Irish Step Dancing
Irish Step Dancingc
Irish step dancing is a style of dance based on the foundation of traditional Irish dance form. Irish step dancing, with its very charismatic beat and energy, is sure to captivate you. At the County Clare School of Irish Dance, I had the amazing opportunity to observe Irish step dancing being taught to a classroom of energetic students over a two day period.
Nothing is more Irish than Irish step dancing. Irish step dancing is a brilliant celebration of the arts and a unique expression of Ireland’s culture. As a spectator, I found Irish step dancing to be a wonderful appreciation of dance and it’s culture. Not only did the school I visited teach traditional Irish dancing, but the instructors also gave the students an insight into Ireland and the Irish people.
The class spent time rehearsing a dance to the song “Reel around the Sun.” The students wear special shoes with a metal on the toe and heel, which provides the distinctive clicking sounds that bring the wonderful rhythmic percussion to the dancer's movements. The students began the dance in a precise line. The choreography moves the dancers as a group into different configuration after every two eight counts. They are continuously moving and do not stay in the same formation for any length of time. At the blink of an eye, the dancers group into formations moving from dancing in a straight line to dancing around in a circle, which symbolizes the sun. The dancer’s upper body and hips seem motionless. From the hips down, the lively, quick and precise steps of the legs are doing the entire dance. The dancers cross their legs and hop onto their back leg while lifting their other knee, sidestepping to the right of the room. They switch their legs and lift the opposite knee and sidestep back, all while pointing their toes as they kick vigorously and keeping their arms at their sides while moving in sync to the music. Their coordinated moves get more difficult as the dancers execute faster
Irish step dancing is a style of dance based on the foundation of traditional Irish dance form. Irish step dancing, with its very charismatic beat and energy, is sure to captivate you. At the County Clare School of Irish Dance, I had the amazing opportunity to observe Irish step dancing being taught to a classroom of energetic students over a two day period.
Nothing is more Irish than Irish step dancing. Irish step dancing is a brilliant celebration of the arts and a unique expression of Ireland’s culture. As a spectator, I found Irish step dancing to be a wonderful appreciation of dance and it’s culture. Not only did the school I visited teach traditional Irish dancing, but the instructors also gave the students an insight into Ireland and the Irish people.
The class spent time rehearsing a dance to the song “Reel around the Sun.” The students wear special shoes with a metal on the toe and heel, which provides the distinctive clicking sounds that bring the wonderful rhythmic percussion to the dancer's movements. The students began the dance in a precise line. The choreography moves the dancers as a group into different configuration after every two eight counts. They are continuously moving and do not stay in the same formation for any length of time. At the blink of an eye, the dancers group into formations moving from dancing in a straight line to dancing around in a circle, which symbolizes the sun. The dancer’s upper body and hips seem motionless. From the hips down, the lively, quick and precise steps of the legs are doing the entire dance. The dancers cross their legs and hop onto their back leg while lifting their other knee, sidestepping to the right of the room. They switch their legs and lift the opposite knee and sidestep back, all while pointing their toes as they kick vigorously and keeping their arms at their sides while moving in sync to the music. Their coordinated moves get more difficult as the dancers execute faster