Over the years irish dance has developed into this ridiculous sport that is crazy and fun. It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when irish dancers didn’t tan, didn’t wear wigs, and didn’t wear dresses that are really short. Until the early 2000’s, the wig was not widely used. I have dance teachers who remember the time when they had to sleep in curlers so their hair was perfectly curled. The wig was invented for convince so dancers who don’t have curly hair could still uphold tradition.

The dresses dancers wore a few years ago where very modest and traditional. Dresses used to have three panels and the skirt would be longer than your knees. Recently style has become a big part of irish dance. The dresses have morphed into these short, softer style skirts that are easy to move in and are light. There was an actual rule made a couple of years ago that if your skirt was shorter than 4 inches about your knee, you got a big point deduction, or you were disqualified. This rule was heavily enforced for about 6 months but slow started to fade away as the dress styles changed again.

Irish dance wasn’t always so flashy either. We get a lot of criticism for the rhinestones on our dresses, the tan on our legs, and the amount of makeup we wear. Some people think it’s over the top and too far from tradition. They’re not correct. There is a rule book that says every rule about upholding tradition that must be followed and we haven’t broken one. For traditional dress: girls must cover their collar bone, and have long sleeves, and boys must wear pants that cover their ankles, black socks, and must cover their chest. As long as you follow that dress code, you won’t have any problems with tradition. Irish dancing is changing with the times. It’s not the same sport that it was back in Ireland in the 17th century, but it has the same roots and we still value the rules and culture that have always been present.