Every St. Patrick’s day, I dance at my mom’s school for her class of first graders. These inquisitive young minds never fail to ask me the same questions every year – "Is your dress heavy?" "How much did it cost?" And the one I will be answering today, "Why don’t you use your arms?"
There is no definitive answer to explain why Irish dancers do not use their arms while they dance but there are hundreds of stories and theories passed down to try to explain.
One such theory is that, during English occupation of Ireland the Irish dancers refused to use their arms as a way to protest the England’s suppression of Irish culture. It is said that, especially when the dancers performed for Queen Elizabeth, they did not use their arms as a way to rebel against England’s occupation of Ireland.
Another theory focuses on the strict rules and guidelines set up by the Catholic Church. Ireland was a very Catholic country during the 17th and 18th centuries and the Catholic Church influenced every aspect of Irish life.
The priests in the Irish villages disapproved of boys and girls touching each other, and believed that dancing would lead to inappropriate activities. To ward against potential problems, it is said that the Catholic priests banned the Irish people from dancing, especially in which they used their arms.
This did not stop the Irish. They decided that, if they could not use their hands while they danced, they would begin dancing with their arms at their sides. This way, if priests passed by houses where people were dancing, the people inside would seem to be jumping up and down instead of dancing.
Whatever the reason, Irish dancers are continually reminded by teachers to keep their arms straight and back. Whether it is because of the English or the Catholic Church, straight arms have become as common as curled hair in Irish dance.
Sources:
Sources:
Antonio Pacelli Irish Dance. (2005). Why no arms? Retrieved March 17, 2008 from http://www.antoniopacelli.com/cgi-bin/publisher/display.cgi?1255-5104-
Colleen. (2005). Why do Irish dancers keep their arms straight?. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from http://dancecolleen.homestead.com/arms.html
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2 comments:
Okay, the image of Irish priests passing by houses full of people jumping up and down and finding nothing questionable there is just too hilarious. I'm going with that one.
Why don't Irish dancers smile? It seems SERIOUS is the goal. I like it! I think That is a skill all by itself. I must refer to the littlest girl in the Russian performance of "Walking on Stones" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIxjHFHq9FQ&list=RDSIxjHFHq9FQ&start_radio=1) She is Perfect--such an elegant aire of sophistication!
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