December 21, 2024 • 10 mins
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Cindy briefly shares the history of Irish dance.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
on the 10th day of christmas, my true love gave to
me 10 lords a leaping.
So obviously katie, the, andobviously Katie, the very first
thing that leapt into my mindwas Michael Flatley, aka Lord of
the Dance.
Lord of the Dance, yes.
So Michael Flatley led me down,not personally, just
(00:36):
emotionally.
He led me down a rabbit hole ofIrish dance videos on YouTube.
And here we are videos onYouTube.
And here we are.
So Irish dance, katie, as weknow it, aka, like Michael
Flatley, riverdance.
This is the result of thousandsof years of migration and
invasion.
Every time people migrated orinvaded the area that we now
(01:00):
know as Ireland, they broughtwith them their dance and music.
Some of the very firstpractitioners of Irish dance
were the Druids, who danced inreligious rituals that honored
the sun and oak trees.
That's from my research.
Oak trees was very specific.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Oh yes, they love their oak trees, that is for
certain.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Sun and oak trees, nothing else.
So when the Celts arrived fromCentral Europe more than 2000
years ago, they brought theirown folk dances with them.
Around 400 AD you haveChristian priests incorporating
pagan rituals into theirpractices, as well as peasants
developing their own folk dances.
Then of course, there was theAnglo-Norman conquest in the
(01:44):
12th century, which of coursebrought Norman customs and
culture to Ireland, includingtheir own dance and music.
During the mid-16th century,dances were performed in the
great halls of the newly builtcastles.
Some of the dances were adaptedby the 16th century English
invaders and brought to thecourt of Queen Elizabeth, which
one Katie Everyone's favorite,the OG.
(02:08):
The OG, and this of course,included the forerunner of the
present day.
Real Irish dancing wasaccompanied by music played on
the bagpipes and the harp.
In the houses of theAnglo-Irish aristocracy, the
master often joined withservants in some of the dances.
Dancing was also performedduring wakes.
(02:29):
The mourners would follow eachother around the coffin Dancing
to bagpipe music.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Wait, they would literally dance around the
coffin.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
They literally would dance circles around the dead
person.
Katie, yes, oh my.
It was during the 18th century,however, that the dancing
master appeared in Ireland.
In Ireland, the dancing masterKatie, was a wandering dancing
(03:03):
teacher who would travel fromvillage to village in a district
teaching dance to peasants.
Dance masters were prettyflamboyant characters and they
would wear bright clothes andthey actually carried staffs
with them, so that you knew theymeant business.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I'm sorry, cindy, I'm just picturing like a very
foppish man literally going fromvillage to village.
Who wants to dance?
You want to dance?
Get on the dance floor.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
He bangs his staff on the ground.
Yeah, you.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And then everyone starts dancing and they can't
stop.
It's a little bit of Pied Piper, a little bit of, you know,
dancing plague combined.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
When dance masters ran into each other at fairs,
they would challenge each otherto public dancing contests.
That only ended Katie, when oneof them dropped from exhaustion
so literal dance battles.
Exactly Dance dance revolution.
Exactly Dance dance revolution.
That's incredible.
(04:03):
So here's the thing Each dancemaster had his own district and
he would never interfere onanother dance master's territory
.
However, occasionally a dancemaster would be kidnapped by
residents of a neighboringvillage would they?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
they kidnap them because they wanted they.
They wanted like you're so good, I want you, I need to have you
dance like oh, I didn't know ifit was that or if it was like
like in high school, when yousteal the other town's mascot
they shove him in a locker likewe don't, we don't know you're a
dance master, so he shows up atthe next football game.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
It's like let me out, although it does sort of give a
new meaning to dance moms,right yeah Pictures.
The TV show Dance Moms, danceMasters.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
I would watch the hell out of that reality show If
they were to wander from townto town teaching people how to
dance and they had to watch outfor roving bands of rival dance
masters.
Oh my God, cindy, we have thenext blockbuster show slash
movie.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
You have to get this copyrighted right now, Katie.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Right now.
I'm doing it right now.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
If you've ever seen Riverdance, you'll know that
there's different kinds ofdances that are performed.
There's solo dancers, there'spartner partner dances and
there's group dances.
So group dances were actuallydeveloped by dance masters to
hold the interests of lesstalented students and to give
(05:50):
them a chance to have fun.
So basically, people like me Iappreciate your humbleness.
I appreciate that solo dancers,on the other hand, were held in
very high esteem, so much sothat doors were actually taken
(06:11):
off of hinges and placed on theground for these solo dancers to
perform on.
I guess because they didn'twant them performing like on
dirt, like they had to have liketheir own nice clean dancers to
perform on.
I guess because they didn'twant them performing on dirt.
They had to have their own nice, clean place to perform.
The various types of Irishdances were developed and
modified over the centuries.
If you attend an Irish dancenowadays called a fesh I believe
(06:34):
it's called Hold on, I'mlooking it up A fesh, a fesh,
yeah, I was right.
