The shoes: Irish dancers have 2 different types of shoes. Dancers start in soft shoes, also called ghillies (pronounced “gi-leez” with a hard g). Ghillies are a leather shoe with loops or fingers through which laces are threaded. How do you lace them up? After several months to a year of learning, they will start learning hard shoe dances. Hard shoes are often called jig shoes or heavy shoes. Occasionally they are referred to as hornpipe shoes. Jig shoes have a leather upper, laces similar to a man’s dress oxford, a strap over the ankle and fiberglass or resin tips and heels. Jig shoes do NOT have taps on them. Taps are metal plates screwed onto a shoe and that is something different indeed. There are many brands of shoes to choose from, depending on the shape of your dancer’s foot. We’ve listed our authorized and preferred brands on our There also may be used shoes available – check the used shoe shelves in the studio to see if there’s a pair that will fit your dancer.
The dances: Reels, jigs and hornpipes are names for all of the types of dances we do! Reels are dances performed to music written in 2/2 or 4/4 time. Reels are done in soft shoe AND in hard shoe. Soft shoe reels are one of the first types of steps a dancer learns. Hard shoe reels are called treble reels. These are most often done in show or freestyle dancing. They are lively, vibrant dances that can be done to most music and are quite rousing!
Jigs can be done in soft or hard shoes. Most jigs are dances performed to music written in 6/8 time; the exception to this is slip jigs, which are performed to music written in 9/8 time. Soft shoe jigs are light jigs and single jigs (performed by both male and female dancers) and slip jigs (performed by females only). Hard shoe jigs are called treble jigs and can be performed at a traditional speed (usually around 92 beats per minute) or ‘slow’ speed (around 72-76 beats per minute). Dancers start learning treble jigs at traditional speed and progress to slow speed at the Prizewinner level.
Hornpipes are only done in hard shoe. They are performed to music written in 2/4 time and the emphasis of the steps and rhythm is different from that done in treble reels.
Set dances are hard shoe dances performed to a specific piece of music. There are traditional and non-traditional set dances. Traditional set dances are dances where the same steps are always done to that piece of music. Non-traditional set dances are dances that are choreographed for an individual dancer to a piece of music from a specified list of selections. The traditional set dances are St. Patrick’s Day (a treble jig), The Blackbird (a hornpipe), Jockey to the Fair (a treble jig), Job of Journeywork (a hornpipe), Garden of Daisies (a hornpipe), King of the Fairies (a hornpipe), The Three Sea Captains (a treble jig) and The White Blanket (a hornpipe). Dancers will start to work on traditional sets in the Intermediate level class (usually starting with St. Patrick’s Day). We often use traditional sets in performances.
Céilí (pronounced “kay-lee”) dances are Irish group figure dances. Ceili dancing is one of the ancestors of modern-day square dancing. Ceili dances emphasize the figures of the dance, which differs from solo dancing’s elaborate footwork. Ceili dancing is a very social activity, and is also a lot of fun!
The clothing: Poodle socks are the white, bubbly (like a golf ball) calf- or knee-high socks that a female Irish dancer wears. They are intended to show off the feet and legs when a dancer performs.
A school dress or costume is the clothing worn for competitions for dancers up through the Intermediate level of competition. Each school has their own dress or costume that is specific to their school and reflects a design that is meaningful to them. Take a look at our School Costumes page to see photos and descriptions of what our students wear!
Female dancers who compete at the Open level or who compete at age 15 or older often wear solo dresses. These are highly elaborate dresses, each one a unique creation, designed to enhance a dancer’s presentation onstage. Each dancer selects a dress that reflects their personality and features to best advantage. Dresses can be purchased ready-made, off-the-rack or used, or they can be custom-designed for your dancer. Solo dresses can be quite costly and are only recommended for those dancers who wish to compete often.