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Irish Dance

“We frog-blooded English dance as if the practice were not congenial to us; but here [in Cashel] they moved as if dancing had been the business of their lives.” 

- Rev. Dr. Campbell in The Story of Irish Dance by Helen Brennan, pg. 20

Mooncoin Ceili Dancers, St. Paul, 1979. Photo by David Aronow.
Mooncoin Ceili Dancers, St. Paul, 1979. Photo by David Aronow.

Introduction:

Irish dance encompasses the traditional dance styles of Ireland and many modern iterations and variations on traditional styles. Prior to the 17th century, there are few documentary accounts of dancing in Ireland due to invasions and stringent culturally suppressive laws but also simply to the lack of contemporary record keeping. The traditional dances and ritual practices by the Celts, who arrived in Ireland around 500 BCE, were influenced and changed by the Christianization of Ireland and the arrival of St. Patrick. This dancing was in turn influenced by the French, Scottish, and English country and group dancing over time. The Irish words damhsa and rince are derived from the French word for dance “danse” or English “dance” and the English word “rink” as in a place for ice skating respectively. The rise of dancing masters in the late 17th century set the stage for the modern and disciplined forms of group and solo Irish dancing. 

Books in the McKiernan Library

Dance Steps:

  • An Comisún le Rincí Gaelacha.
    Ar Rinci Foirne: thirty popular Ceili dances. AN Comisún le Rincí Gaelacha, 1939. 
    GV 1646 .I8 A7 2000

  • An Comisún le Rinci Gaelacha.
    Ár Rinncidhe Fóirne. Ten popular figure dances: official handbook, no. 1. An Comisún le Rincí Gaelacha, 1971.
    GV 1646 .I8 C656 no. 1 1971
  • An Comisún le Rincí Gaelacha.
    Ár Rinncidhe Fóirne. Ten popular figure dances: official handbook, no. 2. An Comisún le Rincí Gaelacha, 1971.
    GV 1646 .I8 C656 no. 2 1971
  • An Comisún le Rincí Gaelacha.
    Ár Rinncidhe Fóirne. Ten popular figure dances: official handbook, no. 3. An Comisún le Rincí Gaelacha, 1969.
    GV 1646 .I8 C656 no. 3 1969

Note: The above handbooks by An Comisún le Rincí Gaelacha are official works of an Irish dancing commission comprised of standardized versions of traditional ceili dances. There are other Irish dancing commissions with different interpretations.

 

History:

  • Boullier, Nigel.
    Handed Down: Country Fiddling and Dancing in East and Central Down. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2012. 
    ML 398 .B68 2012 OVERSIZE

  • Breathnach, Breandán.
    Dancing in Ireland. Dal gCais Publications in association with the Folklore and Folk Music Society of Clare, 1983.
    GV 1688 .I73 B74 1983
  • Breathnach, Breandán.
    Folk Music and Dances of Ireland. The Talbot Press Limited, 1971.
    ML 3654 .B74 1971
  • Cullinane, John.
    An Comisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (Irish Dancing Commision): its origins and evolution. The Central Remedial Clinic, 2003.
    GV 1688 .I73 C855 C6 2003
  • Cullinane, John.
    Aspects of 170 years of Irish dancing in Australia. Dr. John Cullinane, 2006.
    GV 1688 .I73 C83 2006
  • Cullinane, John.
    Aspects of the History of Irish Dancing in Ireland, England, New Zealand, North America and Australia. John P. Cullinane, 1999.
    GV 1688 .I73 C85 1999
  • Cullinane, John.
    Aspects of the history of Irish Ceìli dancing, 1897-1997: 100th anniversary of the first Irish Ceìli, Longdon 1897. Dr. John Cullinane, 1998.
    GV 1688 .I73 C855 1998
  • Cullinane, John.
    Aspects of the history of Irish dancing in Dublin. Dr. John Cullinane, 2017.
    GV 1688 .I73 C855x 2017
  • Cullinane, John.
    Aspects of the history of Irish dancing in North America. Dummy Penguin list for Waterst, 2001.
    GV 1688 .I73 C856 2001
  • Cullinane, John.
    Further Aspects of the history of Irish Dancing. Dr. John P. Cullinane ADCRG, 2001.
    GV 1688 .I73 C855 2001

NOTE: Who is Dr. John Cullinane? Dr. John Cullinane ADCRG has written 12 books on the history of Irish dancing and was one of the founding members of the Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne (World Irish Dancing Championships) for An Coimisún le Rincí Gaelacha.

 

  • Gedutis, Susan.
    See you at the hall: Boston's golden era of Irish music and dance. Northeastern University Press, 2004.
    ML 3554 .G43 S4 2004
  • Smith, Therese.
    Ancestral imprints: histories of Irish traditional music and dance. Cork University Press, 2012.
    ML 3654 .S658 A5 2012

Other:

  • Anderson, Allie.
    A complete guide to Scottish country dancing. McDougall's Educational Co. Ltd.
    GV 1646 .S35 A5
  • Maclachlan, Elizabeth.
    Border dance book: Scottish country dances. McDougall's Educational Co. Ltd.
    GV 1646 .S35 M335

Audiovisual McKiernan Resources:

  • Interview with Jenny Bach - Music and Musicians in the Twin Cities. Amongst other topics relating to her experience as part of the Irish cultural community of Saint Paul, Jenny discusses Irish dance, local dance teachers and schools, local ceilis, Riverdance, collecting dances in Ireland, performances, and other dance-related topics.

Online sources

  • Dr. Catherine Foley. Foley is the designer and course director of the MA in Ethnochoreology and in Irish Traditional Dance Performance programs at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick Ireland. She is also the Founding Director of the National Dance Archive of Ireland, Founding Chair of Dance Research Forum Ireland, and Founding Director of the dance festival Tráth nag Cos. She has published two books and has published research in scholarly journals regarding Irish dancing.

  • Irish Arts Minnesota. Irish Arts Minnesota is a non-profit devoted to promoting the practice and performance of the traditional arts of Ireland. Their “Community Resources” page highlights the contact information for Irish dance schools and instructors in Minnesota.

  • Irish Dancing Magazine. An excellent resource for information about current events and themes in contemporary Irish competitive dancing.