What Is Line Dancing? By Treva Bedinghaus Updated May 05, 2019 Line dancing is exactly what its name implies: people dancing in lines to music. Line dances are choreographed dances with a repeating series of steps that are performed in unison by a group of people in lines or rows, most often without the dancers making contact with one another. All the dancers performing a line dance face the same direction and perform the steps at exactly the same time. Although there are usually several lines, small groups may only form one line, but it's still considered a line dance even if only two people are participating. From the American immigrants' adaptation of polka and the waltz in the 1800s that developed into square dancing to folk dances in schools of the 1900s, the origins of this dance format are widespread. Discover more about this centuries-old dance format and how to line dance below. Line Dancing History Although many popular line dances are set to country music, the first line dances did not originate from country-western dancing. Line dancing is believed to have originated from folk dancing, which has many similarities. Contra dancing, a form of American folk dance in which the dancers form two parallel lines and perform a sequence of dance movements with different partners down the length of the line, probably had a huge influence on the line dancing steps we are familiar with today. During the 1980s and 1990s, line dances started being created for popular country songs. One example is a dance made for Billy Ray Cyrus' 1992 smash hit "Achy Breaky Heart." Even pop music began to see an upswing in line dances in the 1990s, with "the Macarena" serving as a sort of hybrid folk-pop dance number that swept the world by storm. Line Dance Format Basic line dances focus on movements of the legs and feet, with more advanced dances including the arms and hands. The movements of a line dance are marked as "counts," where one count generally equals one musical beat. A particular movement or step takes place at each beat. A line dance will have a certain number of counts, meaning the number of beats in one complete sequence of the dance. For example, a 64-count dance would contain 64 beats. The number of beats does not necessarily equal the number of steps, however, as steps can be performed between two beats or over more than one beat. https://www.liveabout.com/line-dancing-basics-1007387 Things keep in mind when doing line dance: Stretching your lower body and upper body Make sure you have personal space with room to move in a line in all directions Watch 2 or more videos that model different line dances: Learn the steps and follow along. ENJOY ! Cotton Eye Joe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ws5k4ZFwv8 Cotton Eyed Joe Line Dance https://youtu.be/AWDoxwDBdu8 Electric Slide https://youtu.be/0pF9PN8UpqI https://youtu.be/v-_IuErVAE4 Jekyll Island Stomp https://youtu.be/M5tMd1J3tt4
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Irish Step Dance Irish dancers performing at a show Irish stepdance is a style of performance dance with its roots in traditional Irish dance. It is generally characterized by a stiff upper body and quick and precise movements of the feet. It can be performed solo or in groups. Aside from public dance performances, there are also stepdance competitions all over the world. These competitions are often called Feiseanna (singular Feis). In Irish dance culture, a Feis is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival. Costumes are considered important for stage presence in competition and performance Irish stepdance. In many cases, costumes are sold at high prices and can even be custom made. Males and females can both perform Irish stepdance but for the most part in today's society, the dance remains predominantly female. This means that the costumes are mainly dresses. Each dress is different, with varying colors and patterns, designed to attract the judge's eye in competitions and the audience's eye in performance. General appearance besides the costume is also equally important. Dancers would typically curl their hair before each competition. Many dancers invest in curled wigs that match their hair color. Poodle Socks are worn with the dresses and shoes. These are white socks that stretch to mid calf with distinctive ribbing. Riverdance, an Irish step dancing interval act in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest that later became a hugely successful theatrical production, greatly contributed to its popularity. Once Riverdance became a large production, it changed the way that Irish dance was performed and viewed. Now that entrepreneurs could capitalize on Irish culture, they were able to tweak it to the audience's liking. This meant adding theatrical flair to the performance, including arm movements (as opposed to the previously rigid top half that dancers maintained) as well as sexualizing the dance and the costumes. To many this was a betrayal of tradition, but to some it was a way of expanding Irish culture and became widely accepted. Following after Riverdance was Lord of the Dance and many other theatrical productions based on Irish stepdance. Michael Flatley, an Irish step dancer, became a well known name within these shows. Two types of shoes are worn in Irish stepdance; hard