) signature. The same is true of Scottish country dancing. In Irish stepdance, the reel is danced in soft shoes and is one of the first dances taught to students. There is also a treble reel, danced in hard shoes to reel music. All reels have the same structure, consisting largely of quaver (eighth note) movement with an accent on the first and third beats of the bar. Simple reels usually have two parts (A and B); in most reels each part is repeated (AABB), but in others it is not (ABAB). Each part (A and B) typically has eight bars, which in turn are divisible into four-bar and two-bar phrases (there are exceptions such as ABABB). But since this is more about history and tradition than technical music theory, perhaps I should just say that the Irish and Scottish reels have spread around the globe and been adapted into many countries' folk traditions including Norway and South West England. Reels crossed the Atlantic with Irish and British immigrants and thus entered the musical tradition of Atlantic and French-speaking Canada including that of Quebecers and Acadians, extending it's influence as far south as Louisiana's Creole and Cajun music. If you can take two steps forward and two steps back in time with the music you can dance a reel, of course there are many elaborate variations as anyone who has ever witnessed Riverdance can attest to.
Here's Canadian professional fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, born in Nova Scotia of Irish heritage and cousin of The White Stripes guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White.
~ Ashley MacIsaac ~
