Sunday, March 20, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Dance steps from class, March 17, and more videos
Dance steps from Thursday, March 17
Each step below, with the exception of the Lead Around, is performed on both the RIGHT and LEFT leg. I only included the text for the LEFT leg for Step #1, immediately below. For the subsequent steps, either mentally replace each right with a left for the left leg of the step, or copy and paste into a word processor and replace all the rights and lefts with the opposite. Whatever is easier for you.
Table of Contents for this post:
Step #1: The Basic Step (Light Jig)
Step #2: The Toe-and-Heel Step (Light Jig)
Step #3: North-South-East-West Step (Light Jig)
Basic Light Jig Lead Around #1
Lannigan's Ball Step
Music - (where to find music for practice)
Videos
First, the basic Light Jig steps that all dancers learn.
*"Toe and heel and toe and heel" - I often use the word "and" to keep time with the music when "speaking" the steps. Please note that each "and" in this instance is a small HOP on the back foot. "Hop toe hop heel hop toe hop heel".
** Jump forward, with feet together and straight, for "north," jump backward for "south," jump with feet out for "east," and jump with feet crossed for "west." On RIGHT leg of the step, cross right leg in front for "west," and on left leg of the step, cross left leg in front for "west."
Next, we'll move on to the "lead around" that we all learned at the end of class.
Basic Light Jig Lead Around #1
We will learn variations on this at a later date.
Hop right 2 3 hop left 2 3*
Right up right back Left back 2 3 4
Hop left 2 3 hop right 2 3*
Left up left back Right back 2 3 4
REPEAT VERBATIM. This lead around is TWO RIGHT LEG's. The steps above are 8 bars of dancing, which is the normal length for any lead around or step, performed once. In Irish dancing, we repeat everything to complete 16 bars of dancing per step/leadaround. To complete the 16 bars for this Lead Around, you must repeat the steps VERBATIM, beginning again on the RIGHT leg.
*Hop right 2 3 hop left 2 3 - These are just your basic hop three's that we dance at the start of every class. In this lead around, dance two 3's, followed by the light jig "ending," otherwise known as the "rise and grind." (Rise and grind = "up hop back hop back 2 3 4"). Then, dance two more three's, this time beginning on the left leg, and finish with another "rise and grind."
Third, the words for the "Lannigan's Ball" step:
Lannigan's Ball Step
Right up right back Left back 2 3 4
Left up left back Right back 2 3 4
Right lift and* down Left lift and* down
Right up right back Left back 2 3 4
Repeat on left foot
*As before, the "and" keeps us in time with the music. This "and" is also a small hop on the back foot. So, when you "lift" your right leg, you will also perform a small hop on the left foot, which is the back foot.
MUSIC
If you want to find music to practice to, I would suggest searching iTunes or Napster for Irish Dance music. Or, "Google" the artists below and purchase a CD or mp3's.
Artists I suggest for Irish Dance music: Pat King, Dean Crouch, Anton & Sully, Mike & Merv, Gerry Conlon and Seamus O'Sullivan, Ryan Lacey and Ellery Klein, Annemarie Acosta, and the list continues.
When practicing the steps VERY SLOWLY, look for a track with one of the following names:
Treble Jig (73), or Heavy Jig (73), or Jig (73), etc.
The "73" is the metronome marking; 73 beats per minute for the slowest jig. Champion dancers perform hardshoe dances to Jig (73) music. It's a nice slow pace to practice your steps.
When speeding up just slightly, look for a track with one of these titles:
Traditional Treble Jig (92), Treble Jig (92), etc.
92 is the standardized speed for a "fast" or traditional-speed hardshoe jig. It is a little faster than 73, and provides you with a nice stair-step up to practice your light jig.
Light Jigs are performed to speeds ranging from 110-120 beats per minute, roughly. When you are ready to take the plunge and dance up to tempo, look for "Light Jig" and a metronome marking between 110 and 120. 116 is fairly standard.
Videos for your viewing pleasure.
