Technique

Technique in the Irish dance world is the most crucial part of the art form. You can perform a treble or a drum or any other kind of move by doing the movement and making the sound but it will not be any good without technique. Technique is what distinguishes Irish dancers apart and places them in the level of advancement that they are. The better the technique, the better the dancer. As noted in a previous post Body of Ice, Feet of Fire, the rigid posture and strict movement of the feet are what characterize Irish dancers.

Arms

In regards to back posture and how your hands should fall next to your side, remember to tuck in your thumb and hold it slightly past your ribs. Also be mindful to squeeze your elbows close to your side to avoid your arms sticking out or bending.

Turnout

One of the biggest problems young Irish dancers and even some older and more experienced Irish dancers struggle with it turnout. Dancers should not be "pigeon toed" so to speak meaning their toes turn into their body opposed to out. No matter what move you're doing, you should always maintain a turned out position.

Some people are naturally a little bit pigeon toed and it can be difficult or uncomfortable to maintain a turned out position. You can train your feet to turn out more as dancers by simply walking around with a turn out. Another way to train your feet to get more of a turn out is to do yoga or exercise your hips.

Crossed Feet

Another issue that a lot of Irish dancers have regarding their technique is keeping their feet crossed. This can be difficult with certain moves but it is essential to keep your knees tight together to allow for your feet to stay crossed while you dance. This is something you really need to consciously stay mindful of when you are dancing or else it will look sloppy and if you are a competitive Irish dancer you will be deducted points. This video will help you make your feet more flexible to make it easier to stay turned out!

Head Hold

This may seem like an "elementary" tip in Irish dancing but it is also an important one that may be overlooked in comparison to these other techniques. Always hold you're head held high with a smile on your face! This brings confidence whether you are competing or performing. Also by chance you mess up your step or set, this look of confidence saves you from looking frazzled or allowing the audience to think you messed up. It works as a great cover up! Keeping your head held high will also help out your posture in your back. Dance as if there is a pole stuck to your back!

The Pros

All of the best Irish dancers in the world utilize all of these techniques and it is why (along with their dedication) they are the best of the best. World champions are labeled that for a reason and these tips to perfect technique are pat of that reason. As competitors, they know that judges are not only looking for advances steps but also for the perfect technique. A messy complicated step is less impressive than a clean simple step. 

In 2016, I competed along with the rest of Fordham's Irish dance team at Villanova with other schools on the east coast. When it came time for the solo treble reel competition, I as a performing Irish dancer was going up against competitive Irish dancers who had made it to worlds and placed. Having never competed I was a little nervous that my step wasn't as complicated as my competitors but that didn't seem to matter as I placed first! Although their steps had more advanced moves in it, my strong technique was enough to win over the judges and I won first place for Fordham. 

The purpose of this blog is to inform and educate people on the widespread world of Irish dance while helping fellow and new dancers along the way. Now, I'd like to show you all what every single one of you dancers are capable of with years of practice and discipline. This is Ian Luebbers, who passed away June 11, 2019, in his set dance in Scotland in 2018. I decided to show one of his sets to remember him as one of the best Irish dancers the community had. Rest in peace Ian. 

Good luck everyone with practicing technique and as always, happy dancing!

Powerful Women in Irish Dance

Jean Butler is best known as a master of Irish dance alongside the legend Michael Flatley. She was the principle female role in Riverdance and inspired many young female Irish dancers, including myself. She did not play a soft shoe Irish ballerina who danced around the lead male role but was a powerful soft and hard shoe dancer who matched and even out danced her male partner on stage.




She originated the female principle role that hadn't existed until she created it in Riverdance. Typically, it is less common for men to Irish dance, so that when there are men in a dance company, they tend to be the center of attention with all the female dancers dancing behind them. Butler changed this as she didn't believe it was fair for someone to be the center of a dance based off of their gender; it should be raw talent. She took the Irish dance world by storm and was a large influence on the modern day Riverdance.

Body of Ice, Feet of Fire

Growing up as an Irish dancer, you have many lessons to learn. The lesson of form stuck with me as I grew up and advanced into the more complicated classes. As you dance, your upper body should always be stiff with your back up straight as if you were being controlled by a puppeteer. Your feet and legs are the only thing that should ever move in Irish dance unless your arms are required for a certain dance. We were always told "body of ice, feet of fire".

