When you think of Irish dance, it’s very possible that the first thing that comes to mind is the lightning-speed feet of Michael Flatley and Lord of the Dance troupe. The group brought Irish folk dance to the big stage, with epic lighting, full orchestras and an epic scale. But you don’t have to book a ticket to the world renowned phenomenon that is Lord of the Dance to appreciate Irish dancing…
…it’s still very much alive and well as a traditional folk dance.
Not just in Ireland itself, but around the world, the tradition is kept alive by dancers who embrace their Irish heritage, or even learn it for the sake of learning a new dance style. The recognisable tropes of Irish dance remain similar however, with the majority of the choreography involving the legs and feet. Sometimes dancers wear hard-bottomed shoes to tap while dancing, others perform in soft shoes known as “ghillies”, which still involves leaping and fancy foot-work, just without the tapping
Every Irish dancer has to start somewhere.
This heart-melting video of three young Irish dancers shows young ladies of the dance as they perform in a talent show. The two older girls have clearly been learning for a while, but the youngest in the middle…let’s just say she’s on her way to becoming a confident dancer. Watching her learn however is just too darn cute.
A little encouragement from her fellow dancer.
While the first dancer is going strong with her footwork, the other older dancer encourages their smallest member. Will she be able to keep up with the two more experienced dancers? The dancer on the left is showing off her skill, as she moves her feet gracefully and leaps around like a prancing pony.
Eventually, it’s the wee dancer’s time to shine.
She may not have quite the skill of the older ladies of the dance, but she is right there enjoying the moment. It’s rather adorable how she attacks the routine with such admirable gusto. This little dancer is actually really good! While she may not have the same accuracy in her steps, she seems to be coming along well in learning the style!
When the last of the girls gets her spotlight, the show just gets better.
Leaping even higher, and keeping those arms buckled to her sides in keeping with the style, she unleashes an impressive string of moments. The routine they’re performing is classified as a “reel”. This has a distinct time signature and typically is done with dancers wearing ghillies.
Our little dancer can’t quite keep up.
She may have remembered her part of the routine, but toward the end of their show, she seems to be left behind somewhat. As the other two dancers prance over to the left, she seems to be a few moves behind and she quickly scurries to get back in formation. She even gets an encouraging nudge from one of the other girls.
Then, just as she catches up, they move again!
As soon as the little dancer re-enters their formation they shimmy back over to the right, and once again, she is forced to rush back in. Not only is this entertaining, but the cuteness is on a whole other level.
Eventually, they finish their routine.
And just in time, our littlest Irish dancer finds her place in line as they all bow to rapturous applause. Well done ladies.
Watch the full video below to enjoy this hilarious and adorable troupe.
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