Light Jig - this video shows a long Light Jig piece - very nicely done. From :04 to :20 is another lead around called "Cross Back Skip Out 2 3," :21 to :36 is the "basic" step, only performed with steps instead of "point up," :37 to :52 is THE BASIC STEP - watch this if you need help!, :52 to 1:09 the dancers perform another step you will learn soon, 1:10 the dancers perform a variation on our own "up toe step heel step toe step" which the veteran dancers know, and the dancers finish with another lead around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pak2b0OT3O4&feature=related
Dancing "Seven's" to the Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnlt4qlYr8&feature=related
Different types of Irish dances - which I explained a little toward the end of class on Thursday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCWYtkZdLjs&feature=related
This video isn't really instructive, but the little boy is adorable. Veteran and new dancers alike - I challenge you to try to learn his steps! They are comprised of basic moves that many of you have learned. Notice that after his lead around (which is a "cross back hop 1 2 3" type of lead around), his step includes the "step step up hop back 2 3 4" move which the veteran dancers have in their newest light jig step.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p5rRrtySbE
Each step below, with the exception of the Lead Around, is performed on both the RIGHT and LEFT leg. I only included the text for the LEFT leg for Step #1, immediately below. For the subsequent steps, either mentally replace each right with a left for the left leg of the step, or copy and paste into a word processor and replace all the rights and lefts with the opposite. Whatever is easier for you.
Table of Contents for this post:
Step #1: The Basic Step (Light Jig)
Step #2: The Toe-and-Heel Step (Light Jig)
Step #3: North-South-East-West Step (Light Jig)
Basic Light Jig Lead Around #1
Lannigan's Ball Step
Music - (where to find music for practice)
Videos
First, the basic Light Jig steps that all dancers learn.
Step # 1: The Basic Step, or the Three Sink-and-Grinds
Right point up hop* back 2 3 4
Right point up hop back 2 3 4
Right point up hop back 2 3 4
Right up right back Left back 2 3 4
Left leg:
Left point up hop back 2 3 4
Left point up hop back 2 3 4
Left point up hop back 2 3 4
Left up left back Right back 2 3 4
* hop - Please remember that each "hop" in "hop back 2 3 4" includes a lift to the seat - kick your bum as you lift your leg behind.
Step #2: "Toe and Heel"Right point up hop back 2 3 4
Right point up hop back 2 3 4
Right toe and heel and toe and heel*
Right up hop back left hop back 2 3 4
repeat on the left leg*"Toe and heel and toe and heel" - I often use the word "and" to keep time with the music when "speaking" the steps. Please note that each "and" in this instance is a small HOP on the back foot. "Hop toe hop heel hop toe hop heel".
Step #3: North-South-East-West
Right point up hop back 2 3 4
Right point up hop back 2 3 4
NORTH-SOUTH-EAST-WEST **
Right up right back Left back 2 3 4
** Jump forward, with feet together and straight, for "north," jump backward for "south," jump with feet out for "east," and jump with feet crossed for "west." On RIGHT leg of the step, cross right leg in front for "west," and on left leg of the step, cross left leg in front for "west."
Next, we'll move on to the "lead around" that we all learned at the end of class.
Basic Light Jig Lead Around #1
We will learn variations on this at a later date.
Hop right 2 3 hop left 2 3*
Right up right back Left back 2 3 4
Hop left 2 3 hop right 2 3*
Left up left back Right back 2 3 4
REPEAT VERBATIM. This lead around is TWO RIGHT LEG's. The steps above are 8 bars of dancing, which is the normal length for any lead around or step, performed once. In Irish dancing, we repeat everything to complete 16 bars of dancing per step/leadaround. To complete the 16 bars for this Lead Around, you must repeat the steps VERBATIM, beginning again on the RIGHT leg.
*Hop right 2 3 hop left 2 3 - These are just your basic hop three's that we dance at the start of every class. In this lead around, dance two 3's, followed by the light jig "ending," otherwise known as the "rise and grind." (Rise and grind = "up hop back hop back 2 3 4"). Then, dance two more three's, this time beginning on the left leg, and finish with another "rise and grind."
Third, the words for the "Lannigan's Ball" step:
Lannigan's Ball Step
Right up right back Left back 2 3 4
Left up left back Right back 2 3 4
Right lift and* down Left lift and* down
Right up right back Left back 2 3 4
Repeat on left foot
*As before, the "and" keeps us in time with the music. This "and" is also a small hop on the back foot. So, when you "lift" your right leg, you will also perform a small hop on the left foot, which is the back foot.
MUSIC
If you want to find music to practice to, I would suggest searching iTunes or Napster for Irish Dance music. Or, "Google" the artists below and purchase a CD or mp3's.
Artists I suggest for Irish Dance music: Pat King, Dean Crouch, Anton & Sully, Mike & Merv, Gerry Conlon and Seamus O'Sullivan, Ryan Lacey and Ellery Klein, Annemarie Acosta, and the list continues.
