Dance an Irish Jig

If you've ever wanted to dance an Irish Jig, you have a number of options. Though they all may seem similar on the outside, the footwork and movements can be quite different. Once you have the basic moves down (which this article will assume), you're ready to hop, point, and skip with the best of 'em.

Steps

The Stance

  1. Stand with your shoulders back and down. No Irish dancer is ever caught slouching. Your head should be held high and proud.
  2. Cross your feet. You'll be in a position similar to ballet's closed 4th. Then, point your right toe outward. This closed position is what you should return to at all times. This open position should be taken when you point to begin the step.
  3. Put your hands to your sides. They should be just a pinch further back than normal because of the position of your shoulders. Put your hands into fists, but be careful not to clench them -- you don't want to tense up.

The Light Jig

  1. Assume the position. This is stance as described in the previous section. Your right toe should be pointed outward and your hands at your sides.
  2. Do a hop, side, hop, skip, 2-3. Lift up your pointed right toe for a hop. Move around to the right side, doing a double hop on your skip, and place your right two down on 2, back toe down on 3. Keep your toes up the entire time, both feet turned out.
  3. Hop, skip, 2-3 twice more. You should be circling counterclockwise, about halfway around in a circle by this juncture. As you move around, make sure your toes are always pointed and your heel off the ground.
    • Straighten your knee when doing the skips and bring it back fully toward your butt on the return. Keep your torso steady as you use your leg's full range of motion. You should land with your right foot forward on 3.
  4. Hop, side, hop, skip, 2-3 once more. Only this time, lead with your left. It should end crossed in front of your right foot, still on your toes.
  5. Hop, hop back, hop back 2-3-4. Do this with your right leg, lifting your knees high. The first step is a normal hop, but the second two are hops back. The second hop back is with your left leg, landing on the ground on 2, shift weight forward to the right on 3, and back to the left on 4.
    • When you do your hops, try to bring your foot above your knee. The higher, the better. When you're skipping, try to touch your butt with the back of your foot before you bring it forward.
  6. Finish the circle leading with the left. Now that you're halfway around, repeat the same steps, but this time starting with your left foot pointed out in front of you. Return to the position on the floor at which you started.
    • That's it! You've mastered the Lead Around!

The Reel

  1. Assume the opening position. Just assume from now on that at the beginning of every dance, your right toe is pointed in front, your left foot is pointed outward, and your shoulders low and back, hands at your side.
  2. Point your right foot and put it in back. Then, point your left foot and put it in back. When you "put it in back," put it in the same opening foot position -- closed and crossed.
  3. Lift your knee and walk in place for a seven. That's a lifted knee on 1 (the right knee) and walking (on your toes) for 2,3,4,5,6, and 7. On 7, place your left foot solid on the ground.
    • When you lift your knee, really lift your knee and keep your toe pointed. The more exaggerated you feel, the better it probably looks.
  4. Point and put it in back once more for each leg. This takes up an 8-count. Start again with your right foot, taking 4 counts. If you say it aloud, "point" is on 1, "back" is on 3, with silence on 4. For the left foot, point on 5, back on 7.
  5. Lift up your knee, step in, and point in back to finish. Again with the right knee, lift it high and place it down in front of your left foot. The "step in" serves as a ball change; when you place your right foot down on "step," shift your weight to your left foot on "in." When your weight is on your left, point your right foot forward and bring it back to conclude the step.
    • Once you get the basics down, make it "hoppy." There should be a livelihood to your points and knee lifts that makes it seem like you're sort of jumping. With every accented step, add a small hop on your back foot.

The Hornpipe

  1. Do two tip-switches. Starting in the opening position, brush the tip of your toe on the floor and quickly bring it behind you. This should go very fast. When you bring it back, place all your weight on it, in preparation for doing a tip-switch with your left.
    • In most other Irish dances, you would be bringing your foot up to your butt when you bring it back. Not so with the Hornpipe. You should be keeping your leg straight, leading with your heel. The majority of work with this step is done with your feet, not your legs.
  2. Rally. This is a fancy term for tapping the floor twice with your toe. Your feet should be in the crossed position, front toe pointed. Tap the ground twice making a sturdy noise to carry the beat.
  3. Pop back. With the opposite foot you just rallied with (that is, the one you had your weight on), do a little hop. As you're hopping, bring your leg around (the one you rallied with) and place it behind on the beat after the hop. Land in the crossed position.
    • The only time your knee should be slightly utilized is when you go back after the pop. When you bring it back, lift it up and point your toe to the ground.
  4. Do once more, leading with the other foot. The pop back should leave you standing on the foot you didn't start off with before. Repeat as many times as necessary to your music -- since this step is so simple, keep practicing until you can do it very, very fast.

The Set Dance

  1. Do a hop-point followed by a hop-toe. This means you hop on your back foot (the left) and point with your right in quick succession. Then, hop again with your back foot and bring your right behind (bending sharply at the knee) and place your toe on the floor.
    • When you think of it, it should be more of a point-hop-toe (if you were to utter it aloud). The first hop is on the same beat as the point.
  2. Hop 1-2-3. With your left foot (the one firmly planted on the ground at this juncture), do a small hop, crossing your right in front on 1. On 2, step with your left and on 3, bring your weight forward on your right. Always keep your feet crossed and toes pointed.
  3. Do the point-hop-toe for your left. At the end of your right point-hop-toe, swing your left around to lead. Repeat in the same fashion, always keeping your knees up, toes pointed, and feet crossed.
  4. Hop bringing your right foot forward and do 7s to the right. On count 1, hop with your right, landing on 2, crossing over with your left on 3, and moving to the right until 7. You'll be making 6 steps to the right, finishing on your left foot.
  5. Hop back on your right and do 7s to the left. This is the same thing, only on count 1 hop with your right, crossing behind your left. Move to the left until 7, finishing on your right.
  6. Do once more, leading with the left. Just as in every other Irish step, discussed, repeat the same pattern but with the left foot starting. You'll want to do 7s to the left for starters, and then 7s to the right.
    • When you finish, end in the opening position.

Tips

  • Before you dance an actual step, get the moves down first. You can't speak sentences without first knowing words.
  • Always be mindful of your toes and knees. Your toes should always be pointed and, generally, your knees should always be forming solid angles.
  • Start with slower music and work your way up to up-tempo beats.
  • When in doubt, make it "hoppy."

Related Articles

  • Irish Step Dance
  • Register for a Comhdhail Irish Dancing Feis

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Dance_an_Irish_Jig&oldid=266929"