CULTURE
In the town of Bourne, Massachusetts, a relatively heavy flow of Irish immigrants flooded in to help build the Cape Cod Canal and get jobs as fishermen. This happened in the early 1900s, as the canal workers began construction in 1909 and finished in 1914. Along with the many aspects of their culture, they brought with them many musical instruments, different styles of music, and traditional dances. These influences still play a big part in todays world, especially in Bourne.
The main dance of the Irish culture is step dancing. Step dancers use their legs, feet, and special shoes to tap the ground like a drum. These dances can range from simple beats to very complex beats. While there are many variations of the step dance that the small country of Ireland is known for, the most popular among them is The Riverdance. The Riverdance is a type of dance in the form of traditional Irish Step dance. The Riverdance is performed like a concert, as they are seemingly telling a story through the dance. It starts out with drums playing a simple beat, followed by a single performer coming out to step dance in a "call and response" type song. As the song goes on, the music builds and more and more performers come out to join. The dance continues in this format as the drummers begin to disappear and are replaced by an ensemble of step dancers. The soloist continues his role throughout the dance, while the ensemble will perform either with him or after. It's the exact same thing as a chorus with a soloist. The dance is generally around three and a half minutes long, but can be expanded or trimmed how ever the director of the dance feels is appropriate. This dance has been around as early as the fifth century and is popular across the planet.
The main dance of the Irish culture is step dancing. Step dancers use their legs, feet, and special shoes to tap the ground like a drum. These dances can range from simple beats to very complex beats. While there are many variations of the step dance that the small country of Ireland is known for, the most popular among them is The Riverdance. The Riverdance is a type of dance in the form of traditional Irish Step dance. The Riverdance is performed like a concert, as they are seemingly telling a story through the dance. It starts out with drums playing a simple beat, followed by a single performer coming out to step dance in a "call and response" type song. As the song goes on, the music builds and more and more performers come out to join. The dance continues in this format as the drummers begin to disappear and are replaced by an ensemble of step dancers. The soloist continues his role throughout the dance, while the ensemble will perform either with him or after. It's the exact same thing as a chorus with a soloist. The dance is generally around three and a half minutes long, but can be expanded or trimmed how ever the director of the dance feels is appropriate. This dance has been around as early as the fifth century and is popular across the planet.