Traditional Irish step dancers who compete in international competitions meet people from all over the United States, Canada, Ireland, England, Scotland, and even Australia. Irish dancing teaches about friendship. Today, dancers learn through spending long practices together, traveling the world together and learning how to compete against one another. When my Grandpa came from Ireland, a way of meeting people was going to dances for fun. While competitive dancers focus on being the best, they also enjoy the social aspects of Irish dancing.
Irish dancing has a long history.
In the 3 rd century BC, the Celtic people, also called the Gaels, settled all over Western Europe. Eventually, all of the Gaels were conquered by the Germans and the Romans, except those in Ireland. Patterns from the Book of Kells are still used on Irish dancing costumes now. For centuries, the Irish were surpressed by the English. The English forbade them to dance and have fun.