When I say the words, Irish stepdancing, what comes to mind? I have to admit that before Michael Flatley's 'Riverdance' I had never seen dancers move like that before, or should I say NOT move. They stiffen their upper bodies and everything occurs below the waist, intricate footwork that is! But how did this style of dance get it's start?

Legend has it that in order to have a hard surface to dance on, dancers would grab doors off of their hinges and dance on top of them, but as their makeshift stage wasn't all that stable, arm movements would likely throw them off balance, so they went for fancy footwork instead. It's a blast to watch one dancer turn their feet into drums, but in this blogger's opinion, the real magic happens when you combine several dancers in a line or 'ceili' and they dance in sync! Check out the video below of an Irish stepdancing flashmob that happened on St. Patrick's Day in Sydney Australia...

 

 

If you're digging this, you can come get a taste firsthand at the 2nd Annual 'Culturefest: A Festival of Nations' at the Stanley Theater on April 26th. Ireland isn't the only country represented and neither is dancing, but whatever your flair, come check out music, dance, food, drink and other arts from the many cultures that we harbor here in Utica all in one place for an afternoon! click below for more deets!

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