We know very little about the origins of Irish dancing or when it first arrived in Ireland but we do know it has been here since the arrival of the Celtic culture.
The history of Irish Dancing
When the Gaels arrived in Ireland, they brought a new culture that would influence the Irish people for a very long time. Along with their customs, they brought with them their very own form of dancing, it's believed these Celts used dancing as part of their religious rituals, but it's unknown how much of this is true.
What we do know, the Celts had a major influence over today’s Irish dancing with their Celtic designs. Irish dancers wear beautifully designed dresses with Celtic designs that date back as far as 500 BC.
In Irish history, we know that when Christianity arrived in Ireland there were various changes made to the local Irish culture and customs. As the Christians converted the druids of Ireland into Christianity the earlier form of dancing Irish would have also changed, maybe ever so slightly. However, keep in mind that any change Christians brought to Ireland didn't occur overnight but rather occurred of the course of hundreds of years.
The Irish Dance Master
During the 18th Century in Ireland, the known Dance Master appeared. These were teachers of Irish dance who would travel around the country teaching the locals the art of dancing. The Irish Dance Master was seen as an important figure as they helped spread culture, tradition, and entertainment throughout the island.
Even today, your Irish teacher should be given the uttermost respect as they teach an ancient form of dance. Something that is helping to keep the Irish culture alive as we know it.
The decline of Irish customs & traditions
In 19th Century Ireland, the terrible famine of Ireland occurred with many lives lost due to starvation. Those who could, left Ireland in search of better life in countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States.
After the famine and the mass migration of Irish people, the population numbers in Ireland dramatically declined as did our culture, customs, and traditions. A number of Irish people feared the worst for our culture so the Gaelic League was formed in the late 19th Century. The goal of the Gaelic League was to promote the Irish culture and customs which included the art of Irish dancing.
The Irish Dancing Commission was formed in 1929 that set-up the regulation of teachers, rules of dance and how competitions should be judged.
The Riverdance
Although Irish dancing was popular in various countries around the globe it wasn’t until The Riverdance was shown on television that Irish Dance exploded into the mainstream. The Riverdance was first performed in 1994 during an interval of the Eurovision Song Contest being held in Dublin. By 1995 it caught the fascination of millions worldwide changed the entire look of Irish dance.
The following clip is from the Senior Ladies 25th Anniversary World Irish Dancing Championships that occurred shortly before the Riverdance.
