Irish Tap Dancing History

It is pleasing to imagine that in the ancient courts of the irish kings boys and girls were dancing and tapping their feet to the sound of handmade flutes or whistles.

Irish tap dancing history. Brief history tap dance originated in the united states in the early 19th century at the crossroads of african and irish american dance forms. Many of the druids religious rituals involved dancing usually in a circular fashion around sacred trees. The practice of dancing with the body and arms held still can be seen in hornpipes and jigs danced by sailors. Aside from public dance performances there are also stepdance competitions all over the world.

It can be performed solo or in groups. Irish step dancing developed in the 18th and 19th centuries as an informal dance performed by highly skilled dance masters. There are only vague references to the early history of irish dancing but there is evidence that among its first practitioners were the druids who danced in religious rituals honouring the oak tree and the sun. Popular dancers during 1930s were nicholas brothers fayard and harold who popularized highly acrobatic and demanding flash dancing which mixed tap dancing with choreographed jumps and even leapfrogs above each other.

Tap dance has its roots in several ethnic percussive dances including gioube juba dance english clog dancing and irish jigs. The relative contribution of different traditions is a point of disagreement among historians and dance scholars. It is generally characterized by a stiff upper body and fast and precise movements of the feet. These competitions are often called feiseanna.

Although it can be said that tap dancing originated from irish flat down dance technique. Irish dance is a combination of ballet and tap dancing. Tap dance is thought by some to have begun in the mid 1800s during the rise of minstrel shows. Until the last few decades of the 20th century it was believed that african slaves and irish indentured servants had observed each other s dances on southern plantations and that tap dancing was born from this contact.

In irish dance culture a feis is a traditional gaelic arts and culture festival. Unlike ballet however ballet up dance steps require dancers to place full weight on their toes in ghillies that are not blocked as ballet pointe shoes are. When slave owners took away traditional african percussion instruments slaves turned to percussive dancing to express themselves and retain their cultural identities. The roots of irish dancing come from the celts and the druids who roamed the island before the onset of christianity and outside influences came along.

The origins of irish tap dancingor step dancing are lost in the mists of time. Tap originated in the united states through the fusion of several ethnic percussive dances primarily african tribal dances and scottish irish and english clog dances hornpipes and jigs. The celts had their own folk dances with similar formations. Costumes are considered important for stage pres.

Traces of their circular dances survive in the ring dances of today.