The title of
this video just about sums it up. While the lightning-quick footwork of
traditional Irish dancing could never really be called easy to learn,
this straightforward instructional tape does its best to be clear and
simple. The instructor is Seamus Kerrigan, who runs the Kerrigan School
of Traditional Irish Dance in Ireland. A trim, no-nonsense man, Kerrigan
couldn't be called a sparkling camera presence, but in this case, his
unaffected style works for the beginner; none of that Riverdance-type
flash. Kerrigan, accompanied by a couple of his dancers in a very
modest-looking studio, slowly walks you through the basic steps of the
light jig, the reel, and other steps. And he does it the only way most
of us two-left-footed types can learn: by slowly repeating the pattern
as he does it, counting each and every step, and doing it over and over,
like you would in a class. You may find yourself walking with a little
hop and hearing Kerrigan's soft brogue counting 1, 2, 3 in your
head--and if you do, that's a great sign you're on your way to
high-stepping with the best of them. |
