Traditional Irish Step Dancing

This is a short film of Irish traditional step dancing in the old style as taught by James Keane and Dan Furey at the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay in 1991. This style largely unknown outside of rural Ireland has now all but disappeared. It bears little resemblance to modern Irish step dance, and even less to the likes of River Dance. The old style was effortless, low to the ground, and relied on heel and toe beats to make gentle clicking sounds in time to and across the music to demonstrate