Cowgirl Chocolates

2. How did a particular folk dance develop and how does it reflect the region?

Irish folk dancing is usually referred to as stepdance. Irish stepdancing has been recently popularized by the world-famous show Riverdance and its followers. Aside from public dance performances, there are also stepdance competitions in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and North America. Most competitive stepdances are solo dances, though many stepdancers also perform and compete using traditional set and what are called "ceili" dances. The dance is generally characterized by a stiff upper body and the quick and precise movements of the feet. This folk dance developed over lengthy period of time and reflects the roots of Irish heritage.

The dancing traditions of Ireland probably grew along with traditions of Irish traditional music. The dance developed in Ireland thanks to people called traveling dance masters. Traveling dancing masters taught all over Ireland as late as the early 1900s. A major influence on Irish dance and Irish culture was the advent of the Dance Masters around 1750, beginning a tradition that you could argue still lives on today. A dance master typically traveled within a county, stopping for about six weeks in a village, staying with a hospitable family (who were honored by their selection as host). They taught Irish dancing (male teachers) in kitchens, farm outbuildings, crossroads, or hedge schools. Students would first learn the jig and reel. To help students with "two left feet" Dance Masters would tie a rope around the right and left feet of a student and help them dance almost like a puppet. Besides dancing, they also appear to have given instruction in fencing and deportment. These men were the creators of "ceili" dances and they carefully guarded their art of step creation.

The traditional Irish folk dances reflect their origin in many different ways. The costumes