This is the final letter "I" of MANZI.
"I" is for Irish Dance.
High stepping, high kicking Irish Dance is wildly popular with younger people as it's an extremely athletic dance. The intricate steps are a fast and furious blur as the dancers feet obediently perform a choreographed selection.
"Riverdance" was an Irish Dance troupe that won great acclaim in 1994. This began a new popularity for the Irish folk dance.
All the dance expression is centered on the feet. Arms are either on the hips or close to the dancer's side. There are several explanations. I choose the one of dancing being forbidden during the Irish revolution so people could stand in front of a window in their homes and dance without moving their arms. Being true or not, Irish Dance doesn't use arm movement.
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Below is a video of an Irish Dance Group, Irish Step Dancing 2009.
i had heard that same explanation used by a young woman on a dance competition show recently. i thought it was unique. :)
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed Irish music and dance....
ReplyDeleteOH I do remember Riverdance in the 1994 Eurovision! I wasn't expecting this at all - usually the eurovision intervals are quite silly and definitely your chance to go to the loo or make yourself a cup of tea from watching Eurovision - but then this Riverdance exploded on the screen and wow!! I think the original also had a beautiful haunting singer -she had a wonderful voice that preceded the proper dancing - lovely!!!
ReplyDeleteYay for Irish Dancing!!! It must be such a discipline to keep your arms very still while doing the dance. Excellent stuff! take care
x
For approximately the 9,000,000th time in my life I find myself in the minority. Irish dancing does nothing for me. It is very difficult & requires great energy, but watching it does nothing for my soul, unlike the flamenco, tango or Zulu dancing.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Riverdance, it tickles my Irish ancestry. I think that explanation is comical but believable.
ReplyDeleteI like this kind of dancing too. I like country line dancing too. I think it's something about everyone doing the same thing that I like so much. I saw you on Follow Friday 40 and Over and decided to stop by. I am now following you. I hope you will stop by my blog and have a look around http://talesfrommyjournal.blogspot.com I can be found in facebook too http://www.facebook.com/DeniseMartin.LillaRose and twitter @DeniseLillaRose If you like/follow me there I will do the same for you. When you stop by my blog, please check out my kind of fashion (hair jewelry).
ReplyDeleteOk, think of me as just crawled out from under a rock but I loved this dance which I watched for the first time! Irish dancing, huh? Very lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by my blog and checking out on the profile I did for Ann Best!
You are so creative. Irish dance--that was great!
ReplyDeleteIrish dancing confounds me. I'm sure if I tried it, I'd fall over without my arms for balance.
ReplyDeletetexwisgirl ; Yeah, I like that reason for no-arms, too.
ReplyDeletemybabyjohn : it's rather a fun thing to do with your feet too. I tried it for a few years, but either the choreography got too fast or I got too old. :)
Kitty : This is rather an explosive entrance, isn't it? But those feet are a blur.
Fishducky : Not a total minority. I appreciate the fast footwork but I get bored without seeing arms. I'm an arm person :)
Patti : Tickles your ancestry, huh? I'm still laughing.
Denise : Thanks for visiting. I will be by your blog, too.
Nas Dean : Thank you for stopping. It's my pleasure to meet you.
Galen : It's a favorite with so many people with Irish ancestry.
River : Me too. I like to use arms. Too many years of flamenco.
Thank you for all your warm comments. Love from Manzi
Hmmm...I have to agree with fishducky on this one).
ReplyDeleteThe explanation about dancing at the window has raised my opinion a LITTLE, but still I can't love this type of dancing. The 'clomping' gives me a headache.
Even though I have a completely Irish name, I have no Irish ancestry at all, and so no help there.
Ah, well...can't like everything!
xoxoxo, cd
I enjoy the Irish dancing ala "Riverdance". I bought the video when it came out thinking my daughters would enjoy it, but they never go into it. I liked it though.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
I love Irish Dance! One of the girls in my Girl Scout troop was really into it and taught the girls some steps. I hear the shoes cost a fortune!
ReplyDeleteSandy