When practicing the steps VERY SLOWLY, look for a track with one of the following names:
Treble Jig (73), or Heavy Jig (73), or Jig (73), etc.
The "73" is the metronome marking; 73 beats per minute for the slowest jig. Champion dancers perform hardshoe dances to Jig (73) music. It's a nice slow pace to practice your steps.
When speeding up just slightly, look for a track with one of these titles:
Traditional Treble Jig (92), Treble Jig (92), etc.
92 is the standardized speed for a "fast" or traditional-speed hardshoe jig. It is a little faster than 73, and provides you with a nice stair-step up to practice your light jig.
Light Jigs are performed to speeds ranging from 110-120 beats per minute, roughly. When you are ready to take the plunge and dance up to tempo, look for "Light Jig" and a metronome marking between 110 and 120. 116 is fairly standard.
Videos for your viewing pleasure.
Light Jig - this video shows a long Light Jig piece - very nicely done. From :04 to :20 is another lead around called "Cross Back Skip Out 2 3," :21 to :36 is the "basic" step, only performed with steps instead of "point up," :37 to :52 is THE BASIC STEP - watch this if you need help!, :52 to 1:09 the dancers perform another step you will learn soon, 1:10 the dancers perform a variation on our own "up toe step heel step toe step" which the veteran dancers know, and the dancers finish with another lead around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pak2b0OT3O4&feature=related
Dancing "Seven's" to the Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnlt4qlYr8&feature=related
Different types of Irish dances - which I explained a little toward the end of class on Thursday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCWYtkZdLjs&feature=related
This video isn't really instructive, but the little boy is adorable. Veteran and new dancers alike - I challenge you to try to learn his steps! They are comprised of basic moves that many of you have learned. Notice that after his lead around (which is a "cross back hop 1 2 3" type of lead around), his step includes the "step step up hop back 2 3 4" move which the veteran dancers have in their newest light jig step.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p5rRrtySbE
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Beginning "three's" and "seven's," Morris Reel
Dear dancers,
So that we can work swimmingly in class, I wanted to post some videos that might help you practice at home.
Basic three's
This video demonstrates basic "three's" that we work on in class. Sorry the video is sideways!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmZnwAzh9vI&NR=1
Leap 2 3's
In Ireland, dancers learn this move first. We call it the "leap cross step" or "leap 2 3" at McTeggart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL3TjwL0zFg
Another video of the same move:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn3JBfDCypI&feature=related
Seven's
This is a wonderful video, clearly demonstrating "seven's." Too bad you have to turn your monitor sideways to see it properly!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IotvqhgO1M&NR=1
Another video demonstrating seven's, this time from "Expert Village."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBo6XZ96qDw&feature=fvwrel
Six Technique Points in Irish Dancing
This video is from "Expert Village," and while I wish they had found a more expert dancer to demonstrate, she's right about all the technique points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8iwCoK39_8&feature=relmfu
The Morris Reel
The following two videos are of the Morris Reel - the 8-hand dance we have been working on in class. While we won't copy their exact counts, style, or manner of dancing, this does give you an idea of how the whole dance works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixYpx1AvNTs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaNIOdRGhOM
So that we can work swimmingly in class, I wanted to post some videos that might help you practice at home.
Basic three's
This video demonstrates basic "three's" that we work on in class. Sorry the video is sideways!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmZnwAzh9vI&NR=1
Leap 2 3's
In Ireland, dancers learn this move first. We call it the "leap cross step" or "leap 2 3" at McTeggart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL3TjwL0zFg
Another video of the same move:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn3JBfDCypI&feature=related
Seven's
This is a wonderful video, clearly demonstrating "seven's." Too bad you have to turn your monitor sideways to see it properly!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IotvqhgO1M&NR=1
Another video demonstrating seven's, this time from "Expert Village."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBo6XZ96qDw&feature=fvwrel
Six Technique Points in Irish Dancing
This video is from "Expert Village," and while I wish they had found a more expert dancer to demonstrate, she's right about all the technique points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8iwCoK39_8&feature=relmfu
The Morris Reel
The following two videos are of the Morris Reel - the 8-hand dance we have been working on in class. While we won't copy their exact counts, style, or manner of dancing, this does give you an idea of how the whole dance works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixYpx1AvNTs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaNIOdRGhOM
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