History of Irish Dance

The picture above, a snapshot in the history of Irish dance, shows a nineteenth-century barn dance. Well, not really a snapshot, but you know what I mean. There was music, dancing, drinking, and other kinds of carrying on. In other words, a good time was had by all. The dance crossed all class barriers.

From here, you can find information about the male Irish dance costume, the Irish dance dress, and Irish dance solo dresses.

I will go into some detail about Irish step dance shoes. I'll be going over some of the dances themselves, too. And what's with the hair and wigs?

I'll try to keep this somewhat brief for you, but there is a lot of information on this subject. I'll try not to bore you to death. Since you are here, I assume you are interested in this subject; I know I am, or I wouldn't be here either. OK, with that said, let's get down to it.

Ancient History of Irish Dance

The first dances in Ireland are thought to have originated with the Druids, who were known for their pagan beliefs. These dances included animal dances, tree-worship dances, work dances, courtship dances, war dances, and some for mere fun. My own thought is that these dances were performed in a group and not solo.

The history of Irish dance has been shaped over the centuries by the many invasions of Ireland. Each invader brought their cultural contribution to modern Irish dance.

Music was usually accompanied by some dancing. Music, as is generally believed, arrived with the Tuatha De Danann about 1600 BC. They came from an area around the River Elbe in Germany. In 1300 BC, during the reign of a De Danann king named Ollam Fodhla, the first great feis (named Feis Teamhair - or House of Music) was held at Tara.

The Celts, with their culture and language, came around 500 BC. For a little over 900 years, they were a heavy influence on Irish culture. The arrival of Saint Patrick and Christianity (AD 432) changed all of that.

Saint Patrick converted the pagan Celts to the Christian Faith by combining pagan symbols and beliefs with Catholic ones. The Christians did the same with the pagan dance, trying to make it more civilized, but the basic pagan Celtic movement stayed.

When the Vikings began invading in AD 795, they destroyed many of the Celts' written records, including the history of Irish Dancing. The Feisianna (Feis), though, a festival of culture, trade, and politics, survived to be carried as the combined culture of the Vikings and Celts.

The festival evolved through the years into a place of music, dance, art, and sporting events. The Celts may have lost their written records to the Vikings, but dance was still handed down from generation to generation by tradition. Today, Feis are music and dance competitions that still have art, crafts, and trade.

The Norman invasion (1169-1172) brought the "round dance" to Ireland. This was an important event in the history of Irish dance. At this time in the twelfth century, the round dance was very popular with the French nobility in Normandy. The Irish really took to this type of dancing. It's still very popular in Ireland today.

In the fifteenth century, it was the Normans who brought "caroling" to Ireland. Caroling was actually a mixture of dancing and singing. It was still being performed late into the twentieth century in parts of Wexford. This was another way to carry on the dance traditions.

Modern History of Irish Dance

What you think of as Irish dance today began in the mid-eighteenth century. Up until this time, Irish dance was performed in a group, a social dance. The advent of the Dancing Master at this time brought about the solo or step dance. They taught the group dance's refinement and the solo dance's footwork. Later, in the early nineteenth century, some of the group dances began to use some of the steps taught in the solo dances.

There were many Dancing Masters in Ireland. They all had distinct territories of about 10 square miles. When the Dancing Master came into an area, he would stay from one to six weeks to teach for a fee. He was usually accompanied by a piper or fiddler. His first task was to obtain the use of a barn or kitchen from a local farmer for holding lessons. In return, the farmer's children received free lessons. When the weather was good, dancing was taught out in the open at the nearest crossroad.

The arrival of the Dancing Master was a big event. He considered himself a gentleman and was treated like one. He dressed in a whimsical fashion. He wore a Carolina hat, swallowtail coat, white stockings, tight knee-breeches, and turn-pumps, and was carrying a silk tassel and a cane with a silver head. He was considered a cut above the piper and fiddler. He instilled this high standard in his pupils.

The Dancing Masters continued in Ireland until the early twentieth century. Nearly 200 years of teaching brought about Irish dancing, as we know it today. The jig, reel, and hornpipe were refined and standardized during this period.

Any history of Irish dance would not be complete without mentioning the Gaelic League. At the end of the nineteenth century, there was a strong movement for a national Irish identity. The Gaelic League was formed in 1893 to promote Irish culture.

The league grew very quickly; within a few years, there were thousands of members in Ireland, Great Britain, and the U.S.A. Although their main goal was to preserve the Irish language, they had a big influence on Irish dance, as we know it today. For dance, they encouraged proper conduct, good behavior, and an air of refinement. They organized dance classes and competitions.

In 1897, the London branch of the Gaelic League held the first "ceili" (Irish figure dance). The word ceili became the term to use for such a dance gathering.

In 1929, the league established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the state of Irish dance worldwide, which led to the formation of the Irish Dance Commission in 1930. The Irish Dance Commission still oversees the majority of Irish dance competitions worldwide.