Irish dance. Traditional Irish dance

In Ireland there is a belief that the hills are the gateway to another world. A world inhabited by fairies. It is not uncommon for people and hill dwellers to meet. And such meetings always promise something unusual. Often, following the charm of fairies, people follow them into magical land, and return after many, many years, already very old people. Those who did not succumb to temptation, or earned the gratitude of the fairies, acquired all sorts of interesting abilities and, of course, a reliable assistant. But none of those who saw the fairies remained the same.

March 4, 2018

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In relation to dance, we can say that no one who sees Irish dance remains the same. And Irish dance itself is often called “the dance of the wondrous people.” Light, unearthly jumps, sliding steps, rapid throws and leg sweeps, combined with a calm body, produce a bewitching impression. Not the usual combination of pride and mischief, dignity and temperament!

The history of Irish national dance reflects the events that took place in Ireland itself, starting from the 20th century BC and ending with the 20th century our era - migrations of peoples and invasions of conquerors, changes of religions... Every culture with which the Irish came into contact contributed to their dance tradition. Although today there are only vague ideas about the most ancient stage of the development of Irish dances, it is known that the Druids were the first to perform them. Initially, the dance had a ritual meaning: they were performed in praise of sacred trees and the sun. Coming from the mainland to Ireland, the Celts brought with them religious dances, some elements of which have survived to this day.

The oldest form of Irish dance that still survives today is called Sean-Nos. It traces its origins to the Celts who lived in the British Isles from 2000 BC. and to 200 AD. Ancient chronicles indicate that this dance is of Irish origin, although sailors from distant lands, North Africa and Spain, who visited local ports such as Limerick, brought their own national characteristics to it. Sean-Nos competitions are still held today. This dance is most popular in Western Ireland.

Around 400, after local residents had converted to Christianity, Catholic priests continued to widely use elements national culture in their worship services. The Holy Scriptures were decorated with Celtic archaic ornaments; Celtic rites and dances accompanied Christian holidays. In the 12th century, on the wave of the Anglo-Norman conquest, the traditions of the Normans, their customs and culture, including the most popular dance of that time, Carol, came to Ireland. The leader of Carol stands in the center of the circle and sings a song, which is picked up by the dancers surrounding him in a round dance. Carol's style greatly influenced the development of Irish dance.

By the 16th century, chronicles already mention three main types of Irish dances: Irish Hey, Rinnce Fada and Trenchmore. One of the oldest descriptions of the national dance is contained in a letter from Sir Henry Sidney, written to Queen Elizabeth I, who was “much amazed at the Irish melodies, as well as the dances.” Sydney described his observations of people dancing in the clearing, noting that the participants were dancing in two lines. This suggests that the English knight saw an early version of the Rinnce Fada dance.

By the middle of the 16th century, folk dances migrated to the state rooms of palaces and castles. Some of them, adapted in the English manner, gained popularity at Her Majesty's court. Among them was the Trenchmore, a variation of an old peasant dance. Around the same time, Irish Hey also gained popularity.

Due to the oppression and persecution of Irish culture that began in the 18th century, national dances for a long time were performed only under the cover of strict secrecy. A proverb of that time says: “The dancer dances until he returns to the village.” Moreover, folk dancing was sharply condemned by the Christian Church. The priests called them “mad” and “bringers of misfortune.” Some historians believe that the characteristic motionless position of the hands on the belt appeared in Irish dance after the church declared the movements of the hands obscene.

In the 18th century, “dance teachers” appeared in Ireland, with whom the era of the revival of dance traditions is associated. It is unknown where this movement first began, but it played a decisive role in the preservation and development of ancient customs. Teachers traveled around the villages, teaching dance to the local peasants. The dance teachers were dressed in bright national costumes. They often arranged competitions with each other, which usually ended only when one of them fell exhausted. Many dance teachers also taught playing the musical instruments, fencing or good manners.

