Step dances evolved as the creation of Irish dancing masters, subsequent to their appearance in the late 18th century. Dancing masters would often travel from town to town, teaching basic dancing steps to those interested and able to pay for them. Since the basic folk dances had been done for centuries in their absence, one must suspect that their appearance was motivated by a desire to learn the "upscale" dance styles then beginning to be introduced from France. The dance masters often paraphrased these dances to fit the traditional music available and, in doing so, laid the basis for much of today's traditional Irish dance - ceili, step, and set. The dance masters taught steps, the 8-bar units out of which most Irish traditional dance is constructed. The steps involved both the movements needed for various dances and the foot percussion, called battering, used for rhythmic emphasis. Competitions were often held in which the demonstrations of steps by masters were performed on a table-top or similar small stage. In fact, dancing in a limited space was viewed as such an important aspect of the style that one of the greatest tributes to be paid to a dancer was to note that they could "dance on the top of a plate."