Irish dance “WALKING ON STONES”
Irish dance “WALKING ON STONES”is an ancient and traditional form of Irish dance. It is thought to have originated in the time of the Celts, and has been practiced by generations of Irish people since then. The dance is said to be named after the Irish legend of Fionn mac Cumhaill, who was said to have been able to walk on water.
The steps of Irish dance “WALKING ON STONES” are said to represent the movement of stones in a stream, and the dancers often wear shoes with small nails or pebbles on the bottom to create the sound of stones. The dance is usually performed to traditional Irish music, and can be either solo or group.
Irish dance “WALKING ON STONES” is a beautiful and graceful dance that is steeped in history and tradition. If you have the chance to see it performed, or even better, to learn it yourself, don’t miss the opportunity!
The video below is an exceptional rendition of “Walking on Stones”
When Riverdance comes to a Wedding! – Watch when the Bride and Groom join the dance.
History of Irish Dancing
Irish dancing originated with the Celts and druids and as Christianity started spreading, was influenced by similar dances from Europe. Remnants of the formations and the patterns used by the druids still seen today.
Dancing was always accompanied by traditional music and was usual at special occasions or religious events.
When the Normans invaded Ireland in the twelfth century, they settled in the country and brought with them their native customs, dance being one of them. The ‘Carol’ was a popular Norman dance that was soon performed all over Ireland,
The Carol dance involved one singer placed in the centre of a circle of dancers who then followed his singing and danced accordingly. It is the first historically recorded dance in Ireland.
Three types of dancing evolved over time, the Irish Hey, the Rinnce Fada (long dance) and the Trenchmore. Instead of circular formations, line formations became common. These in turn became more complicated with female dancers weaving between males, or interchanging couples.
In the 18th century the phenomenon of the Dancing Master emerged a teacher who travelled between villages and towns holding lessons for peasants. Group dancing and more disciplined forms of dancing evolved, eventually leading to the dance competitions we know today.
In 1893 the Gaelic League was founded as an organisation to promote and encourage all aspects of Irish culture in Ireland. It organised formal competitions, lessons and rules for Irish dancing, and this further developed into the launch of the Irish Dancing Commission in 1930 to regulate the now immensely popular past-time. Irish dancing really took off once it had its own governing body, and over the following decades it spread to the vast Irish diaspora around the world
Is Irish dancing popular in America?
In particular, the popularity of Irish dance is stronger than ever among Irish-, and non-Irish, Americans alike. For generations, Irish dancing remained a local pursuit, enjoyed recreationally among the Irish and Irish- American communities that developed across America.
What about the rest of the world?
We’ll sometimes Irish dancing spontaneously errupts!
But nobody does it like the locals!
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Traditional Irish Dance in Galway City, Ireland