So the various types of Irishdances were developed and
modified over the centuries.
If you attend an Irish dancenowadays called a fesh, you'll
see jigs, reels, hornpipes, sets, half sets, pocas and step
dances.
(06:54):
So that's kind of like a littlebrief history of Irish dance,
katie.
Now obviously I have to giveyou a few fun facts about
Michael Flatley, the lord of thedance.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I would be disappointed, my Christmas would
be ruined, if you didn't.
So thank you, cindy.
You're welcome For indulging me.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Fact number one Michael Flatley is a native of
Southside Chicago.
No, he's not.
Yes, he is.
He is not from Ireland, whichwas a shock to me.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Because I've never heard him talk.
You know what I haven't either.
I haven't either.
When I think about it, Iimagine it, I imagine it.
I just give him an Irish brogue.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
He's from Chicago and he also is an Irish rogue.
No, he's from Chicago.
He's from Chicago and he alsois an amateur boxer.
Oh, he was when he was ateenager.
Quick on his feet then right,Speaking of quick on his feet,
did you know?
In May 1989, Flatley set aGuinness Book World Record for
tapping speed at 28 taps persecond world record for tapping
(08:04):
speed at 28 taps per second.
And then he went on to breakhis own record in 1998 with 35
taps per second.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Does he still maintain it to this day or has
he been out tapped?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
oh, katie, how have I not?
Let's look up, let's look up myuh guinness book of world
records fastest tap.
He's also a master flautist andhe has his own Guinness Book of
World Records.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Fastest tap.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
He's also a master flautist and he has his own
album, his own fluting album,called On a Different Note.
Oh yeah, I think he still holdsit.
Yeah, he still holds it.
Wow, I did not know thatMichael Flatley was.
(08:46):
So oh, oh, oh, what, oh flatleyrival taps into controversy
over fastest feet.
Claim james divine devine.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
He's scottish I think they need to have a tap off.
Tap off tap off, tap off, tapoff, tap off.
So, michael Flatley, if youhappen to listen to this podcast
, we demand a tap off.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Your honor is at stake and we'll give you a Not
Another History podcast sticker.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yes, In 1991, michael Flatley was the youngest person
(09:56):
to be named one of NationalGeographic Society's living
treasures for mastery of atraditional art form by a living
person.
He's like right up there with,like, the remains of Petra, like
that's something.
And that, katie, is the briefhistory of Irish dance.
That was fantastic.
I'm giving you a little jig ofapproval, cindy, I'm so happy.
Thank you.
on the 10th day of christmas, my true love gave to
me 10 lords a leaping.
So obviously katie, the, andobviously Katie, the very first
thing that leapt into my mindwas Michael Flatley, aka Lord of
the Dance.
Lord of the Dance, yes.
So Michael Flatley led me down,not personally, just
(00:36):
emotionally.
He led me down a rabbit hole ofIrish dance videos on YouTube.
And here we are videos onYouTube.
And here we are.
So Irish dance, katie, as weknow it, aka, like Michael
Flatley, riverdance.
This is the result of thousandsof years of migration and
invasion.
Every time people migrated orinvaded the area that we now
(01:00):
know as Ireland, they broughtwith them their dance and music.
Some of the very firstpractitioners of Irish dance
were the Druids, who danced inreligious rituals that honored
the sun and oak trees.
That's from my research.
Oak trees was very specific.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Oh yes, they love their oak trees, that is for
certain.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Sun and oak trees, nothing else.
So when the Celts arrived fromCentral Europe more than 2000
years ago, they brought theirown folk dances with them.
Around 400 AD you haveChristian priests incorporating
pagan rituals into theirpractices, as well as peasants
developing their own folk dances.
Then of course, there was theAnglo-Norman conquest in the
(01:44):
12th century, which of coursebrought Norman customs and
culture to Ireland, includingtheir own dance and music.
During the mid-16th century,dances were performed in the
great halls of the newly builtcastles.
Some of the dances were adaptedby the 16th century English
invaders and brought to thecourt of Queen Elizabeth, which
one Katie Everyone's favorite,the OG.
(02:08):
The OG, and this of course,included the forerunner of the
present day.
Real Irish dancing wasaccompanied by music played on
the bagpipes and the harp.
In the houses of theAnglo-Irish aristocracy, the
master often joined withservants in some of the dances.
Dancing was also performedduring wakes.
(02:29):
The mourners would follow eachother around the coffin Dancing
to bagpipe music.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Wait, they would literally dance around the
coffin.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
They literally would dance circles around the dead
person.
Katie, yes, oh my.
It was during the 18th century,however, that the dancing
master appeared in Ireland.
In Ireland, the dancing masterKatie, was a wandering dancing
(03:03):
teacher who would travel fromvillage to village in a district
teaching dance to peasants.
Dance masters were prettyflamboyant characters and they
would wear bright clothes andthey actually carried staffs
with them, so that you knew theymeant business.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I'm sorry, cindy, I'm just picturing like a very
foppish man literally going fromvillage to village.
