Friday, November 30, 2012

Taking Traditional Irish Dance Lessons

By Muriel Noel


Irish dance lessons can recreate a cultural feel from long ago. Historic in nature, they also involve children in friendly competition and give them something to strive for. As a sporting activity, they offer exercise but also give young ones a chance to wear costumes and dance towards success.

Long ago, the people of Ireland were ruled by those who were not of their own country. English landlords did their best to ban the many forms of cultural enjoyment and traditions of the native people of the land. Religious priests called the movements unsavory and forbid their followers from doing the dances.

It may also be that the dancing itself derives from when masters of the craft came from the mainland to perform and to teach. The places they had for dancing were not very big or fancy. Many ended up dancing on table tops for example, which explains the straight backs and stationary torsos of the form.

In any case, the traditions of this form of movement have survived to influence dances of other countries. As the Irishmen and women immigrated around the world, they took their passion for their culture with them. It's believed that dances in the United States and Canada clearly were influenced by the fast feet and bounding jigs.

People are most familiar with seeing the dancing done as a solo act or in small groups. There are very strong and highly valued competitions around the world regarding this dancing. Boys and girls both participate, though the girls' costumes attract the most attention, ranging from five hundred to five thousand dollars in value. They are unique and one of a kind, made just with that dancer in mind.

Whether hoping to produce a star or simply looking for something that reflects a family's heritage, traditional Irish dance lessons can be the answer. The children have the opportunity to take on something cultural and important to their relatives, while also learning about positive competition. They learn pride and how to be a good sport, which are great lessons for any child.




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