The real name of Irish tap dance should be? Irish dance - Hard shoes dance? Irish tap dance is first of all a traditional art form of the Irish nation. The American tap dance is called Tap dance.
Tap dancing is a characteristic of Ireland, and it is also the quintessence of Ireland. It combines artistic performance, elegant dance movements and the dancer's amazing physical ability. The trend of Irish dance has spread all over the world. Next, let us lead you into the world of Irish dance and give you a clear understanding of this dance that is popular all over the world.
When Irish dancers dance Irish dance, there is no upper body movement. The hands hang down naturally and stick to the hips, and the lower body and feet always maintain a crossed posture (45 degrees). Irish tap can be divided into soft shoes and hard shoes. In soft shoe dancing, boys and girls dance differently, because soft shoe dancing for boys and girls has different shoes. For girls, it is a bit like ballet shoes. It makes a sound, and the heel part of men's shoes is hard, so it can make a sound.
Irish tap dance is a traditional Irish folk art. Those dancers who love this art have integrated more advanced tap dance concepts into their own national traditions, completing the sublimation of Irish tap dance. In the Irish dance dramas that you have seen, we will see that the upper body of the dancer has some movements, which is an improvement made by the dancer. In traditional Irish dance, only the lower body moves.
Dance costumes
The colors of costumes are mostly green, white or orange. Dancers avoid using red because red is related to the British Association. In modern times, all colors are used. Male dancers' costumes are usually in softer colors. Dance costume styles are very different from traditional ones in modern times. In the 18th century, dance teachers wore hats, tailcoats, knee-length breeches, white stockings, and black shoes with silver buttons. After the Irish cultural renaissance in 1893, traditional Irish clothing began to be adopted. Today, male dancers either wear jodhpurs or trousers.
In the 18th century, most female dancers wore ordinary coarse cloth dresses or the dresses they wore to church on Sundays, decorated with ribbons tied into flowers or crosses. After 1893, the typical dance costume was a hooked cloak with a white belted dress underneath. Another alternative to a cape is a shawl. By the 1930s, cloaks had become less common, and shawls gradually evolved into shawls worn over black clothing. This modern shawl is triangular in shape and is secured to the performance ensemble with a brooch or pin. Until the 1980s, dancers' waists were usually tied with a string that hung down to the belt and ended in a tassel. Dancers also usually wear coats or vests.
In the early 19th century, the technique of trimming was relatively uncommon on clothing. However, slowly the degree of use increased and even its complexity increased. Designers are inspired by the origins of their Irish ancestors, including Irish stone crosses and communion cups, which are all sources of inspiration for their creations. The patterns on the clothing are continuous, symbolizing the continuation of life and the eternity of mankind. Designers create more modern patterns. Another more modern innovation is the use of silver and gold threads for sewing borders. Each dance school has different performance costumes. Children often have one or more outfits, depending on the level of their performance. Many schools have one set for beginners and another for intermediate levels. Adult dancers who have been dancing for less than five years also have alternative clothing, usually a skirt and shirt or jacket instead of a dress.
When dancers reach a certain level in competition, they may have their own unique costume. Dancers' costumes are usually sewn in Ireland or England and are made of velvet and silk linings and trimmed with colorful lace.
Having a unique costume of your own indicates that the dancer has advanced skills in Irish step dancing. Dancers usually wear their own unique dance clothes to participate in individual dance competitions (individual/solo competitions); in team competitions (team competitions/figure dancing), dancers wear the school's standard clothes to represent their level. .
Talking dance shoes
In terms of dance shoes, some early documents record that the dancers were barefoot. Soft shoes were not used until 1924, when girls danced reels, jigs, and slip jigs. Soon, male dancers also began to use soft shoes, but they were abandoned by the 1970s. At this time, hard shoes have gradually matured in style and technology. Dancers use dance shoes with fiberglass toes and hollow back heels. This change in material allowed dancers to nail the buckles to their heels and make a louder sound to create a drum-like rhythm so that everyone in the audience could hear their melody. This change also affected the emphasis and content of many dances (previously, dancers would put coins between the bottom and toe of their shoes to increase the sound effect).