Irish Step Competitions

Once you start getting good at Irish Dance you can compete in a feis. A feis is an Irish Dance competition. There are many levels to compete in, but during your first feis you’ll be starting at the beginner’s level with basic dance steps. Then, when you get to be much better dancer, you can compete in the novice and prizewinning levels. Next thing you know you’re competing in the regionals and Oireachats. Once you become the best dancer you can be, it’s time to compete in the World Championships in Ireland, and the North American Championships in the United States. After competing in these competitions, yeah, you can call yourself good!
Levels of Irish Dance Competitions: Start beginner, advanced beginner, novice, prizewinner, preliminary, championship, finally, and Open Championship.

Steps and Styles

Step after step, jump after jump! There are so many steps to learn in Irish dance. There are six different styles of Irish Step Dance. The reel, slip jig, light jig, hop jig, treble jig, and horn pipe. So much to learn! You have to wear a certain type of dance shoe for the steps. There is the soft shoe which you do most of your high jumps and kicks in. Then there is the hard shoe, it’s like a tap shoe. The hard shoe is what you do most of your batters in. A batter is just like tapping in a tap shoe, but you can jump and click your heals in. It actually matters what music you’re dancing to because you need to dance to the beat. A reel step 4/4 time and the slip jig a 6/8 time. I have to say being a dancer myself; Irish Dance can get pretty tough at times.

Irish Dance Costume

Beautiful glittery Irish Dance costumes must be extremely hard to make. First of all, The Celtic designs are drawn and embroidered by hand onto the dress. A basic Irish Dance dress for girls includes long sleeves and skirt that falls right above the knee, both pieces are attached. A custom made Irish Dance dress with sequins and lace can cost up to $1,000! A boy’s basic clothing on stage consists of long, loose, dark pants and a long sleeve shirt with an optional tie. Some boys might even wear a kilt and blazer when they dance. Some costumes are all about glitz and glam, but some go back to the traditional dresses of the peasants from long ago in Ireland.

Irish Dance History

Irish Dance has been around since about 400A.D. Irish dance has gone through many changes since it was developed in Ireland by a group of peasants. Peasants from all around Europe came to Ireland with special dances from their home countries. They put their steps together which then created the form of Irish Dance. The peasants would join hands and dance a religious ritual together honoring the oak tree and the sun. The famous Ceili Dance originally started when the people of Ireland gathered at a neighbor’s house to have a good and time danced the Ceili together. The Ceili is still performed today, by a group of dancers. Long ago in Ireland, there was a highly skilled Irish dancer who was called “The Dancing Master”. The Dancing master traveled all over Ireland teaching public how to Irish Dance.

Irish Step Dance Rocks

My website is about Irish Dance. I think Irish Dance is a beautiful type of dance that has great steps and music. I am 100% Irish so I decided to take a dance that relates to my heritage. I ended up loving everything about it Irish Dance. On my website, there will be information about the history and present day of Irish Dance. I will also have information on the different steps, competitions, and the costumes. Irish Dance is a classic style of dance that has been around for many years and years to come. Irish Dance Rocks!