Varieties of Irish dance:

Solo Dances

Solo dances were developed by dance masters in the last quarter of the eighteenth century and have continued to evolve in both physical and artistic aspects since then. Today they express the greatest freedom of expression, a superb mood, a true combination of splendor, lightness and strength of movement, achieved through years of hard work. Irish solo dancing in its modern form includes the jig, hornpipe, reel and set dancing.

The Jig

As a solo dance, the jig can be performed in various forms: The Slip Jig or The Hop Jig is currently danced exclusively by women, but until about 1950, competitions for both men and pairs were held for this dance. The slip jig, danced in 9/8, is the most elegant and graceful dance performed in soft shoes and is highlighted in the Riverdance show. The Single Jig is currently performed as a light dance (without beats or sound) in 6/8 and in rare cases in 12/8. The Double Jig can be danced both in light dance (in soft shoes) and in hard shoes with tapping rhythm. If danced in hard shoes, it is sometimes referred to as The Treble Jig, or The Heavy Jig, or The Double Jig, which are danced in 6/8. The Heavy Jig is the only one that is danced exclusively in hard shoes, so that the dancer can especially emphasize the dance with sound and rhythm.

Hornpipe

In Ireland it is danced quite differently and has been performed to 2/4 or 4/4 music since the mid-eighteenth century. It is danced in hard shoes and today is one of the most popular Irish dances around the world.

The Reel

Most reel steps are performed to double reels, while single reel tunes are used more for simple steps used by beginning dancers. They are performed to 4/4 music and danced in soft shoes. The treble reel is danced in hard shoes. While it has become quite popular around the world among audiences who have ever seen Riverdance and other Irish dance shows, it is rarely (if ever) performed in competition. This dance, with its fast rhythmic beats and spectacular movements, delighted millions of spectators around the world when it was first performed as a “Riverdance” during the Eurovision Song Contest. It can be said that in a few minutes this performance turned everything upside down in Irish dancing and provided it with more public recognition and respect than in the previous seventy years. The treble reel style gained popularity through the efforts of The National Folk Theater (Siamas Tire) under the artistic direction of Rev. Pat Ahern and teacher Patrica Hanafin from Tralee.

Solo Set Dances

Solo set dances are performed in hard shoes to special set music or excerpts of dance tunes and many of them date back to the mid-nineteenth century. Set music differs from a regular jig or hornpipe in that the latter strictly follow an 8-bar structure. Set melodies usually consist of two parts, which are divided by dancers into “the step” (the first part) and “the set” (the second part), while both the step and the set may not correspond to the 8-bar structure. In a set dance, the performer dances to strictly defined music, so that the movements and rhythm of the dance exactly match the accompanying melody. Below are some of the solo dances from the set: In 2/4 – The Blackbird, Downfall of Paris, King of The Fairies, The Lodge Road, Rodneys Glory. On 6/8 – The Blackthorn Stick, The Drunken Gauger, The Three Sea Captains, The Orange Rogue, Planxty Drury, Rub The Bag, St Patrick’s Day. On 4/4 – The Garden of Daises, The Hunt, Kilkenny Races, Madame Bonaparte, The Job of Journeywork, Youghal Harbour.

Ceilis (Ceilis – Irish Group Dances)

Ceili dances are group dances that are performed both in competitions and at ceilis (a type of social dance, dance party). Keighleys are a selection of dances with different formations - round dances, long line dances and long column dances. Thirty of them are described in the first, second and third parts of the Irish Dance Commission's collection “An Rince Foirne”, and knowledge of these thirty dances is a prerequisite for obtaining the status of an Irish dance teacher. They are danced the same way throughout the global “Irish” dance community with minor local variations. Dances performed during ceilis and competitions may vary slightly, depending on the quality good example can be cast the square into the Fairy Reel. The most common dances in competitions are 4-hand and 8-hand jigs and reels.

