Light Jig

This is what's wrong with dancers

I came across this photo on http://www.diddlyi.com.

http://www.diddlyi.com/photo/my-dedication-overrules-my

It's just an Irish dancer with the words "my dedication overrules my pain."

It's true-no one is more dedicated to their sport/art than competitive Irish dancers.  But this is what's wrong with dance programs.  Young dancers haven't had the life experience to know that they don't have to push 24/7, 365, even through actual pain.  Indeed, they never get a grasp on what actual pain is if they view it all as a mere inconvenience to dancing.  How is pain different from plain ol' soreness?  When are you wimping out and when are you actually taking the smart route to protect your body from permanent damage?

It wasn't until I was in my 20s and started doing yoga that I gained the vocabulary to describe things as intense versus painful.  Intensity = good, hard work.  Pain = injury, stop!  And it wasn't until then that I learned that it is okay to stop or slow down when you have actual pain.  It is okay and even beneficial to take a break until recovery is done.  I have the life experience to know dancing in a studio class is not all that important in the grand scheme of things.  Young dancers don't know that.  Dancing, even just in class and not in performance, is easily skewed into THE most important thing in their lives.  And I have the physical experience to know what happens when you don't prioritize the health of you body ahead of hours logged dancing.

My break from dance came involuntarily. I was laid up for over a year because my body demanded it.  Ten years of "shake it off" and "dance through the pain" eventually made it so I couldn't walk without a pronounced limp.  There was no acute injury.  Just one day I started getting sharp pain up the side of my calf.  It hurt too bad to try to even try to stretch out.  I had to give up wearing cute shoes in favor of the most stable (and coincidentally unfashionable) shoes available.  And I had to stop doing most physical activity, which lead to dire weight gain.

I danced (ballet, tap and jazz) from age three to sixteen.  In that time I never once had a dance injury.  But I had gym class injuries.  I had tripping down a flight of stairs injuries.  Namely, my left ankle was sprained repeatedly from the time I was in 7th grade through college.  In all that time I never stopped dancing.  I mean I never stopped.  If I had tears in my eyes from the pain, I still attended and participated in dance class.  If anyone was aware of my injury I danced all the harder to prove how dedicated I was.  And I scoffed at those who said it would catch up with me.  In the end no one cared that I was willing to torment myself for my dance, and those who warned me I'd be sorry were right.

If you are a dancer, or have a kid in dance, you need to be aware of this "no pain, no gain" attitude, and understand that it is meant in a cultish, unhealthy way.  It's as if maiming your body for life is the only way to be taken seriously and let teachers and other dancers know your dedication.  Most dance schools do not prevent this attitude.  In fact, they may foster it.  Yes, we want to instill drive and dedication.  No, we don't want them to wimp out just from a little muscle soreness that comes from intense work.  But we are doing no favors when we instill a belief in dance students that any rest under any circumstance is wrong. 

My dancing would be more frequent and much stronger now if I had taken the appropriate steps to rest and recover back then.  I can't turn back the clock and get my old ankles back.  I can only do the little that my joints allow me to do, knowing I should be able to do much more.  That is the worst pain of all.

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Hornpipe - Summer 2009

STEP ONE
(Single Shuffle 3x, Heel Step 3x, Treble Hop Back, Single Shuffle 2x, Double Shuffle)

Tip-Down R, Tip-Down L, Treble Hop Back R
Tip-Down L, Tip-Down R, Treble Hop Back L
Tip-Down R, Tip-Down L, Treble Hop Back R

Tap L Heel, Step on L Foot
Tap R Heel, Step on R Foot
Tap L Heel, Step on L Foot

Treble R
Hop L
Step R back

Tip-Down L, Tip-Down R, Treble Hop Back L
Tip-Down R, Tip-Down L, Treble Hop Back R

Step L
Treble R bringing foot out and across other leg
Hop L
Treble R
Hop L
Step R back

REPEAT ALL ON OPPOSITE FOOT

STEP TWO
(Single Shuffle 3x, Treble Hop Back, Cross Feet, Rock, Treble Hop Back, Single Shuffle 2x, Double Shuffle)

Tip-Down R, Tip-Down L, Treble Hop Back R
Tip=Down L, Tip-Down R, Treble Hop Back L
Tip-Down R, Tip-Down L, Treble Hop Back R

Treble L
Hop R
Step L back

Cross R foot in front, feet close together
Rock Side-Center - weight goes on front foot, then back foot

Treble R
Hop L
Step R back

Tip-Down L, Tip-Down R, Treble Hop Back L
Tip-Down R, Tip-Down L, Treble Hop Back R

Step L
Treble R bringing foot out and across other leg
Hop L
Treble R
Hop L
Step R back

REPEAT ALL ON OPPOSITE FOOT

Simple Jigs

These steps were taught to me by Mike Whelan in St. Paul way back in the 1990s. Where he got them from, I do not know.

Lead Around
Threes - 8 times starting with Right

Side Step
Seven and Rise & Grind to the Right

Repeat to the Left

Step One - Skips
Sink & Grind
Hop Step Forward
Hop Step Forward
Hop & 4 Steps in place
Hop Step Backward
Hop Step Backward
Hop & 4 Steps in place
Rise & Grind

Repeat on the Left

Step Two - Heels
Sink & Grind with Right Foot
Jump onto Right Foot
Put out Left Heel
Turn out Left Foot
Hop on Right Foot
Step in place 4 times (L R L R) with Left Foot in back
Jump onto Left Foot
Put out Right Heel
Turn out Right Foot
Hop on Left Foot
Step in place 4 times (R L R L) with Right Foot in back
Rise & Grind with Right Foot

Repeat on the Left Foot

Step Three - Bell
Sink & Grind with Right Foot
Step out on the Right
Step together with Left Foot in back
Step out on the Right
Step together with Left Foot in back
Hop on Left
Step in place 4 times (R L R L) with Right foot in back
Step Right, Step Left letting legs swing like a bell
Step out on the Right
Step together with Left Foot in back
Step out on the Right
Step together with Left Foot in back
Rise & Grind with the Right Foot

Repeat on the Left Foot

Irish Reels Fall 2008

Okay, I said I'd post some video. So here goes. Also, here's my disclaimer: This is not good dancing. It is just to jog your memory.

