Friday, September 6, 2019

Dance Paper Essay Example for Free

Dance Paper Essay Irish step dancing has existed since the 1700’s, over 300 years. Families in Ireland have passed down Irish step dance from generation to generation as a way of preserving their culture. While the meaning of the dance remains the same, the performance and showmanship has changed dramatically. From girls and boys with pale skin and natural hair to girls with fake tanned skin, huge curly wigs, and thousand dollar dresses and boys with fake tanned skin and outlandish outfits. Irish dance has become more of a spectacle—such as â€Å"Riverdance† and â€Å"Lord of the Dance. † Those dances are some of the most enjoyable and respected around the world. Over time this type of dance has taken on a life of its own and changed from traditional to modern. Despite the changes, however, this dance has clung to the meaning and history behind each intense movement keeping the tradition alive. Irish dance has such a strong response from those who are a part of the audience, teaching or dancing. It is so enthralling that in many ways it is sweeping the nations. Through schools where former dancers will teach the new comers and relay the traditions so they wont be lost in the past. This longing has guided the way for many dance schools throughout the world. The diversity of schools and teachers has lead to a more unique kind of dance. The different styles of the teachers and culture bleed through the movements and the school become products for that certain style of movement. On top of the teachers’ styles, every dancer over time creates a rare technique that melds as a whole with the impression of Irish dance. The fact that the dance is so out there and unique has given it a form of popularity in this century. Numerous people have taken the dance and attempted to improve it with modern aspects. Their efforts are to take the traditional aspect of the dance and form it to coincided with the time period in society. In the past this has been done by interest the dance into limelight. Taking methods of the dance or stick with the traditional movements and showing them in a way that would be more interesting to the public. Which is what was done with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, which take the form of the dance and use it for a dramatic necessity. There are various parts of Irish dance that have lasted throughout the years to remain an influence on the form known today. These basics have laid the foundation on which the dance has grown. Performed mainly during festivals, which date from the period of Eric the Red and the Viking raids of Ireland. While the Vikings did destroyed most books and written records, it was acknowledged that music and dance were important to the Gaelic culture. These festivals were a mixture of trade fair, political gathering, music, dance, sports, story telling and crafts. Today, the sole purposes of feiseanna are competitive dance competitions. There is still music, crafts, and trades, not as much. Officially there is no political aspect to the festivals anymore, many who participate would tell you otherwise. The reason that the traditional dance has remained apart of the world is because of the teachers and students. But in order to dance the students required movements, steps, and music to put them to. The dance masters—teachers of the 18th and 19th centuries—all had the same original dance steps, while they invented their own steps on top the original ones. There are two different roots, which made two forms of dance: step dancing—from a structural origin and ceili dancing—from a traditional origin. There are four types of Irish music and dances that compose the step dance: jig, the set dances, reel, and hornpipe. All of these dances are more elaborate than ceili and require more teaching. A ceili is a gathering for music and dance—danced mainly for enjoyment and entertainment not competition. It represents an informal tradition of dance that is generally common among people since prehistory. Ceili dances are danced in big groups and are pretty easy to learn. These basics of the dance have been changed in order to modernize it according to the present. The modern history of Irish dance began in 1893 when the Gaelic League was founded. This league was made to support the rebirth of Irish culture. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, â€Å"dance masters† trained dancers. The dance masters were all male and traveled from town to town-teaching dance along with other life skills that applied at the time. Dance masters formed both the set and ceili dances, as well as the first schools of Irish dance. Now teachers are both women and men and are paid for their services through their respective dance schools. During the period of the dance masters, stages were much smaller. As the art of Irish dance grew larger, the dancing was effected and the movement of dancers across a stage increased. Now judges will mark dancers down point if said dancer doesn’t move around the stage enough. Where the dancing took place changed too the outdoors to hotels or schools. In the 20th century, complex steps are evident in the new style of dance. Teachers continuously try one another by adding in new movement to every routine—including, in some cases, gymnastics moves. These characteristics along with others allow the traditional dance to explore, evolve, and change into a more modern version of what it was. Irish dancing is a beautiful dance and art that despite being suppressed has risen about to mix with the modern culture creating an influential dance widely popular throughout the world. The feeling by the teachers, dancers, and audience around the world has lead to the dance’s modernization that has improved the dance by creating new steps and movement to add to the traditional ones. Irish dance that has a presence you cannot ignore and with any luck will continue to evolve to withstand the course of time, entertaining whom ever is lucky enough to bare witness to this marvelous dance. Bibliography 1. Brennan, Helen. The Story of Irish Dance. Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland: Brandon, 1999. Print. 2. Hall, Frank. Competitive Irish Dance: Art, Sport, Duty. Madison, WI : Macater Press, 2008. Print. 3. â€Å"The History of Irish Dance. † Irelandseye. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 7 April. 2012. 4. Cipollo, Kaelyn. â€Å"Irish Step Dancing. † Historical Boys’ Clothing. N. p. , 10 May. 1998. Web. 7 April. 2012.

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