The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-06-10
IRISH DANCES.
Brooklyn Gaelic League Revives An
cient Dances.

| IRISH DANCES.
Brooklyn Gaelic League Revives An
cient Dances.
No form of amusement, no matter
! how popular it may be, whether it is
+. beneficial to the mind or body, occu-
! pies as strong position among the
people generally, as dancing. I'm
doubtedly many reasons can be ad-
vanced for this state of affairs, says
the Brooklyn Citizen.
! 1t has been asserted that good esti-
mate Of the people of nation, their
character, etc, can be formed by a
study OF their amusements. If this be
SO, then one can easily become &C.
quainted with the characteristics of
the Irish race with very little trouble,
and as good a way as can possibly be
suggested is a visit to the Brooklyn
headquarters of the Gaelic Society, at
The jefferson Building, where a class
is being conducted every Wednesday
! evening.
Irish music, what is known of it, has
| made an impression on the minds of
the worlds greatest musicians; many
OF the other pastlmes are we'll known,
but little knowledge is possessed by
the public regarding Irish dancing.
Mention the subject to the average
fah bn OF
suddenly appear on his face, listen to
the half playful, half sarcastic re-
marks he will make on it, pursue the
discourse further and you will find
out what he thinks about it, and how
little he actually knows regarding it,
The attitude of the average man is
easily explained. He has been led to
believe that Irish dancing is a species
OF amusement similar to that Of the
savages belonging to the islands in
the South Pacific ocean. Step dancing
he refers to as jigging, every Irish air
you can mention is jig in his mind,
he is unable to see the scientific basis
that the step dancing is founded on.
For the prejudices and many erron-
eous ideas held by the public concern
ing Ireland and the pastimes of her
people, you can blame the English and
American stage. The former is the
chief offender being the author of
these things, but nevertheless that
does not lessen the guilt of the latter
The tremendous amount of harm
done by these two great schools, we
might say for is not the stage a
school to the Irish people?) is some
thing that is almost beyond belief
Yet, when a protest is made by self
| respecting Irishmen and women
against some of the foul caricatures
portrayed on the stage, they are
howled at as franks" by public that
ought to know better.
The Irish dances rank second to
none of those for which the various
nations of the world are noted. This
| has been admitted by authorities on
/.
Until lately little was known about
| the ancient dances Of Ireland. True,
the step dances, reel, jig, hornpipe
| everybody knew of, but the beautiful
figure dances that are centuries older
than the stepdances it remained for
| the Gaelic League to revive and popu-
larize among the people, these forms
| OF amusement, which, like their native
1 tongue, had been almost entirely drop
ped or were unknown to the later gen.
| erations of the people, for from the 1898
| period on, it is alas! stubborn fact,
| that the race began to lose many of
it's national characteristics, persecu-
ton, famine, and the other weapons
! employed by the tyrannical govern
ment which sought to destroy what
could never be destroyed, the indie
| pendent spirit of the Irish race.
During the past five or six years
success has attended the efforts of
the Gaelic Leaguers in reviving these
dances, and the language movement
has been benefited a great deal
through this agency. ]. c. Lynch,
president of the Gaelic League of the
| state of New York, introduced these
/ figure dances into New York during
October, 1902, and they have been
! taken up quickly by the people here.
| From the present outlook, it would
| appear that in short time they will
be as popular. If net more so. than the
/ dances that hold sway at present. One
of the prettiest of these old figure
dances is the four-hand reel. It is
danced to reel music, by two couples,
who stand in positions facing each
other. At the turn of the tune (or
second part) the couples dance round
in circle, gently turning partners so
as to finish at the end Of the turn.
"a a = /. S