{"id":11,"date":"2025-05-10T19:25:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T19:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2025\/grudy\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2025-05-18T23:37:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T23:37:15","slug":"dancing-through-generations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2025\/grudy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Irish Dance Renaissance: Ancient Steps, New Stages"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Irish Dance Origins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Michael Flatley\u2019s feet thundered across the Eurovision stage in 1994, few could have predicted that this seven-minute Irish dancing intermission act would not only resurrect a centuries-old tradition, but propel it into stadiums worldwide. The rigid upper bodies and flying feet that once graced rural Irish churches now command global attention through viral TikTok videos, sold-out arena tours and competitions hosted across continents. Irish dance hasn\u2019t merely survived modernization, it has flourished because of it, achieving unprecedented reach by embracing change while honoring its core identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all started in the 18th century, when traveling \u201cdance masters\u201d visited towns in Ireland and taught the people living there how to Irish dance. They would lodge with local families and hold lessons in barns or churches, and their visits were highly anticipated. The fundamental steps the \u201cdance masters\u201d established centuries ago still remain intact today, forming the technical foundation upon which all subsequent innovations to Irish dance have been built.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two centuries later, what had previously been a more loosely organized tradition developed a formal structure with the establishment of An Coimisi\u00fan Le Rinc\u00ed Gaelacha (CLRG), the largest governing body for Irish dance worldwide. Created to establish a standard set of rules and regulations for competitive Irish dancing, this organization produced the first Irish dance teaching certifications and published official dance guides. Today, CLRG hosts major competitions such as the World Championships and sponsors local competitions, called feiseanna<\/em>. The organization sets standards for teacher qualifications and competition regulations, including publishing a comprehensive Ceili<\/em> book that contains all the dances that aspiring Irish dance teachers and judges must thoroughly master. These candidates must demonstrate their knowledge through a rigorous examination process before they can receive their teaching credentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sean Kennedy is an accredited Irish dance teacher and judge who completed each of his tests in the last decade. He explained that there are multiple portions included in the exams: a written portion, music portion, dancing portion and teaching portion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to know everything about that Ceili<\/em> book,\u201d he said. \u201cIt takes a few months to study for.\u201d
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The formalization of the CLRG\u2019s policies created the organizational infrastructure that would later facilitate Irish dance\u2019s global expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Riverdance<\/em> Revolution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In the late 1990s, shows like Riverdance<\/em> and Lord of the Dance<\/em> marked a watershed moment for Irish dance, transforming what was once a traditional cultural practice into an international performance phenomenon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Keegan is a creative director for Lord of the Dance<\/em> and a former lead dancer in the show who now runs his own Irish dance studio in Manchester, England. As a creative director, he works on both the choreographic aspects of the show as well as the visual effects. With regard to the choreography, he said he wants the show to continue impressing audiences while maintaining the fundamentals of Irish dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe traditional elements that [are] preserved are all the basics that you would imagine […] the treble backs, the fast trebles, the side kicks, whatever it is,\u201d he said. 
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Keegan emphasized the importance of keeping the technical foundation of the dance form intact even as choreographers including the original Lord of the Dance<\/em> lead Michael Flatley introduced innovations such as \u201cmultiple drop heels in the dance sequences which hadn\u2019t really been done before.\u201d Rather than replacing tradition, these innovations built upon it, adding what Keegan described as \u201cmore beats per minute or per second […] higher legs, and […] obviously the use of the arms.\u201d Here, Keegan is referencing the fact that traditional Irish dance involves keeping one’s arms tightly anchored at the sides of the body. This fusion approach has allowed these shows to honor their roots while simultaneously evolving into a more dynamic and visually striking performance art.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The transformation of Irish dance into a stadium-filling spectacle has profoundly impacted participant retention, particularly among demographics that might otherwise have abandoned the tradition. Keegan, for example, talked about his experience as a young boy when Lord of the Dance<\/em> first came onto the scene. He noted how difficult it was for him to envision a future in Irish dance while enduring bullying, name calling and social pressure, especially because boys still wore kilts in \u201cthe early days.\u201d He said the emergence of professional touring shows provided crucial motivation for people like him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen Lord of the Dance came along, Michael [Flatley] came along, Riverdance<\/em>, people could see this global phenomenon that was literally selling out stadiums,\u201d Keegan said. \u201cIt was like a rock concert, doing Irish dance […] it gave you something to hold on to and something to aspire to.\u201d
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By elevating Irish dancers to the status of \u201crockstars,\u201d these productions created powerful role models and legitimate career aspirations for young dancers who might otherwise have discontinued their training.
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Roisin Cahalan is a former Riverdance<\/em> lead dancer and the author of Complete Irish Dancer: Optimization of Health and Performance in Irish Dancers<\/em>. She said that prior to the creation of Riverdance<\/em> and Lord of the Dance<\/em>, Irish dancers would only dance until they were about 20 to 22 years old. But the emergence of professional shows \u201celongated careers, people dance for longer at a higher level than ever before.\u201d Beyond simply extending dance careers, these productions \u201ccreated a professional genre of Irish dancers which was never available before.\u201d This professionalization has been transformative, generating sustainable livelihoods through what Cahalan described as dozens of Irish dancing shows constantly touring that offer opportunities for young dancers to have a career in Irish dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The longevity of these productions defied initial expectations. Keegan explained that at their inception, people didn\u2019t think that large Irish dance shows would survive past one to three years. Yet decades later, these flagship productions are celebrating milestone anniversaries: Riverdance<\/em> is currently on its 30th anniversary tour and Lord of the Dance<\/em> will embark on theirs next year. And the Irish dance performance landscape continues to expand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more dance shows now, from what I can see, than there\u2019s ever been touring the world,\u201d Keegan said. \u201cThere\u2019s little, small, big, medium-sized dance shows everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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This performance revolution has extended into the competitive dance world as well. According to Cahalan, professional shows \u201cmade things far more competitive and more serious and more professional […] in terms of the engagement by Irish dancing schools and parents and teachers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From Simple to Sparkle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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With that professional elevation has come perhaps the most visually apparent transformation in Irish dance: costuming. Cahalan traced this evolution from the early 20th century when \u201cpeople danced in their Sunday best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe dresses were wool and really heavy,\u201d Cahalan said. \u201cThey were hand embroidered with really, really heavy shawls and lace collars.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These weighted traditional costumes gradually gave way to more performance-oriented designs, with \u201cmore diamonds […] and different fabrics sneaking in\u201d during the early 1990s, according to Cahalan.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For men, on the other hand, the nationalist influence on early costuming led to the adoption of kilts, even though, as Cahalan mentioned, \u201cthere\u2019s no historical precedent; it\u2019s very much a Scottish thing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dancing Through Generations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kate O\u2019Connor, founder of the O\u2019Connor-Kennedy School of Irish dance, has been dancing since she was a young girl and teaching for the last 29 years. The following video tells the story of her dance school and the generations of dancers it continues to inspire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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