History of Irish dance -- Part 1

Irish dance has one of the most unique histories of any art form that I have ever encountered. No one is really sure of how it originated, but many historians have found early references to dances that Druids performed to worship trees and the sun.

The Druid dances are the most primitive form of Irish dance. After the Normans conquered Ireland during the 12th century, the Norman influences began to emerge throughout the Irish culture, including their dances. According to historians, after Normans would conquer an Irish town or village, they would perform a dance called “The Carol”, in which the leader would stand in the middle of his followers and sing, while the ring of people danced around him.

It wasn’t until the 16th century that there is a clearer history of Irish dance throughout Ireland. At this time, there were three main dances performed by the Irish. These dances are the Irish Hey, the Rinnce Fada or Long Dance, and the Trenchmore. During the 16th century, Ireland was a colony of England and it was not uncommon for the royals to invite Irish dancers over to England to perform for them. In fact, Queen Elizabeth of England frequently invited Irish dancers to her court to perform for her friends and family.

To me, this is the most interesting part of the history of Irish dance. This is the framework for the beautiful dances we have today. To think that this tradition has lasted for thousands of years, through famine and strife, is truly amazing and continually makes me proud to be able to continue the tradition.


Sources:
Flynn, Arthur. (1999). Irish Dance – The History of Irish Dance. Retrieved March 10, 2008 from http://www.irelandseye.com/dance.html

Lynn Academy. (2005). The History of Irish Dance. Retrieved March 10, 2008 from http://www.lynnacademy.com/history.htm