shoes, which make sounds similar to tap shoes, and soft shoes (called Ghillies), which are similar to ballet slippers. The dances for soft shoe and hard shoe are generally different and go by different names. Different music with varying beats are played based on the dance, though they all share basic moves and rhythms. Most competitive stepdances are solo dances, though many step dancers also perform and compete in traditional set and céilí dances. Competition is organized by several organizations, and there are competitions from the local level to world championships. History Early history (prehistory–1927) The dancing traditions of Ireland are likely to have grown in tandem with Irish traditional music. Its first roots may have been in Pre-Christian Ireland, but Irish dance was also partially influenced by dance forms on the Continent, especially the quadrille dances. Some of the earliest recorded references to Irish dance are to the Rinnce Fada or "long dance", towards the end of the 17th century, which was performed largely on social occasions.[1] Traveling dancing masters taught all over Ireland beginning around the 1750s and continuing as late as the early 1900s.[2] By the late 19th century, at least three related styles of step dance had developed in Ireland. The style practiced in Munster saw dancers on the balls of their feet, using intricate percussive techniques to create complex rhythm. On the other hand, a tradition developed in Ulster saw dancers instead using their heel to create a persistent drumming effect, and primarily performing in pairs. The Connemara style, later described as sean-nós dance, combined heel and ball movements with swaying of the torso and vigorous movement of the arms.[3] The foundation of the Gaelic League in 1893, an Irish nationalist body formed with the purpose of preserving traditional Irish language and culture, radically altered the cultural status of step dance. Frank Hall has described this as the moment in which "step-Dancing in Ireland became 'Irish dancing'", and as therefore the most significant single event in the development of the dance form.[4] Although informal competitions had long been held between towns and students of different dance masters, the first organized feis was held in 1897 by the League.[5] The League began to codify and promote the form of step dance which was practiced in southern areas.[2] This codification, practiced from the early 1920s, greatly narrowed the range of traditional Irish dances acceptable in popular culture.[6] Codification (1927–1994) In 1927, the Gaelic League set up An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG, the Irish Dancing Commission), a separate body dedicated to the organization and standardization of Irish dance. CLRG created certifications for dance teachers and began to hold examinations for adjudicators of feisanna. In the 19th century, the Irish diaspora had spread Irish dance all over the world, especially to North America and Australia. However, schools and feiseanna were not established until the early 1900s: in America these tended to be created within Irish-American urban communities, notably in Chicago. The first classes in step dancing were held there by the Philadelphia-born John McNamara.[7] According to the BBC's A Short History of Irish Dance, "The nature of the Irish dance tradition has changed and adapted over the centuries to accommodate and reflect changing populations and the fusion of new cultures. The history of Irish dancing is as a result a fascinating one. The popular Irish dance stage shows of the past ten years have reinvigorated this cultural art, and today Irish dancing is healthy, vibrant, and enjoyed by people across the globe."[8] Sometime in that decade or the one following, a dance teacher had his students compete with arms held firmly down to their sides, hands in fists, to call more attention to the intricacy of the steps. The adjudicator approved by placing the students well. Other teachers and dancers quickly followed the new trend. Movement of the arms is sometimes incorporated into modern Irish stepdance, although this is generally seen as a hybrid and non-traditional addition and is only done in shows and performances, not competitions. The first television broadcast of Irish stepdance, on CBS in 1945, contributed to the increased popularity of a stepdance style originating in Ulster. This style, which incorporated balletic movements and high elevation on the toes, gradually usurped the Munster style with fast, low footwork which had prevailed up to that point.[9] Post-Riverdance era (1994–present) The success of Riverdance and other dance shows in the late 20th century influenced the choreography and presentation of stepdance in both competitive and public performance environments. This included the use of simpler costumes and hairstyles for public performance in imitation of the Riverdance styles, and the development of new dance styles, such as hard shoe dances performed to music typically associated with soft shoes.[10] In competitive dance, movements from flamenco and figure skating began to be incorporated into traditional steps, although such developments were criticized by elements of the competitive dancing community.[11] |
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