Stepdancing - how much is Irish?

Subject: RE: Stepdancing - how much is Irish?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 25 Nov 17 - 12:45 PM

Sorry - missed a bit
"There are still cottages here where the old people can take you to the exact spot and bang of the battering pot
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Stepdancing - how much is Irish?
From: Will Fly
Date: 25 Nov 17 - 01:20 PM

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I saw clog fight (when I was a kid) in a small'ish mill town in Lancashire. The men's ankles were tied loosely - about 18" long cords - so they couldn't break away unless they gave in. No wooden legs, though!

This would be about 1950 - the one and only time I ever saw such a thing. My aunt was taking me out for a walk and stopped to watch. She got a bollocking from my grandma for letting me see it.

Subject: RE: Stepdancing - how much is Irish?
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 26 Nov 17 - 08:42 AM

Jim - Slightly off topic,"in Northern Greece dating back to when churches were built in hollows if order not to be spotted easily by the Turks" - I've seen similar examples in Bulgaria where they were under the Turkish 'yoke' for a few hundred years & there is also a quite significant Greek influence in the country!Which makes it such a fascinating country (not to mention the Slavic, Bulgar & Russian influences!)

Subject: RE: Stepdancing - how much is Irish?
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 26 Nov 17 - 09:51 AM

Well, the step dancing you referred to esp as in the apalachians are certainly of Irish influence but have lots of other elements from many parts of Europe and other areas as is the case with American Country music

Subject: RE: Stepdancing - how much is Irish?
From: GUEST,jim martin
Date: 16 Dec 22 - 10:54 PM

Love that Portsmouth story CJB!

Subject: RE: Stepdancing - how much is Irish?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 17 Dec 22 - 05:03 AM

Wow! I'd never heard of burying an animal's skull beneath flags to improve resonance for dancing.

As an archaeologist, on several occasions I've come across ox skulls buried beneath flags on Roman sites. The usual (lazy?) explanation is 'ritual', but you've got me wondering now!