Irish Dance
Dance has always been an integral part of social gatherings and it is likely that it evolved before or autonomously of music as we know it today, as the human body contains rhythms of its own in heartbeat and breathing, therefore it is somewhat a natural instinct of movement.
The earliest social dances were circular and linear chain dances, dating to 1400-1200 BC, of these the ‘ring’ dances, which used a sacred tree or stone as central focus - are most likely the oldest. Couple dances arose in the twelfth century as a break up of the line into pairs in procession, and/or in response to the ‘courtly-love’ concept in the songs of the Troubadours, which developed within the courts of Europe presenting differentiation from court and folk dance. In particular, French cotillions - a ‘square’ dance for four couples - developed and moved to England, America and Ireland as did the later quadrilles (sets).
In Irish dance history specifically: haye, rinnce fada and rinnce mór are the three names used to referring to the action in old literature. The first reference to dance in the Irish language is 1588. Rinnce appears first in 1609 amd ‘damhsa’ ten years later. HB15 It is not until the 17thC that we have any real documention referring to dance - not just confined to Ireland - worldwide.
Citm: The common people in Ireland may have been dancing more free-form, simple dance, to fiddle and pipes. As well as courting, dancing had important social ritual functions. Rinnce fada is described as being performed on May-eve and dancing is associated with other important times are the year, e.g. Bealtaine, births, weddings, wakes.
It is a matter of speculation whether country dances had an identifiably Irish form, but seems highly likely that group dance was part of the native Irish tradition in this period.
Step dance itself is an accurate, rhythmic performance genre that focuses chiefly in predetermined leg movements. Done either in group or solo. hard shoes enhance
The earliest social dances were circular and linear chain dances, dating to 1400-1200 BC, of these the ‘ring’ dances, which used a sacred tree or stone as central focus - are most likely the oldest. Couple dances arose in the twelfth century as a break up of the line into pairs in procession, and/or in response to the ‘courtly-love’ concept in the songs of the Troubadours, which developed within the courts of Europe presenting differentiation from court and folk dance. In particular, French cotillions - a ‘square’ dance for four couples - developed and moved to England, America and Ireland as did the later quadrilles (sets).
In Irish dance history specifically: haye, rinnce fada and rinnce mór are the three names used to referring to the action in old literature. The first reference to dance in the Irish language is 1588. Rinnce appears first in 1609 amd ‘damhsa’ ten years later. HB15 It is not until the 17thC that we have any real documention referring to dance - not just confined to Ireland - worldwide.
Citm: The common people in Ireland may have been dancing more free-form, simple dance, to fiddle and pipes. As well as courting, dancing had important social ritual functions. Rinnce fada is described as being performed on May-eve and dancing is associated with other important times are the year, e.g. Bealtaine, births, weddings, wakes.
It is a matter of speculation whether country dances had an identifiably Irish form, but seems highly likely that group dance was part of the native Irish tradition in this period.
Step dance itself is an accurate, rhythmic performance genre that focuses chiefly in predetermined leg movements. Done either in group or solo. hard shoes enhance