Has Irish dancing's global success really helped the scene back at home?

The Journal

9 hours ago

AN INCREASED PRESENCE of Irish dancing in the fashion world and pop culture has not translated into an elevated interest among young Irish people, a professional dancer has said.
As world tours continue to see success and dancers' styles get pinched by designers at global catwalks, professional performers and competitors are seeing fewer gigs and are exploring a new-found freedom after the pandemic.
Lauren Finglas, a professional Irish dance performer and teacher, has taken part in global productions such as the recent Lord of the Dance Feet of Flames tour. She said the abrupt end to competitions and touring in 2020 brought a new perspective with it.
Irish dancers, like all sportspeople and performers, have strict training routines to keep themselves fit, particularly in the run-up to tours and large competitions. Many attend classes multiple times per week.
Rehearsals and training could sometimes take just as long as the tour. Finglas believes the 'all-consuming nature of Irish dancing as a sport' has contributed to fewer attendees at competitions after the pandemic.
She told
The Journal
: 'I was able to step back [during the pandemic] and enjoy life without the pressures of training and preforming at competitions. For many dancers, that break made it difficult to return to such a demanding lifestyle.'
Global success not translated to increases in Ireland
This year, singer Beyoncé dipped her
bairicín
into the Irish dancing world
during her music tour
. Elsewhere, the style of feises made their way onto global
fashion shows
in London and the 'ghillie shoe' had its moment in
high-end magazines
.
Despite this global popularity, Finglas – who has been
attending competitions for over twenty years
- believes the Irish dancing scene has got quieter, particularly since the pandemic.
She said: 'It [Irish dancing] demands an immense amount of time and commitment. When Covid brought everything to a halt, many dancers experienced what life was like outside of that constant cycle of training and competing.'
The cost of competing has been highlighted as a factor to the sport's decline in Ireland.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Finglas also pointed to the cost of competing in the sport, which might not be feasible for all families and individual dancers in the face of an increased cost of living in the years that have followed the pandemic.
Some dancers may require multiple pairs of different fitted-dance shoes, depending on the routine they are cast in or intend to carry out at a feis. Travel costs, the price of costumes, clothing and other equipment are also significant.
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'For families, it's a huge financial commitment, and unless a child is fully dedicated or achieving the results they're aiming for, it's increasingly hard to justify the cost,' Finglas said.
Small-town activity to billion-dollar industry
Irish dancing been an established sector of the entertainment industry for decades and, for many abroad, it is the closest some will get to Irish culture. Each year, hundreds of dancers try out to appear on one of the many world tour sprints.
Schools of Riverdance performers will be substituted in and out over the next twelve months as the production's cast prepares to dance at shows in Ireland, the UK and the US
between now and June 2026
.
Rival production Lord of the Dance has had
upwards of 120 shows pencilled in across the UK
this year, with more organised into next year in different European cities.
Those two productions alone have turned Irish dancing from a once social activity for community céilís to a billion-dollar industry, where each professional is expected to bear the correct amount of technical skill and athleticism to keep up with each other.
Finglas said: 'I truly believe that what continues to draw people to Irish dancing is the strong cultural association it holds. It represents Irish tradition, community, and a deep sense of heritage, and the skill involved never fails to amaze.'
Irish dancing is considered a billion-dollar industry.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
She added: 'I may be biased, but Irish dancing is truly incredible, and as it continues to evolve, it only becomes more captivating. So it's no surprise that audiences around the world are still drawn to it.'
There are fewer opportunities for dancers to go professional today, with smaller casts favoured. As some begin to stop competing, many turn to gig work to boost their profile, in the hopes to earn a spot on one of the dozens of productions.
Reaching a point where Irish dancing becomes their full-time job can be a dream come true.
Finglas said: 'I believe there will always be a strong demand among Irish dancers to pursue a professional career. The dream of performing in a world-renowned show is something that inspires nearly every dancer, and that aspiration hasn't changed.'
Some, like Finglas, take up courses to qualify as a dance teacher, while others sign to agencies who can help them navigate the gig economy a little easier.
Cast positions on the high-end shows are harder to come by now, as the costs involved in running a nightly-production in hundreds of cities across the world becomes more expensive.
Finglas siad: 'For example, Michael Flatley's Celtic Tiger featured a cast of over 100 dancers. Today, the cost of running such large-scale productions is far less feasible, making it difficult to employ casts of that size.'
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