Social Group Set Dances

These dances, known as sets or half-sets, are derived in their variety from square dances, dances in which couples stand opposite each other to form a square. Quadrilles were very popular in Napoleonic Paris. Wellington's victorious armies became familiar with them and then put them into use in England and Ireland. The dance masters adapted these dances to the existing traditional steps and accelerated the tempo to the usual reels and jigs. Differences existed in the number of figures, the number of which ranged from three to six, while initially there were five. In the original quadrilles, the presence of five figures was determined by music in 6/8 and 2/4.

Group set dancing was virtually eradicated during the first seventy years of the twentieth century because it was considered alien by the Gaelic League. IN recent years Set dances such as the Kerry and Clare sets have returned to the Irish dance scene and become quite popular among middle-aged people.

Since these dances are not typically Irish, similar style dances and detailed steps can be found in many European countries, especially in Russia. Today, group set dances are often danced at very high speeds and in a wild manner that bears no resemblance to the original sets, which were characterized by strict discipline and good manners defined by the character of the set.

Today Irish dancing has conquered the whole world. Dance schools attract many students not only in Ireland itself, but also in many other countries. Irish dancing became popular everywhere. Four major competitions are held regularly - the American National Championships, the All-Ireland Championships, the British Championships and the World Championships. According to tradition, the World Championships are held in Ireland, and thousands of dancers come to attend, for whom a decent result at the championship can be the beginning of a stellar career. For example, in 1998 the World Championships, held in Ennis, attracted three thousand participants and another seven thousand coaches, teachers and fans.

Ireland is famous for its incomparably rich dance culture. Worldwide interest in Irish dancing over the past 10-20 years has been driven by the emergence of spectacular Irish shows.

"Riverdance" and "Lord of the Dance" are widely known in Russia. How can we explain the appeal of Irish dance?

History of Irish dance

Perhaps the history of traditional Irish dance should be calculated from the time of the emergence of the Celtic peoples - the Gauls), who founded their own state already in the 5th century BC. These peoples were distributed throughout Western Europe, and by the third century AD the Gauls reached Ireland.

The oldest known form associated with Irish dance is the Sean-Nos of the Celts, who lived in the British Isles from 2000 BC. In the twelfth century, under the influence of the culture of the Norman conquerors, a round dance began in Ireland around a person singing a song. In the 16th century, dances began to be performed in palaces.

And two centuries later in Ireland appeared traveling dance teachers- the founders of two popular types today: group and solo. In the fifth century, Saint Patrick declared the lands of Ireland Christian. Due to the suppression of Irish culture that began in the 18th century, national dances were for a long time performed only under the veil of strict secrecy. Folk dancing was sharply condemned by the Christian church as “crazy” and “bringing misfortune.” Some historians even believe that the characteristic motionless position of the hands on the belt appeared in Irish dance just after The church declared hand movements in Irish dancing obscene.

As England conquered the surrounding lands, the neighboring peoples were subjected to severe pressure: it is known that in order to destroy a nation, it is first necessary destroy her crops u. During the course of English colonization, persecution of all manifestations of Irish culture intensified. Punitive laws that were introduced by the British in the mid-17th century prohibited the teaching of the Irish in anything, including music and dance.

Therefore, for more than a century and a half Irish dancing was learned in secret. Dance culture existed in the form of secret classes held in villages by itinerant dance teachers and in the form of large village parties where people danced in groups, often under the direction of the same masters. The emergence of dance masters - traveling teachers - at the beginning of the 18th century marked the beginning of the modern dance school. It was considered a great honor to host a dance teacher. The dance master was usually hired for a month.

At the beginning of the 19th century, it also became popular in Irish villages and small towns. competitions. A large pie was placed in the center of the dance floor and served as a prize for the best dancer. The solo dance style is called Sean-nos. Solo dances were performed by masters. In mass group dances, French quadrilles and cotillions were reinterpreted in an Irish way.

Modern period in Irish dancing begins at the end of the 19th century in connection with the creation of the Gaelic League. She set herself the goal of preserving and developing the Irish language and culture, music and dance. Their painstaking work often came down not only to preserving and enriching existing traditions, but also to artificially unifying them within the framework of a new, often controversial, but common set of rules. However, this sporting approach was very convenient for increasing entertainment and for holding competitions.

