They therefore made their students dance with their arms in a fixed position, … Good luck to all those step dancers who practise so hard and give enjoyment to audiences in Ireland and in other countries. Innova Irish Dance company impress the Judges with their jigging to chart topping tracks. Specifically the Stillson School of Irish Dance, Maine USA. All these ideas are rather sketchy, and it seems unlikely that any person, whether they be English or Clergy, when seeing a person bouncing up and down, would pass without suspicion of what they were doing! Perhaps this reference to hedges has been mixed up over the years and actually refers to the Hedge Schools, the secret schools where Irish culture was taught in secrecy throughout the suppression. Why do Irish dancers always dance with arms straight by their sides? Share it with your Facebook friends. But the people would dance straight armed so that if a passing priest looked through the window of the house he would not realise they were dancing. Sign in to subscribe to comment notification emails, © 2000–2021 Antonio Pacelli, 14 Hallmark Trading Estate, Fourth Way, Wembley HA9 0LB, England. It's actually quite difficult to keep one's arms still while moving one's feet so quickly. Irish Dance theatricals, and dance musical shows travel the world, and sell out at every stop. So, they would make large circles of people and dancers would dance in the middle of the circle. Others put their arms slightly behind their backs so their hands are hidden. Telephone: 020 8902 0150. Their defiance would be natural after the suppression they had been subjected to for centuries, since Irish culture was outlawed by the Statute of Kilkenny in the 14th century. Irish dancers keep their arms straight down because back then, people would put the Irish in jail. The dancers had to keep their backs straight, their arms down and the smile was taken off the face. The British tried to establish control by attempting to stamp out aspects of Irish culture and identity, including traditional songs and dance. The adjudicator approved by placing the students well. Unlike the Hollywood-style dances of Riverdance, Quinn says traditional Irish dancers hold their arms straight at their sides. This is done to try to cut down on bar brawls. hope you like the explanation! Irish dancers keep their arms straight down because back then, people would put the Irish in jail. Turn up that volume and listen closely…” And the clothing had to be modest, with skirts well below the knee. Movement of the arms is sometimes incorporated into modern Irish stepdance, although this is … Feb 12, 2012 - This Pin was discovered by Kim Adams-Plehal. And even in Step Dancing, mainly under the influence of Michael Flatley’s Riverdance, the old convention has been relaxed and we now see more use of the arms. The most believable theory, which is supported by many historians of Irish dance, is that the Dance Masters of the 18th century were responsible. So this is why the girls started dancing with their arms held to their sides like two boards. Why the irish dance that way. 197 Likes, 5 Comments - The Trinity Irish Dancers (@trinityirishdancers) on Instagram: “Ever wonder why Irish dancers dance with their arms down?? Put your hands into fists, but be careful not to clench them -- you don't want to tense up. When children are born in Ireland, they break their arms so that they hang limp to their sides. A variation on this ‘not enjoying it’ theory takes us back to the Catholic Church, which wanted dance to be less joyous and secular, and more serious and spiritual instead. These dancers refused to raise their arms to her, and kept them rigidly by their sides as they danced out of defiance, and possibly to show they were not enjoying themselves as they danced for her and the English. But the influence of parish priests led to the lack of arm movement. The dancers had to keep their backs straight, their arms down and the smile was taken off the face. In other forms of Irish dancing like Sean Nos, Ceilí and Set Dancing, the arms are free to move as much as the dancer likes. The Queen in reference is probably Elizabeth I. made as part of a competition for rte dance on the box in march 2005.it was overall winner with 3 other films. Other teachers and dancers quickly followed the new trend. Keep your arms straight and at your sides. in jail, they would dance to keep from going insane. Irish dance only uses your legs: For the most part this is true. The truth is that no one knows for certain what the real answer is but here we take a look at the various theories behind this distinctive feature of Irish dance.. This must have happened a really really long time ago, since dance has been around forever! Well, the simple answer is that they don’t, at least, not for most Irish dancing. Back in the "old" days, when men used to wear swords around their waists, they would have to clamp their arms down at their sides (over the sword) to prevent it from swinging around and causing damage while they were dancing. HINT: Feet of flames -vs- ---- -- --- These dancers had no choice but to dance for the Queen, so the stiff arms was their way of showing their fellow countrymen that they didn’t want to do it and weren’t enjoying the experience. Apparently the Church did not want boys and girls to hold hands. You’d have to be a very short-sighted soldier not to realise that that all that bobbing up and down on the spot amounted to some form of dancing. Any form of hip swaying was not allowed either. Read the various theories behind this distinctive feature of Irish dance! Ceili Irish dancing can be performed in lines facing each other, circular formations, long line formations, and quadrilles. Our website is open and we are now despatching worldwide 4 days a week, Monday — Thursday. There are a few crafted stories as to why the Irish dance with their arms by their sides. Like this article? One such theory is that, during English occupation of Ireland the Irish dancers refused to use their arms as a way to protest the England’s suppression of Irish culture. As already mentioned, Catholicism also seems to be a theme for these stories. There is no direct evidence for this but it’s plausible given the way the church cast its spell over all aspects of life in Ireland for so long. Another idea is that, at a time of puritanical Catholicism, the Church in effect ironed the fun out of Irish dancing to make it reflect Christian ideals. Ceili Irish dancing closely resembles Irish step-dancing, with dancers performing on their toes. Old-style step dancers dance with arms loosely (but not rigidly) at their sides. The concept is that if you can't move your arms, you can't lift a beer mug or throw punches. While watching the dancers I wondered why they hold their arms by their sides, rather than move their arms around. Mar 18, 2017 - Here is one theory on why Irish step dancers do not move their arms. in jail, they would dance to keep from going insane. The other day I saw some Irish step dancing. However we came to dance with our arms straight, it remains today, and helps make traditional Irish dance so distinctive in a world where no other form of dance expects perfect balance without the use of the arms. 2. The price increases with the length and number of curls. So why do Irish dancers keep their hands rigidly by their side? 3. It is said that, especially when the dancers performed for … It’s only in Step Dancing that performers are expected to maintain the stiff-arm approach. When Irish Dancers do their routine they don't move their arms or hands. Some dancers keep their arms directly at their sides. Touted as a great source of mental and physical exercise, it’s also just plain fun. But yes, traditional and purist Step Dancing, as still taught by Irish dance schools across the world, still requires the arms to be kept still. Before, the arms were more relaxed and were even placed on the hips. Dancers dance with crossed feet, up on toe, arms to their sides, shoulders back and looking straight ahead. Lots of Irish children learn early on that they can still dance with broken arms, it just looks kind of silly. It is quite possible that this event actually happened. That it had something to do with swords. Before you know it, you too could be dancing a jig – table tops are optional. One of the main features of Irish dancing is the way dancers maintain a rigid upper body and keep their arms by their side whilst dancing. your own Pins on Pinterest the dancers kept their posture straight and arms down so that common people and guards,and whatnot, would be kept unaware that their was dancing in the circles. According Irish dance teacher Antonio Pacelli. One of the most common reactions of people seeing ‘Irish dancing’ for the first time is ask: why do they keep their arms so stiff by their sides? To stop this they made them hold their arms by their side. The Irish Dance masters refined and codified indigenous Irish dance traditions. Perhaps it was the church, as stated in the previous theory that was responsible for this? They liked etiquette, and disapproved of the unruly arm movements of Sean Nos dancing. One story is that a group of Irish dancers were brought to dance for the Queen. 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