You don’t even have to be a massive fan of dance, in general, to be blown away by an excellent display of Irish step dancing. One especially good example comes from the 2014 North Texas Irish Festival. The festival began in 1983, making it the second-oldest in the entire country. Produced by the Southwest Celtic Music Association, it’s a three-day celebration of Irish culture and music that’s held at Fair Park in Dallas.
Irish step dancing is instantly recognizable: the dancers keep their upper bodies rigid and let their feet do all the work, moving with speed, precision, and incredible intensity. We don’t know if it’s true, but an old story has it that in Ireland of old, people would remove doors from their hinges and use them as improvised dance floors. Such a tiny stage didn’t leave much room for maneuver, so by necessity, it had to be all about the feet. In any case, the dancing goes perfectly with traditional Irish music.
The worldwide revival of step dancing goes back to the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, which coincidentally, was held in Dublin that year. A group called Riverdance put on a seven-minute performance that dazzled both the live audience and the 300 million watching on television.
In the video posted below, you’ll see the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance performing an astonishing routine at the 2014 festival in Dallas. It starts with just a young woman dancing. Once her solo is complete, a young man comes on stage and performs his. Next, the two of them launch into a stunning duet — the precision and timing of their moves is unbelievable. This alone would be a memorable number, but more dancers soon join them and then even more. It’s intense and beautiful when all 20 pairs of feet are going.
How did you like this display of traditional Irish culture? Let us know in the comments section below, and please take a moment to like and share, too!
https://youtu.be/XGaxFqVIe0w
