This book is timely, given the current global acclaim for Irish dance and the relative paucity of literature on the subject. The Story of Irish Dance traces dance in Ireland from medieval times to today. Considering the vastness of the subject, the author manages to construct a very accessible history of the subject for the general reader. The book is well researched and illustrated and is a welcome addition to Irish dance scholarship.
In constructing her history, Brennan uses both written and oral sources. Since there's relatively little available information about dance activities in Ireland up to the 19th century, Brennan, in writing about this period, is compelled to repeat much of what's already been documented by other scholars. Throughout the 20th century, references to Irish dance become more numerous, and the author makes available here the relevant references to Irish dance, dancers and dancing masters that have been collected in the manuscripts of the Irish Folklore Commission. In addition, some references to Irish dance in newspaper articles from the first decade of this century are supplied. These references contribute towards illuminating the lively debate at the turn of the century on what was and what was not "Irish" dance. However, it is in the area of oral history that the book is most interesting.
The sean nos dance tradition of Connemara, the Munster and Northern styles of step dancing, set dancing and changing aesthetics are discussed within the context of conflicting attitudes - attitudes associated with church leaders and Irish dance officials. Anecdotes abound which bring to life the dancers' experiences - anecdotes concerning everything from "the hobs of hell" to criminal charges for dancing. The book is testimony to the centrality of dance in the lives of the people of Ireland, particularly throughout the 19th century and early decades of the 20th century. Brennan takes the reader through the Gaelic League's involvement with the drawing-up of a canon of Irish dances during the early decades of this century, up to Riverdance and other current shows. All the above contributes to what is a very rewarding read. There's one further point I would like to make.
Labanotation, a universal system of movement documentation, has been applied to Irish traditional step dancing since the 1980s. I hope, therefore, that the dances mentioned throughout the text (for example, the Salmon's Leap on page 54) will be documented in the future to allow for these traditional dances to be danced and talked about beyond the millennium. The Story of Irish Dance is of interest to the general reader and as a source for scholars of Irish dance, dance anthropology, folklore and cultural studies. It is a book well worth reading and putting on your Christmas list.
Dr Catherine Foley is Course Director of the MA in Ethnochoreology and the MA in Irish Traditional Dance Performance in The Irish World Music Centre at the University of Limerick