About Irish Dancing

Irish dancing is an energetic and rhythmic style of dance that's deeply connected to Irish culture and tradition. It's all about quick footwork, sharp movements, and a lot of precision, with dancers usually keeping their upper bodies quite still while their feet do all the talking.

 

There are different styles within Irish dancing, like the graceful soft shoe dances (think reels and slip jigs) and the more powerful hard shoe dances (like the hornpipe and treble jig), which have a lot more tap-like sounds.

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Irish dancing has gained worldwide fame, especially with shows like Riverdance and dancers like Michael Flatley. But it’s not just a performance art—it’s a competitive sport too! Dancers train for years to take part in local, national and international competitions. 

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In such competitions, known as a Feis, dancers can compete as a solo dancer in both soft shoe and hard show dances however, dancers can also dance in a group and dance both traditional folk dances and more modern takes on such group dances.

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Scoil Rince Celtus is part of WIDA, the World Irish Dance Association. Many dancers compete at WIDA competitions and are hugely successful at regional, national and internatinal competitions in both solo and team dances.

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Outside of the competitive world, irish dancing is an excellent form of exercise that not only keeps your body healthy but also your mind. By attending weekly classes, you train coordination, flexibility, stamina, and strength but in addition to this, you further develop your memory, rhythm and ability to focus by learning sequences of steps and combining them to lively Irish music.

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