Video: Irish Step Dance
A performance of Irish step dancing by master Kevin Doyle.
Irish step dance is a competitive performance art with its roots in older Irish folk dancing. The dance form is based on composure and precision, emphasizing intricate foot movements and high leaps with almost no upper body movement. Step dancing in its modern form began with the Gaelic Revival in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Competitions, called feiseanna or a feis, have been held in Ireland and around the world ever since. The art has gained increasing visibility since the emergence of popular performances like Riverdance, but its basics still remain the same. Today, hundreds of feiseanna are held every year in various nations, especially those most impacted by the Irish diaspora.
This video from the Library of Congress spotlights step dancing master Kevin Doyle as he demonstrates the technique and spirit of Irish dance.
From the Library of Congress:
Irish step dancer Kevin Doyle of Barrington, R.I., first learned Irish step dancing as a child from his mother, who learned the steps from her mother in Ireland's County Roscommon. From the age of ten, Doyle competed successfully in many East Coast feis (competitions), earning U.S. Irish Dance Champion honors.
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