Irish Dance refers to a group of traditional dance forms originating from Ireland, encompassing dancing both solo and in groups, and dancing for social, competitive, and performance purposes. Irish dance in its current form developed from various influences such as earlier native Irish dance, English country dancing and later possibly French quadrilles, as it became popular in Britain and Ireland during the 19th Century. Dance was taught by "travelling dance masters" across Ireland in the 17th-18th century, and separate dance forms developed according to regional practice and differing purposes. Irish dance became a significant part of Irish culture, for Irish nationalist movements. From the early 20th century, a number of organisations promoted and codified the various forms of dance, creating competitive structures and standardised styles. Irish dancers who compete for competitive reasons dance in a dance style that's more modern than traditional Irish dance. It is mainly done solo, but there is some team dancing in groups of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 16 and even numbers on wards. Competitive Irish dancers wear dresses heavily
La danza irlandesa se refiere a un grupo de formas de danza tradicionales originarias de Irlanda, que abarca la danza tanto en solitario como en grupo, y la danza para fines sociales, competitivos y de rendimiento. La danza irlandesa en su forma actual se desarrolló a partir de diversas influencias como la danza nativa irlandesa anterior, la danza country inglesa y más tarde las cuadrillas francesas, ya que se hizo popular en Gran Bretaña e Irlanda durante el siglo XIX. La danza fue enseñada por "maestros de danza de viaje" a través de Irlanda en el siglo XVII-XVIII, y las formas de danza separadas se desarrollaron de acuerdo con la práctica regional y los propósitos diferentes. La danza irlandesa se convirtió en una parte importante de la cultura irlandesa, para los movimientos nacionalistas irlandeses. Desde el comienzo del siglo XX, una serie de organizaciones promovieron y codificaron las diversas formas de danza, creando estructuras competitivas y estilos estandarizados.