The Steps:



The Routine:



The Dance goes like this:

LEAD AROUND
Threes in a circle 8x

SIDE STEP
("1-2-3-4-5-6-7. Hop-Heel-Step, Hop-1-2-3")
Sevens to the Right
Hop on the Left
Step onto the Right Heel
Step onto the Left Foot in back
Hop and Land on the Left
Step Right Foot in back
Step Left Foot in front
Step Right Foot in back

Repeat Side Step on opposite foot

STEP 1
Hop and Land on Left Foot 2x (Right foot dangles next to Left knee)
Jump onto Right Foot
Step onto Left foot in front
Step onto Right foot in back
Hop and Land on Right Foot 2 x
Jump onto Left Foot
Step onto Right foot in front
Step onto Left foot in back

Step on Right Foot in front
Step on Left Foot in back with foot twisted in
Step on Right Foot in back with feet turned out
Step on Left Foot in front
Step on Right Foot in back twisted in
Step on Left in back turned out

Repeat Step 1 on opposite foot

STEP 2
Hop and Land on Left foot (right foot dangles by Left knee)
Step Right foot front
Step Left foot in back
Hop and Land on Left foot again
Step Right foot front
Step Left foot in back
Sevens while turning a complete circle clockwise (hop-r-l-r-l-r-l)

Step on Right and point Left Toe in front
Step on Left and point Right Toe
Step on Right and point Left Toe
Hop and Land on Right
Step on Left Foot in back
Step 2x in place (step on Right in front, Left in back)
Step on Right and point Left Toe
Step on Left and point Right Toe
Hop and Land on Left
Step Right Foot in back

Repeat Step 2 on opposite foot

Repeat Lead Around
Take a bow

Sean-nos Notes

Last weekend we were at Irish Fest in Milwaukee. Brian Ó Cuinneagáin shared some old style steps.

Shuffle = Strike the heel, drop the toe
Step = Step putting all weight on that foot
Stamp = Strike the floor with whole foot, do not transfer weight

Step 1
Shuffle (R)
Shuffle (L)
Step (R)
Stamp (L)

Shuffle (L)
Shuffle (R)
Step (L)
Stamp (R)

Step 2
Tap Toe (R)
Tap Toe (R)
Drop Heel (L)
Drop Heel (L)
Shuffle Shuffle Step
Shuffle Shuffle Step

Step 3
Step out (R)
Drag together (L)
Shuffle Shuffle Step
Shuffle Shuffle Step

Step 4
Shuffle (R)
Step (L)
Shuffle (R)
Step (L)
Shuffle (R)
Step (L)
Step (R)
Shuffle Shuffle Step
Shuffle Shuffle Step

Step 5
Heel Out
Toe to Back
Shuffle Shuffle Step
Shuffle Shuffle Step

Hornpipe (Very) Basics

Practice these little movements until they are crisp and clear. All of this should be done with the ball of your foot striking the floor for the best/loudest sound.

Tip-Down (aka Brush-Step or Flap in tap dancing)
Weight is on Left Foot
Brush the Right Foot forward making 1 sound as the ball of the foot strikes the floor
Step or jump onto the Right Foot making 1 sound as you land on the Right Foot
Weight is not on the Right Foot
Brush the Left Foot forward
Step or jump onto Left Foot

repeat alternating feet ad nauseum.

Treble (aka Batter, Rally or Shuffle in tap dancing)
Weight is on the Left Foot
Brush the Right Foot forward making 1 sound
Brush the Right Foot backward making 1 sound

This step doesn't alternate - you need to step or something in order to switch feet.


NOW THE GOOD STUFF

Step One

"Single Shuffle"
Tip Down with Right
Tip Down with Left
Treble with Right
Hop on Left
Step on Right close behind the Left

Tip Down with Left
Tip Down with Right
Treble with Left
Hop on Right
Step on Left close behind the Right

Tip Down with Right
Tip Down with Left
Treble with Right
Hop on Left
Step on Right close behind the Left

"Over-2-3's"
Leap onto Left
Step on Right in front
Step on Left in back

Leap onto Right
Step on Left in front
Step on Right in back

Leap onto Left
Step on Right in front
Step on Left in back

"Treble Hop Back"
Treble with Right Foot
Hop on Left Foot
Step on Right Foot close behind the Left

"Single Shuffles"
Tip Down with Left
Tip Down with Right
Treble with Left
Hop on Right
Step on Left close behind the Right

Tip Down with Right
Tip Down with Left
Treble with Right
Hop on Left
Step on Right close behind the Left

"Double Shuffle"
Step on Left Foot
Treble with Right Foot (bringing it up by knee in a cut)
Hop on Left Foot
Treble with Right Foot
Hop on Left Foot
Step Right Foot close behind the Left

Repeat all on the other foot:

Single Shuffle pattern 3x (L, R, L)
Over 2-3's 3x (R, L, R)
Treble Hop Back with Left Foot
Single Shuffle 2x (R, L)
Double Shuffle with Left Foot (step on Right to start, treble with the Left)