Practicing in classes I would always say to myself under my breath, "body of ice, feet of fire". Although classes were less strict compared to performances, I would never let my body stray from this form. During performances on stage or at an event, if I started to get tired and let my shoulders slouch, I would immediately pick myself back up and remind myself "body of ice, feet of fire".






To me, this was the most crucial and important lesson in Irish dance because it showed discipline and demands proper form.

A message to all the Irish dancers out there: no matter how tired you may be or how close you are to being done your set, always remember and never forget "body of ice, feet of fire".

How I Started Irish Dancing

Most Irish dancers get started competing when they are young and although it is not always the case, parents play a strong influential role in their children starting Irish dance. I, however, was quite different. When I was around three or four years old, my mother (a ballet dancer) showed me the world's most successful dance show, Riverdance. Immediately I was hooked with the bag pipes ringing in my ears and my feet began to move.

My mother had started me in ballet, jazz, and tap to see if I had her dance gene. Of course as a three or four year old, there was only so much I could do in those three classes but I knew they weren't for me. They weren't fast enough and energetic enough for me and I couldn't figure out why I was the only one in my classes who could nail every dance move but not enjoy myself. This was one of my first distinct memories that started me in my career in Irish dance.




After begging my parents to let me watch Riverdance over and over again, they decided it was time to see how I did in the world of Irish dance. It made sense, we were an Irish family who played Irish music around the house around dinner time and I was a kid with a lot of energy... how could this be any more perfect for me?

My first day at my old dance studio, I made quite the impression and got to be in the front of all the "tiny toes" dances. There was one dance in particular called "The Centipede Dance" where all the tiny toes dancers were representing bugs in a garden and we were all connected like a centipede. A week into Irish dancing, I was in the front and my dance coach made the decision to bump me up to the next class. Although I was a beginner, I was moved to the older girls' classes to start hard shoe and I knew I had found my talent.

Everyone finds their talents differently and usually, it is with the help of the parents that help kids find their talents. But this was entirely me and I knew I had found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

A Memory

In May 2016 I had my last dance recital with my old dance school and in June 2016 I graduated high school. That last dance recital was filled with emotions so the morning after I wrote down everything from my favorite number.

The music starts and I’m filled with adrenaline. I dance out onto center stage and I can feel the heat of the lights and the powerful hard shoes of Irish dancers pounding on the floor next to me. I can’t help but smile and the most wonderful feeling in the world overcomes me. My feet are moving as fast as they can as the flow of violins fills the stage with loud Irish melodies. I turn on my toes and take a breath as the massive projection of a violet purple Celtic trinity knot mirrors onto my face. I turn with a double click into a series of trebles and my heart is racing. The lights are reflecting onto the green, gold, and purple detailing of my dress and headband. The music gets faster and we dance swiftly to the beat. I can’t see the audience but I don’t care. The music stops with a harmonious stamp from all the dancers as the lights go dark leaving silhouettes against the gobo. Ladies and gentlemen, The Fitzpatrick School of Irish Dance. 

This was one of the best moments of my life and I will cherish this little paragraph for years to come. I am sure other Irish dancers can relate to the exhilarating feeling on stage.

We DO Use Our Arms

Recently I had made some edits to a Wikipedia post on Irish dance. The post itself had been quite accurate but I had wanted to clarify that modern Irish dance was more "modern" than the post had been letting on. It neglected to mention that the strictness of Irish dancer arms had been modified for certain types of dances that are more graceful. See my previous post where I noted this change
Here.

I had reviewed the same post I had edited and noticed that the Wikipedia post remained unchanged.I hadn't deleted anything and simply added two sentences that explained that Irish dancers can use their arms but the post was not updated. Although it was not a major change, I do wish the post would be updated!

Are you Feis Fit?

I came across another Irish dance themed blog all about being in shape for feis. Now if you're not an Irish dancer, the word "feis" is probably one you've never heard before. The word "feis" is Celtic and refers to Irish dance competitions and is pronounced "fesh".

Jeanne, creator of the Are You Feis Fit blog (you can find it here) posts about nutrition and work outs for dancers training for a feis.

One specific post talks about Seven Simple Nutrition Guidelines for Irish Dancers. You can find it here!

What I found most important about this specific post was that the very first guideline was to make sure dancers knew that this was not a "do or die" list and that they should listen to their bodies to learn what is best for them. I also liked the specificity of the second guideline that provided an entire meal plan for dancers to use to their advantage in their training.

These guidelines were perfect for Irish dancers who may be a little lost in navigating diets that might help them in their dancing. I am excited to see what Jeanne posts next!