Who wants to dance?
You want to dance?
Get on the dance floor.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
He bangs his staff on the ground.
Yeah, you.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And then everyone starts dancing and they can't
stop.
It's a little bit of Pied Piper, a little bit of, you know,
dancing plague combined.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
When dance masters ran into each other at fairs,
they would challenge each otherto public dancing contests.
That only ended Katie, when oneof them dropped from exhaustion
so literal dance battles.
Exactly Dance dance revolution.
Exactly Dance dance revolution.
That's incredible.
(04:03):
So here's the thing Each dancemaster had his own district and
he would never interfere onanother dance master's territory
.
However, occasionally a dancemaster would be kidnapped by
residents of a neighboringvillage would they?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
they kidnap them because they wanted they.
They wanted like you're so good, I want you, I need to have you
dance like oh, I didn't know ifit was that or if it was like
like in high school, when yousteal the other town's mascot
they shove him in a locker likewe don't, we don't know you're a
dance master, so he shows up atthe next football game.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
It's like let me out, although it does sort of give a
new meaning to dance moms,right yeah Pictures.
The TV show Dance Moms, danceMasters.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
I would watch the hell out of that reality show If
they were to wander from townto town teaching people how to
dance and they had to watch outfor roving bands of rival dance
masters.
Oh my God, cindy, we have thenext blockbuster show slash
movie.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
You have to get this copyrighted right now, Katie.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Right now.
I'm doing it right now.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
If you've ever seen Riverdance, you'll know that
there's different kinds ofdances that are performed.
There's solo dancers, there'spartner partner dances and
there's group dances.
So group dances were actuallydeveloped by dance masters to
hold the interests of lesstalented students and to give
(05:50):
them a chance to have fun.
So basically, people like me Iappreciate your humbleness.
I appreciate that solo dancers,on the other hand, were held in
very high esteem, so much sothat doors were actually taken
(06:11):
off of hinges and placed on theground for these solo dancers to
perform on.
I guess because they didn'twant them performing like on
dirt, like they had to have liketheir own nice clean dancers to
perform on.
I guess because they didn'twant them performing on dirt.
They had to have their own nice, clean place to perform.
The various types of Irishdances were developed and
modified over the centuries.
If you attend an Irish dancenowadays called a fesh I believe
(06:34):
it's called Hold on, I'mlooking it up A fesh, a fesh,
yeah, I was right.
So the various types of Irishdances were developed and
modified over the centuries.
If you attend an Irish dancenowadays called a fesh, you'll
see jigs, reels, hornpipes, sets, half sets, pocas and step
dances.
(06:54):
So that's kind of like a littlebrief history of Irish dance,
katie.
Now obviously I have to giveyou a few fun facts about
Michael Flatley, the lord of thedance.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I would be disappointed, my Christmas would
be ruined, if you didn't.
So thank you, cindy.
You're welcome For indulging me.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Fact number one Michael Flatley is a native of
Southside Chicago.
No, he's not.
Yes, he is.
He is not from Ireland, whichwas a shock to me.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Because I've never heard him talk.
You know what I haven't either.
I haven't either.
When I think about it, Iimagine it, I imagine it.
I just give him an Irish brogue.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
He's from Chicago and he also is an Irish rogue.
No, he's from Chicago.
He's from Chicago and he alsois an amateur boxer.
Oh, he was when he was ateenager.
Quick on his feet then right,Speaking of quick on his feet,
did you know?
In May 1989, Flatley set aGuinness Book World Record for
tapping speed at 28 taps persecond world record for tapping
(08:04):
speed at 28 taps per second.
And then he went on to breakhis own record in 1998 with 35
taps per second.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Does he still maintain it to this day or has
he been out tapped?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
oh, katie, how have I not?
Let's look up, let's look up myuh guinness book of world
records fastest tap.
He's also a master flautist andhe has his own Guinness Book of
World Records.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Fastest tap.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
He's also a master flautist and he has his own
album, his own fluting album,called On a Different Note.
Oh yeah, I think he still holdsit.
Yeah, he still holds it.
Wow, I did not know thatMichael Flatley was.
(08:46):
So oh, oh, oh, what, oh flatleyrival taps into controversy
over fastest feet.
Claim james divine devine.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
He's scottish I think they need to have a tap off.
Tap off tap off, tap off, tapoff, tap off.
So, michael Flatley, if youhappen to listen to this podcast
, we demand a tap off.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Your honor is at stake and we'll give you a Not
Another History podcast sticker.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yes, In 1991, michael Flatley was the youngest person
(09:56):
to be named one of NationalGeographic Society's living
treasures for mastery of atraditional art form by a living
person.
He's like right up there with,like, the remains of Petra, like
that's something.
And that, katie, is the briefhistory of Irish dance.
That was fantastic.
I'm giving you a little jig ofapproval, cindy, I'm so happy.
Thank you.
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