Founded in 1929 Irish Dance Commission to establish uniform rules for dance performance, competitions and judging. As a result, dance technique has changed significantly. Dance schools were given the opportunity to use large halls and a wide stage. Dancers no longer limited themselves in space and movement, and this enriched Irish dancing with many new steps and jumps, including passages across the entire stage. The rule of keeping your arms strictly along your body has finally become firmly established. But some other provisions still exist. Since the 20s-30s. Thanks to the Gaelic League, women began to participate in competitions and teach in dance schools much more often. A clearly defined sequence of steps performed became the basis for group set dances and the ceilidh dances that evolved from them during the creation of the Gaelic League, which developed from elements of step dances and French square dances.

Varieties of Irish dances

Three main types of Irish dance: solo, ceili and set. Solo dance mainly acts as a spectacle prepared by masters, or as a competitive form. It requires professionalism and many years of experience. Keighley, a credit to the Gaelic League, is a group of Irish folk dances - long line dances and circle dances, and artificial dances. The keili is characterized by jumping and arms tightly pressed to the body - “arms at your sides.”

Set dances appeared a little later after Irish soldiers returning from Napoleonic wars brought with them the quadrille - four couples facing each other, forming a square. A square dance with an increased tempo and proper Irish movements became known as the set. Sets consist of figures - movements performed in a certain sequence. The number of figures can be different - from two to six, and each with its own size - jig (6/8), reel (4/4) or hornpipe (4/4). There are no jumps typical for step dances in the set, but due to the many varieties of steps, the dance looks very diverse.

Irish dancing was originally performed only by men. When appeared step, women were not trusted with him either. Now everything is mixed up. But, nevertheless, the competitions of young dancers aged twenty years and older are recognized as the most spectacular at the championships - it is their performances that attract full houses. Despite the dancers' adherence to the traditions of Irish dance art, in recent years, ballet finger technique has gained popularity: they walk in hard shoes, standing on their toes, which is contraindicated for children under twelve years of age.

Irish dancing today continue to conquer the world. Dance schools, whose program includes national Irish dances, attract many students not only in Ireland itself, but also in many other countries. There are four major competitions held regularly around the world - the American National Championships, the All-Ireland Championships, the British Championships and the World Championships. According to tradition, the World Championships are held in Ireland, and thousands of dancers come to attend, for whom a decent result at the championship can be the beginning of a stellar career. For example, in 1998 the World Championships, held in Ennis, attracted three thousand participants and another seven thousand coaches, teachers and fans. Interestingly, a dancer of any level can take part in the championship, be it a beginner amateur or a high-class professional.

Studio Divadance, St. Petersburg.

Designers: Zhuzha
© 2005 by Zhuzha

Description

Irish dancing is a group that belongs to the traditional ones, which took place in Ireland in the 18th-20th centuries, they gained great popularity around the globe thanks to the show Riverdance, as well as other dance shows that followed it.

Irish dances are divided into the following types:

The dances are performed only by Irish traditional tunes: jigs, reels, hornpipes.

• Solo - Irish Stepdance - distinctive feature They have a clear movement of their legs, the body and arms remain motionless. They were created by Irish masters in the 18th-20th centuries and are strictly standardized by the Irish Dance Commission. Standardization came in the early 20th century as a result of the Gaelic League, which allowed the creation of schools of masters who were capable of performing complex techniques. It is on the solo direction that the spectacle of Riverdance, as well as shows like it, is based;
• Keilí - céilí - group or pair exercises, the basis of which is based on the standard steps of the solo direction. Standardization of ceilidhs is also available;
• Staged figure dances - Choreographed Figure Dances - the base consists of solo performance and ceilidh figures, but the focus is on the performance of several performers at once, which is within the framework of a staged show. Deviations from the standards are allowed in order to increase entertainment. Riverdance was born thanks to this direction;
• Set Dancing - social pairs, the base is made up of simple steps of French quadrilles;
• Shan-nós - sean-nós - this style is special, it was not affected by the activities of the Gaelic League and the masters. This species is preserved in the Connemara region of Ireland.

