The roots and routes of Irish step dancing: issues of identity and participation in a global world

Within our modern twenty-first century world we may take the time to ask ourselves to what extent is knowledge, or an understanding, of our roots important to us? Is this word roots something that is perceived to be tied up with a nostalgia for a romanticised past or is it something that enhances our knowledge and understanding of who we are, where we are, and how we are as we are now? Is it, in effect, important to our modern sense of identity? This paper addresses these questions in relation to one specific cultural practice, namely, step dancing, within one specific pedagogical context, the MA Irish Traditional Dance Performance programme, at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland.