Do you jig?

dancersdreamland · Posted: Sun May 29, 2005 4:44 am Post subject: Do you jig?

For many years I have always heard people use the expression "dance a jig" and for many years I thought it was just an expression.

Then, a while back I stumbled upon an Irish dance class through a local YMCA. A friend and I decided to sign up since we love Lord of the Dance, Riverdance, etc. and thought it might be fun.

Imagine my suprise when the first thing we learn are jig steps! Here I always thought it was just a form of expression, when in fact it really is a dance.

We learned all nine steps during our class and I loved each and every one of them!

So now, whenever some says they're dancing a jig or asks if I want to dance a jig...I jump right into the first step. You can just imagine the looks I get...it's great because often times they thought it was just an expression too.

Medira · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 3:45 pm Post subject:

Hehehe, I'm part Irish, so my grandfather taught me how to jig when I was a little girl. I've always enjoyed it and we still dance it occasionally, many years later. :)

dancersdreamland · Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2005 12:09 am Post subject:

Oh how fun! What a wonderful memory you will always have of your grandfather!

My grandpa is trying to teach me to play harmonica or the accordian... I'm much more dance than musically inclined. :o

lujan · Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Sydney, Australia

I've been doing irish dancing on and off for most of my life (unfortunately more off than on.) I know several jigs. I am not familiar with 'all nine steps', although I guess there are 9ish main steps. I find Jigs to be a fun dance, that are easier for beginners with their 6/8 timing, allowing that extra beat for getting ones feet in the right place.

pr · Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Posts: 1011 Location: Göteborg, Sweden

Welcome to Dance Forums Lujan!!! :D

Medira · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:48 pm Post subject:

lujan wrote: I find Jigs to be a fun dance, that are easier for beginners with their 6/8 timing, allowing that extra beat for getting ones feet in the right place. ...and to help keep newer dancers from tripping over their own two feet. :oops: ...not that I've ever done that.... :oops: :oops: ...no. not at all.... :oops: :oops: :oops:

lujan · Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Sydney, Australia

Thanks pr.

Medira, the worst I found was when I first started, I had to dance in rubber soled shoes. Which tended to stick during shuffles. so I'd often end up flat on the ground.

Now I have many pairs of leather soled or fibreglass tipped shoes, and can shuffle all night :)

Medira · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:43 pm Post subject:

lujan wrote: Medira, the worst I found was when I first started, I had to dance in rubber soled shoes. Which tended to stick during shuffles. so I'd often end up flat on the ground.

Now I have many pairs of leather soled or fibreglass tipped shoes, and can shuffle all night :) Oooh yeah, rubber soles would be just brutal! I'm used to using leather soled shoes...never tried fibreglass tips though!

lujan · Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Sydney, Australia

I dance both traditional and modern Irish step. Traditional is leather soles, smaller steps, less flourish. Modern is more like Riverdance, you use tap shoes, (not metal though, fibreglass generally) and put a lot more emphasis on the movements. Modern is also murder on the knees and calves if you are out of shape.

dancersdreamland · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 11:12 pm Post subject:

I have a quick question (or perhaps a need for clarification)...

I thought the soft shoes (gillies) were used when you danced the jig, slip jig, reel AND the hard shoes, which have fiberglass tips/heels and make the tapping noise, were used for hornpipes.

Do you wear the hard shoes for jigs as well? If so, is that traditional to male Irish dancing?

I appreciate any guidance the group can provide on this as I have only taken a limited Irish dance course and this is my very basic understanding.

dancersdreamland · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 11:15 pm Post subject:

lujan wrote: I've been doing irish dancing on and off for most of my life (unfortunately more off than on.) I know several jigs. I am not familiar with 'all nine steps', although I guess there are 9ish main steps. I find Jigs to be a fun dance, that are easier for beginners with their 6/8 timing, allowing that extra beat for getting ones feet in the right place.

I have created step sheets which outline how to do each of the nine jig steps. They are available in the "Styles & Steps" section of my website - Dancer's Dream Land. Follow these simply steps to access...

~ Click the link in my signature below
~ Select "Style & Steps" from the top navigation bar
~ Select "Irish"
~ Scroll down and download the appropriate step sheet

ENJOY!

lujan · Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Sydney, Australia

dancersdreamland wrote:
I thought the soft shoes (gillies) were used when you danced the jig, slip jig, reel AND the hard shoes, which have fiberglass tips/heels and make the tapping noise, were used for hornpipes.

I think it depends on which part of ireland your dancing style comes from.
In my 'traditional' class, soft shoes are worn for the slipjig, some hornpipes & also some reels, (funnily enough called soft shoe reels). The hard shoes are leather soled, usually with nails in them for a bit of noise, and are worn for jigs, hard shoe reels & set dancing. I have not seen any hornpipes done in hardshoes in this class yet.

In the modern class, I've seen jigs, hornpipes and reels done in hard shoes, and so far only reels in soft shoes, as noone does the slipjig that I've seen. This class has fibreglass tipped hard shoes, and often make fun of me in my leather soled shoes. (just another week until I get new hard shoes).

Mitra · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Posts: 9 Location: Minnesota

Sadly, I would love to learn Irish dancing, but I am so far very confused on it all, just mostly in general. I tend to notice that when I dream of Irish dancing, I think of it more as a pair dancing or a group in some folk dance style. Is there such a style of Irish dancing or are these jigs the closest it comes to? Perhaps i am just thoroughly missing the mark on this style altogether -_-

lujan · Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Sydney, Australia

I think you are thinking of set dancing, usually 4 couples, dancing alternating tops and sides. I'll find some pictures of the Harp dancers. There are about 150 Irish sets that I know off, some are very similar, just originating in different parts of Ireland. Irish set dancing originated from french quadrilles, but utilizes Irish jig, reel & polka/slide steps.

lujan · Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Sydney, Australia

I have just uploaded 2 videos to my server.

The first is 2 of my friends doing various modern step dancing. I believe they are doing Reels, not jigs, but its hard to tell without music.

The second is a set dance called the Balleyvourney, I am the gent on the left hand side with the flowing red locks. The video is only half the dance, as the camera has a 3min limit on video files.

I know the vids are dark, but not to bad considering the camera person was drunk :)

http://lujan.ozdw.com/movies/

I hope they clear up in your mind the different styles of irish dancing.