Ooo New Forum, irish dancing

What is the different between hard shoe and soft shoe? The actual shoe or the dance style!?

dragonboy, I'm not a dancer and I don't know much about it, but I would say that the main difference between hard and soft shoe is the sound. Have you ever watched Riverdance? When they are dancing hard shoe, the shoes have a very percussive quality, sort of like tap dancing. Soft shoe on the other hand is silent. The shoes look almost like ballet slippers. But as I said I could be wrong...

Hey dragonboy...the shoes and the style of dancing is different. Go to www.rutherfordshoes.com and you'll see both styles of shoes. Under "Jig Shoes" you see what we're referring to as hard shoes. Under "Girls Reel Shoes" you'll see what we're calling soft shoes.

There are also some things you can do in one type of shoes and not in the other. The steps are also different between the two shoe types. For example hard shoes is very low to the ground and soft shoe can be high flying, with lots of whips, and kicks, and leaps.

I love to dance as well. Three of of my kids dance trad Irish dance, both hard shoes and soft. There are actually differences between dances and what shoes you wear. Soft shoes are for dances such as reels, 4/4 time, lt jig, single jig, 6/8 time as well and then there is slip jig, 9/8 time. Those are all done with soft shoes called ghillies. Then there is hard shoe dances such as,set dances, ie St Patricks Day, The Blue Eyed Rascal, where everyone dances the same steps, treble reels, treble jig, and hornpipes. We take with Rince Na h Eireann out of Charlotte NC and we also compete through them. The Girls absolutely love it with all the fancy dresses and all and My sone got hooked when he saw my oldest get her 1st participation medal. That was all it took!!


Our school website is rince na h eireann

Another site to check out is the NAFC. This is the org for traditional irish dance teachers in NA who are certified for students to compete ( and not compete as well) and works along side An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha

NAFC

Lots of luck to all dancers and aspiring dancers of all ages

I took step lessons for several years
Along with my two daughters, Brigid and Terra
We had a great teacher, a lass named Una from Belfast
I learned alongside the wee ones
Which can be frustratin' for they pick it up
Much more easily than adults...

Just can't help but dance
When I hear Irish music...

My girls rebelled and quit
After they discovered boys
Unfortunately t'was also
After the $500 Irish dance dresses
Which now sit in their closet

Me, bein' too old for the dresses
Is the only one who still dances

I dance all my steps almost every mornin'
My 7's and 3's, my hard jig,
My reels, my light jigs, etc.

Have done a bit of Ceili as well
But I can only remember all the parts
As long as I am dancin' them...

The Seige of Ennis feels like one
Until you get into the pattern

O but I love it...
Like the pipes...stirs the clan blood

I have both hard and soft shoes
Trained in both
But funny, peasant I am
I perfer to dance in bare feet
(As long as the floor is not too splintery...
Or the gravel too hot )