Varieties, depending on rhythm and melody:

• Jig - jig - this melody has an ancient Celtic origin, the jig depends on the speed of the melody: slip jig, light (double) jig, single jig, treble jig. The time signature of the music is 6/8, only the slip jig has a 9/8 rhythm and is performed only in soft shoes.
• Reel - reel - its appearance dates back to approximately the second half of the 18th century, Scotland. The time signature of the music is 4/4; if the dance is performed only in soft shoes, then it is called light-reel, if in hard shoes, it is called trable-reel. In special boots, a “soft” men’s reel is usually performed; the boots have a heel, but there is no heel on the toe of the boot.
• Hornpipe - hornpipe - researchers suggest that it came from England during the reign of Elizabeth, where it was performed as a stage performance. In Ireland, the dance is performed differently, in 4/4 and 2/4 sizes, and requires hard shoes.

History of origin

The first mention dates back to the 9th century, mentioning the first festivities of peasants, who were called fesh, but the description, specifically Irish, appeared in the 16th century, it was very unclear. It is difficult to say from the references which of them could be attributed to the Irish, and which to those that arose under the influence of the Scottish and French. But one thing was the same for everyone - side steps and fast pace.

When Ireland was a colony, culture was constantly persecuted, with “punitive laws” prohibiting the teaching of dance and music to the Irish. For 150 years, the Irish studied secretly with the help of traveling masters, performed at rural parties, the leadership of which also belonged to the masters.

At the end of the 18th century, masters began to create their first schools, the most famous were in the province of Munster, in the counties of Limerick, Cork, and Kerry. Famous schools also existed in other cities. The masters came up with their own movements (jumps, jumps, turns). Schools differed in the range of movements used.

The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the "Gaelic Revival", the Gaelic League, which later became a separate organization - the Irish Dancing Commission. It was she who began the study of traditional dances and their standardization, in order to then popularize them among the population. Those that carried foreign roots, for example, Set ones, were deliberately excluded. The basis was the “Munster” tradition; in technical terms it was the most pronounced. As a result, solo dances and group ceilidhs became standardized.

Since then, around the world there has been a system followed by schools teaching Irish dancing. There are competitions that constantly give growth to future masters.

Solos performed using other techniques are called “shan-nos”, which means “old way”. They have two directions: dances of the Connemara region and those that have been preserved among emigrants in North America.

See videos and photos of performances by famous groups on the website.

All types of Irish dances are performed exclusively to traditional Irish dance tunes: reels, jigs and hornpipes.

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✪ IRISH DANCE CONCERT

✪ Irish dancing. Why do the Irish dance like that?

Subtitles

Varieties of Irish dances depending on the melody and musical size

Jig

Hornpipe

Researchers are confident that the hornpipe originated in England during Elizabethan times, where it was performed as a stage performance. In Ireland it is danced quite differently and has been performed to 2/4 or 4/4 music since the mid-eighteenth century. Performed in hard shoes.

Story

The first information about Irish dances dates back to the 11th century. From this time there is the first evidence of dancing festivities of Irish peasants, which are called feis, (pronounced " fesh"), however, descriptions of the dances themselves first appeared in the middle of the 16th century. and were quite lengthy and unclear. It is not entirely clear which of the dances described at that time were actually Irish, and which appeared in Ireland under the influence of French and Scottish dances. However, all ancient Irish dances were characterized by a fast tempo and added steps.

During the period of English colonization of Ireland, the metropolis continuously persecuted all manifestations of Irish culture. “Punitive laws”, which were introduced by the British in the middle of the 17th century. prohibited teaching anything to the Irish, including music and dancing. Therefore, for more than 150 years, Irish dancing was taught in secret. Dance culture existed in the form of secret classes held in villages by itinerant dance teachers (called “dance masters”) and in the form of large village parties where people danced in groups, often under the direction of the same masters.

