The Dances
Soft Shoe:
Reels are danced to music which is in 4/4 time with a steady, even beat. The Beginner Reel is the first dance that is taught in class, and is made up of over two threes and sevens (hop 2 3 4 5 6 7). As dancers progress they will start to learn harder steps for the reel which will include leaps and footwork. The Reel is a fast and lively dance so the movements are often sharp with a lot of movement. The reel is one of the soft shoe dances used in Championships.
Single Jigs is the second dance learnt. The music is in 6/8 time and the dance uses similar movements to the Beginner Reel - sevens and threes. However, the timing of the steps is slightly different due to the different music.
Light Jigs are a very traditional dance, and most schools dance similar steps. These include the Rise and Grind - "Hop, Hop back, Hop back 2 3 4". These steps also form the basis for several ceili dances.
Slip Jigs are a very graceful and elegant dance so it is only performed by girls. The music is pretty unique as it is in 9/8 time. The dance will be learnt in beginner, but more advanced steps will be learnt as the dancer progresses as this dance is also used in Championships. The steps are similar to Reel but usually executed in a more graceful style and more footwork such as twists and rocks.
Hard Shoe:
Treble Jig is the first dance learnt in Hard shoe. It uses the same type of 6/8 jig music as the soft shoe dances, but the music is played much slower. The steps incorporate a lot more rhythm, using trebles, heel drums and stamps. Clicks will also be used, where the dancer does a scissor kick, clicking the heels of the shoes together as they pass.
Hornpipes are learnt once the dancer progresses past Beginner and Primary. The music is in 4/4 or 2/4 timing, but the rhythm of the beats is different to the reel. Instead of even beats, there is more emphasis on the first and third beats in each bar ( ONE two THREE four). The steps are very similar to Treble Jig, but are used in a different rhythm.
Traditional Set Dances are special hard shoe dances in a very old fashioned style. These were made up in the 19th century by Dance Masters (travelling teachers) in Ireland, and apparently we still dance the same steps today. Therefore every school dances the same steps. Compared to today's hard shoe steps, they do look very simple, but they are important for teaching basic hard shoe technique. They are often used in competition for Primary dancers, and also for young dancers for their Championship recalls.
Contemporary or Open Set Dances are the modern equivalent. These are special dances which are choreographed to fit a certain tune. They are danced in hard shoe and are used as the recall round for dancers in Championships. This means they will perform the dance on their own, so the dance is often made to suit that dancer's strengths. Set dances can be either Jig or Hornpipe timing.
Team Dances:
Four Hand and Eight Hand Ceilis are traditional group dances. They are chosen from a special book "Ar Rince Foirne", and all schools dance the same movements. The number of "hands" is actually the number of dancers - so a four hand will have four dancers. Teams can be Girls or Mixed (boys and girls). The steps in Ceili dances are very simple - skips, threes, sevens etc. However the dances incorporate difficult figure work, where the dancers weave and swing around each other.
Choreographies are modern team dances. They are made up by each teacher so every school has their own versions. The choreography can be very traditional, or can include modern touches, but it must be danced to Irish music. Choreography competitions are available for Two, Three and Four dancers.
Figures are basically very large Choreographies. They can be for anything from 8 to 16 dancers! Again, the choreography is original, made up by the teachers themselves. Figures do have certain rules, so must be a certain length, can only use traditional moves (like those in the Ceili dances) and can't use acrobatics. They must also tell a story. During a figure competition, the story will be read out before the team starts to dance. They are then judged on how their dance interprets their story.
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