Module Code - Title:
MD4141
-
IRISH DANCE PERFORMANCE SKILLS
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
This elective will be offered to musicians and dancers whose performance practice is outside of the Irish dance tradition. It will add to their performance skill set and increase their versatility and dance competence. It also reflects the strengths of Academy faculty.
Syllabus:
Development of good basics in Irish dance technique. Students will continue to develop basic Irish dance steps and movement patterns. Music /dance connection will also be explored. The following tune types will be among those used to teach Irish dance rhythm: Reel, jig, hornpipe, waltz and polka. Posture, turnout and footwork will be emphasised to give students a basic dance vocabulary which they can draw on. They will learn motifs suitable for soft shoe and more rhythmic hard shoe dancing.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
Students will gain a basic knowledge of Irish dance motifs.
Students will apply these motifs to create steps.
Students will understand a range of Irish music tune types.
They will engage with rhythms drawn from reels, jigs and hornpipes.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
Students will appreciate the music dance connection within the genre of traditional Irish dance.
Students will encounter differset styles of Irish dance and will be given language to discuss it.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
Development of basic skills in Irish dance with emphasis on turnout, posture and musicality.
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
Basic soft shoe steps including promenade step, sidestep, rising step, travel motifs will be taught in small groups. Shuffles, drums, rocks and other elementary hard shoe motifs will also be taught. Students will be asked to incorporate these set steps into new routines and to combine the patterns using various music recordings. having gained technical knowledge students will perform repertoire and expand on repertoire to create new dance routines. Students will be introduce to a variety of traditional and contemporary Irish dance styles.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Ni Bhriain, Orfhlaith (2008)
Terminology of Irish Dance
, Macater Press
Foley, Catherine (2015)
Step Dancing in Ireland: Culture and History
, Ashgate
Other Relevant Texts:
De Gallai, Breandán (2013)
Imeall-Siúl:
A Choreographic Exploration of Expressive Possibilities
in Irish Step Dancing
, ULIR
Melin, Mats (2016)
One with the Music
, Cape Breton University Press
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Autumn
Module Leader:
Breandan.deGallai@ul.ie