This page was created my beginner year and I just don't want to change anything. So here is the page in its entirety from two years ago!

One day in class my dance teacher Mary McGing (for some reason or another) began talking about the history of the slip jig in Irish dancing. She pointed out a fact that Irish dancers probably can't really comprehend much or don't realize : Irish dancing used to be a male dominated activity (as did many other things!) The thing I find most funny about this is that Irish dance is mostly associated with females now! Not like men are discouraged from dancing anymore. Actually I think it would be great to see more male Irish dancers out there! So guys get yourself some reel shoes and some hardshoes and get out dancing!

Anyway Mary was saying slip jig was initially created and introduced into Irish dancing to encourage women to do Irish dancing because it was light and graceful. All the other dances would have caused the women to sweat and it was considered "unladylike" to sweat. (WHATEVER!) And did you know women dancers performing slip jig used to dance with only one arm held stiffly down, the other held on their hips? Jean Butler does some of this in the dance The Countess Cathleen/Women of the Sidhe or Women of Ireland (the name of the dance depends on which Riverdance video you have) which is a slip jig. I thought before she did it just because she wanted to! It's really an old traditional move that's been modified. I think it's better to have either both down or both on the hips since otherwise it's kind of confusing. Slip jig is still my favorite dance of all though!

Speaking of Mary, aside from being the best Irish dance teacher on the planet, she once competed in a feis against none other than the well-known Michael Flatley! I do believe she said he won too! lol They're really good friends now which is kinda cool don't you think?

The Shoes

Softshoes

Once you begin Irish dancing, the first shoe you will begin learning to dance in are the softshoes. Softshoes are usually compared with ballet shoes but it's not a very valid comparison. They're like the ballet slippers in the fact they're made out of leather but they're made out of a thicker leather and the sole on the bottom is not split. It covers the bottom of your foot. The laces on the softshoes (otherwise known as ghillies or gillies) are VERY long which is because of the complex lacing on them. There are two ways to tie the softshoes: above the ankle around the lower calf or under the arch. I used to tie under the arch but after reading a disturbing article in Irish Dancing magazine I have stopped. Why? Because tying under the arch can permanently damage the arch and your foot and eventually will impair your dancing. I heard a couple girls a level or two above me talking once and one girl was saying how her arches hurt all the time because she tied them like that. For your own sake tie them the traditional way either above or directly beneath your ankle!! I went on a little trip and let every girl in my class who tied under their arches know NOT to do it. And now none of them do. You can still do it if you want but I just don't want anyone who doesn't know to get hurt.

Softshoe dances: Reel, light jig, slip jig

Hardshoes ("heavy" shoes)

Everyone's favorite shoe! Wearing and dancing in these shoes is very thrilling. Generally, hardshoe is taught the second or third year of dancing once having mastered simple reels, jigs, and slip jigs (for the girls). Hardshoe is often equated with tap dancing which isn't totally off. Hardshoe is NOT tap dancing though even though are many similarities, which can be explained. One difference is the tips and heels on hardshoes are made of fiberglass, while tap dancers have metal plates screwed on to theirs. Also tap dancers make use of their arms while of course, Irish dancers do not. Tap dancing evolved from Irish hardshoe which explains the similarities between them. So tap dancers would probably find the move from tap to hardshoe pretty easy and vice versa. There are quite a few accessories that go along with hardshoes, one being buckles and the other elastics. What are elastics? Round pieces of elastic sewn together (so they're round) and they're generally about an inch or so thick from side to side. You slip these on your foot, bring them to your ankle, twist them once, and bring them under your shoe to where it crosses on top of your foot. Then you grab the part on your heel, twist it again, and wrap it around your fiberglass "heel". They're kinda cool actually. I have some. (Did I mention the picture of hardshoes I have up there are my exact hardshoes? Yup! I nabbed the picture off of the page of the company I got them from at my feis: Irish Treasures. They're some very nice Rutherfords!)

Hardshoe dances: Treble jig, hornpipe, treble reel

A note about treble reel: I don't know what the deal with this is but there is a whole seperate competition at a feis for the treble reel. So no matter what level you're in treble reel isn't a dance included in any specific level. I GUESS! Correct me if I am wrong but I don't dance treble reel yet so I don't know :)

Class Costs

Compared to many other forms of dance, Irish dancing is relatively cheap. At my dance school the beginners pay $30 a month for a one hour class that is held once a week. Every year after that the cost goes up $5 a month because of class lengths (my classes this year will be 1 1/2 hours and our bill is $35 a month.) The only things that CAN get expensive about Irish dancing are shoes and dresses. Your softshoes will run about $30-45 dollars depending on who you buy from. Hardshoes can be anywhere from $80-$180 depending again on who you buy them from and the type of shoes you buy. Plastic tips and heels are cheaper than fiberglass and are recommended for beginning hardshoe students. Also flexi-sole hardshoes are very popular with dancers because it makes it easier to stand on your toes but they also run a little more expensive. Shoes with the metal shank in the arch are also a little cheaper in some shoes.

Costumes

This really depends on the school you or your child attends. Every teacher does things different! Beginners generally are given a seperate "beginners'" dress that is different than the school dress. Some schools require a plaid skirt and white blouse (which I am very glad I didn't have to wear since it looks really horrible to dance in!) At my dance school, the rule for getting a school dress is you have to've danced three years. Then you can call to get measured and have one made and everything. (I'm in my third year now and I STILL don't get one! I am so sad!)