Some of the dance masters at the end of the 18th century. began to create the first dance schools, of which the most famous were schools in the South (in the province of Munster) in the counties of Kerry, Cork and Limerick. There were famous schools in other cities. Each master could come up with his own movements (jumps, hops, turns). Different schools differed in the range of movements used in dancing.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in the process of the “Gaelic Revival,” a special division of the Gaelic League (later separated into a separate organization, the Irish Dancing Commission) began researching and standardizing traditional Irish dances with the aim of further popularizing them among the Irish population (the League deliberately ignored dances that foreign roots were very noticeable - for example, set dances, which were quite popular in Ireland, were ignored). The League adopted the southern (“Munster”) dance tradition as the basis, as the most clearly expressed in technical terms. During the League's activities, the following were standardized:

• solo Irish dances (both performed to traditional tunes and special dance sets)
• group ceilidh dances.

From then to this day there has been a huge system of dance schools throughout the world teaching these standardized ("modern") Irish dances, as well as a system

Probably the most common question that any Irish dance teacher hears, regardless of the direction, style and size of the school: “Will you teach how to dance a jig?” The easiest way is to answer “yes” and leave it up to the questioner to decide what kind of jig he had in mind, because it could be a dance from the show Lord Of The Dance, or a competitive discipline, or a traditional group dance for parties.

In general, there are now a great many schools, studios and Irish dance clubs in Russia. There are no less materials on the theory and history of these dances on the Internet. Articles about dance come in very, very different volumes, clarity and quality. Unfortunately, with all the wealth of choice, it is difficult to find a short overview text that will simply and clearly explain what’s what in modern world Irish dancing. Some write that Irish dancing is “jiga, reel and hornpipe”, others write “solos, ceili and sets”. Both are true, but try to get the person who reads all this to tell the difference between a caylie and a hornpipe and you'll have a lot of fun watching his face. And what completely confuses the matter is the fact that often completely different types dances have the same name.

This text does not pretend to be deep or detailed. It is written as an attempt to take an internal look at Irish dancing in all its varieties and aspects - as it now exists in Ireland and beyond - and to get a more or less complete picture.

So. Dancing, as you know, begins with music. Therefore, the first thing a novice dancer needs to know is what Irish melodies there are. The main ones are jig, reel, hornpipe and polka. Somewhere on the border of poles and jigs there are slides, and in addition, the jigs themselves have several varieties (single, double, slip jigs). Please note: this is a purely musical division. The same reel can be danced in soft or hard shoes, solo or in pairs, threes, fours, etc., in a tavern or on the big stage, in traditional or original choreography. But the reel will remain the reel. And if you ask the musicians to play a reel, you will get a melody in 4/4 time signature, but what you do to it is your personal choice. To a greater or lesser extent, the same is true for the other melodies.

In this way, the music brings together a variety of Irish dances. What differentiates them? It can be said very generally that the place of performance and the type of spectator inextricably linked with it, as well as the formal purpose of studying dance by the dancers themselves. To be a little more specific, we can highlight:

• dancing “for the tavern” (to dance yourself and enjoy the process),
• dancing "for competition" (to dance in front of other dancers and get judged) and
• dancing “for the stage” (to perform in front of spectators unfamiliar with the topic and delight them).

And if we use modern terminology, it turns out:

• quadrille sets and shan-nos,
• keili and solo dances of the modern style, including solo sets (why completely different dances are called the same word, see below)
• original shows: the legendary Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, as well as their numerous clones and followers

All three groups include solo and group dances. It is customary to dance sets and shan-nos in conventionally “regular” shoes, but at competitions and on stage they use special soft shoes or hard shoes with heels.

It must immediately be said that in some ways all these varieties overlap. For example, lately Formal competitions in "traditional" dancing are popular, but on the other hand, outside of Ireland, sport dancing is regularly performed at concerts in clubs solely for one's own pleasure. But such a rapprochement is the result of the development of dance culture in the last few decades, which, however, does not cancel the internal differences of directions.

To be continued...