How to Do Irish Jig Hops in Tap Dancing

Tap dancing is a compilation of various dance styles, including the Irish jig, clog dancing and African-American dances. If you've ever seen the Riverdance group perform, you've seen Irish jigging at its best. There is a substantial amount of hopping in the Irish jig, which is typical of the jig. In the Irish Jig Hops described below, the dancer will do heel digs to the front and toe taps to the side of her supporting foot.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tap shoes

1. Hop on your right foot on the count of " and."

2. Dig your right heel to the front on the count of "1."

3. Hop once again on your left foot to the count of "and."

4. Tap your right toe next to your left foot on the count of "2." Do not tap the ball of your foot; tap the actual toe of your shoe against the floor. A toe tap to the front would be done with the ball (toe area) of your shoe, but in this case, you are literally tapping the toe of your tap shoe against the floor.

5. Hop on your left foot on the count of "and."

6. End with a step on your right ("3"), step on your left ("and") and step on your right ("4"). The count for the entire Irish jig hop combination is: "and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4."

7. Combine the steps to the Irish jig hop: Hop, heel dig front, hop, toe tap, hop, step, step, step.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch the Irish jig performed in the video found in the Resources section. You will notice that the dancers do not use their upper bodies, which remain stiff and unmoving. Their arms remain at their sides.

Resources

• Irish Jig Demonstration Video