It is true that there seems to be some confusion when it comes to tap dance and Irish step dance- or rather, people often think that the two dances are more or less the same thing. If we were them, we wouldn’t dare tell an Irish step dancer that he’s tap dancing and vice versa!
Irish step dance originates in Pre-Christian Ireland, while it must also have been influenced by other European dances, such as the quadrille dances. On the other hand, tap dance is purely American, and it allegedly emerged from urban environments such as the Five Points District of New York, where a variety of groups mingled and brought their dances together to create a new form of dance.
However, the differences between tap dance and step dance don’t limit to their origins, but they also extend to practical aspects, for example, the shoes they use.
Irish step uses two kinds of shoes, hard and soft. Both seem to be significantly larger than their tap dance counterparts. Also, while the tips of tap shoes are made of metal, the step dance ones are made of fiberglass. Finally, Irish step shoes are flattened on the front so that the dancer has can stand on his or her toes.
With that being said, we shouldn’t forget that the body is used differently in each dance.
While in tap dance dancers are allowed, or rather, encouraged to use their whole body and feel the rhythm with both their arms and legs, in Irish step dance they are restricted to only move their legs. More specifically, they seem so rigid and stiff that one may wonder how they can move their legs so fast, as if they were detached from their body.
Taking all the above into account, it is now easy to tell between the two kinds of dances when one sees them on stage.
In the video that follows, the performance starts with two tap dancers dancing to the sound of a saxophone, when a group of Irish tap dancers comes in and starts dancing their dance to the sound of a violin.
It is really interesting to observe the different moves that each dance entails, while also the different music each dance is accompanied by.
The most amazing part, though, is that, although at the beginning the two groups seem to be “fighting” and trying to beat each other with their fancy moves, in the end, they shake hands and they all dance together. Actually, at some point they even exchange dances and the tap dancers step dance to the sound of the violin, while the step dancers tap dance to the sounds of the saxophone.
And this is, ultimately, the beauty of music and dance: they bring people together.
This show, apart from highlighting the beauty of dance and the need to be able to tell between the two kinds of dance, promotes acceptance and tolerance. It shows in the best way possible that, although people may be different from each other or they may disagree on several topics, they are still human and the best they can do is try to understand each other and bridge the gaps.
Watch the video of the amazing performance and enjoy the beauty of dance.
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