Description of Irish Dances

There are several levels of Irish Dancing: Beginner I, Beginner II, Novice, Prizewinner, Preliminary Championships and Open Championships. 

As you can tell by the descriptions, these are the levels of advancement. There are several dances in Irish Dancing: 

The light dances:  Reel, Light Jig, Slip Jig, Single Jig.
These are done wearing “Ghillies” (Ireland’s version of the ballet shoe).  These are graceful, flowing dances, danced up on the toes, with a lot of movement, jumps and leaping.

The Hard Dances:  Treble Jig, Treble Reel, Hornpipe, Traditional Set Dances, Set Dances (24 total).

These are not taught until the dancer has mastered the light dances.  They are danced in “Hard Shoes” (Ireland’s version of the tap shoe).  These dances are done with a lot of movement as well, but the focus is sound and the syncopation of that sound with the music.

Figure/Cheildh Dances/ :  Trip to the Cottage, The Walls of Limerick, 4 hand reel, Fairy Reel, 8 Hand Jig, etc....  These are Ireland’s version of “Square Dancing”  in fact Square Dancing had it’s roots in Irish Figure dancing.  Most of these dances come from a book composed in Ireland that describes 30 figure dances….some are more than 100 years old.  The teacher choreographs figure dances as well.