than 250 years old, but most of the dances are of more recent origin, developed by dance masters. Also, some of the tunes have accompanying words.

Competitively danced sets come from an approved list of dances. Some are the planxties such as Planxty Drury and Planxty Davis. These tunes are over 200 years old, many composed by a blind harpist, Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738). He composed the music to honor a hospitable friend, the friend's name listed last (e.g., Drury or Davis). The word planxty probably means good health. Another group of set dances is related to Napoleon (Downfall of Paris, Bonaparte's Retreat, Madame Bonaparte). One reason for this may have been that the Irish looked to the French for help in overthrowing English rule around Napoleon's time.

The list of set dances is long including The Hunt, Rub the Bag, The Humours of Branden (a humour appears to have been a drinking party at a particular place), The Piper through the Meadow Straying, Kilkenny Races, The Ace and Deuce of Pipering, The Three Sea Captains, King of the Fairies, Blackthorn Stick, The Drunken Gauger, and Hurry the Jug. Fairly often, a tune is known by more than one name. Tempos vary from the 60s to more than 100 beats per minute.

Another group of sets, including St. Patrick's Day, The Blackbird, Garden of Daisies, and Job of Journeywork, are considered to be traditional dances. These are all very old tunes and were part of early Irish dance history. The title The Blackbird is actually code for Bonnie Prince Charles who tried to overthrow the English with a group of Scotsmen. Garden of Daisies should be the Garden of Deise, an area in County Waterford. They traditionally perform this group of dances at a fast tempo without high jumps or lifts. back to menu

Ceili Dances
Ceili dances were derived from group set dances and French quadrilles, but were set to Irish music. They appear to have evolved with the help of the Irish dance masters, many from County Kerry. Nationalism, combined with the Handbook of Irish Dances published in 1902, led to standardization of ceili dances. Recording the descriptions of these dances occurred through the 1930s. For example, the Sweets of May and A Trip to the Cottage were discovered in South Armagh, being known only to a group of elderly men and women. Luckily, many ceili dances were recorded before being lost in history.

A ceili is a gathering for music and dance. The Gaelic League sponsored the first Irish ceili in 1897. They borrowed the idea from the Scots and a precedent was set that a piper opened the ceili. Because the ceili dance revival was not widespread at that time, the dances at the first Irish ceili consisted of group set dances and French quadrilles!. Instruments A variety of instruments are played at a feis including fiddles, accordions, and flutes. A traditional instrument rarely seen at a feis is the Irish uillean pipe. It is a complicated bellows-blown instrument that differs from the more often seen Scottish Highlands pipes. Irish pipers were predominant in the traditional culture for 200 years (the gentry sometimes kept one in-house), but the suppression by the English led to their decline. back to menu

Judging
Early in the 20th century, the Irish Dancing Commission established a 100 mark system for judging competitors. The distribution of points in solo dancing is 25% for timing, 25% for the steps, 25% for execution and method, and 25% for deportment and style. In figure dancing, the distribution is 30 points for timing, 30 for figures, and 40 for general effect. In beginner through open competitions, there is one judge. In preliminary championship and championship level, there are most often multiple judges. Competitors dance two or three at a time except in set dances and they perform two or three steps. Dances are of short duration and the judging is instantaneous. In the past, judges kept competitors on stage and continuously dancing until they were satisfied that all aspects of the dance were properly graded. Up to five steps might have to be performed until the judge rang a bell signifying the competitor was finished. back to menu

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