Celtic Connections

Irish step dancing is a unique cultural art form that may have begun as early as the 1600s!

Though the earliest forms of the dance might be unrecognizable today, almost everyone is familiar with the internationally famous Lord of the Dance show featuring routines built upon classic Irish step dancing. It capitalizes on the showier jumps, and performs the steps at lightning speed to dramatic effect. But the basic steps and jumps are the same as what is taught at the Shovlin Academy of Irish Dance.

Peter and Celia Shovlin originally came from County Donegal on the Emerald Isle. They left their homes in Ireland and migrated separately to London. Peter was an accomplished fiddler, and Celia loved to dance. She was not a step dancer but enjoyed participating in the regular Irish social dances (called a céilí [“kay-lee”]) in London. The two met at one of these dances and eventually married.

Though Celia and Peter loved London, there was a shortage of housing after the war, and they wanted to raise a family. They emigrated to the U.S. in 1957 to find work, and settled in Pittsburgh close to Celia’s relatives who were already established in Dormont. The couple went on to have eight children and were instrumental in the establishment of the Pittsburgh Irish Centre.

Three of their children, Peter, Sheila and Liz, took step dancing classes at the Irish Centre and later decided to open their own school of dance in Dormont in 1999. The Shovlin Academy of Irish Dance—or Scoil Rince na Tri Abhainn, which is Gaelic for Dance School of the Three Rivers—has been very successful in popularizing Irish step dancing in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Sheila has won both national and international competitions, and all three of the Shovlins are certified instructors in step dancing.

Peter has moved on to other opportunities, but Liz takes care of much of the administration of the school, and Sheila is responsible for all of the wonderful choreography that the students perform.

The school welcomes both boys and girls from age 5 to about 18. Liz explains that as students enter college, they often move away or become busy with other things, although many of them return to dance when possible.

Students generally attend lessons one to three times a week, and the school offers both private and group classes. Although competing is not required, the school encourages participation in the competitions called feis (pronounced “fesh”).

A big part of Irish tradition is sharing music, culture, storytelling and dance with the community. Performances and competitions also help the students gain confidence in every area of their lives.

Liz adds, “Competition also ensures that they don’t become complacent but are always striving to learn more.”

The students learn reels, jigs, treble jigs, and hornpipes, which have different time signatures and rhythms. Steps are done on both the right and left leg, which helps develop coordination on both sides of the body. The instructors also help the students to develop jumping ability in a safe way to avoid any injuries. Step dancing is great exercise!

Elaborate costumes can certainly be a beautiful part of the overall presentation of dancing, but Liz says, “At the end of the day, they’re really just looking at your feet.”

There are students who compete at the local level in “black-out” costumes where they are clad in black from head to toe. This draws even more attention to the fancy footwork.

Whatever the students’ goals, “we’re a dance family, really,” says Liz. “We see these kids every week and we see their families and get to know them as well. We often see each other outside of classes.”

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, it’s a busy time of year for the Shovlins. “It’s not St. Patrick’s Day—for us, it’s St. Patrick’s season!” The dancers will start performing for the holiday the third week of February. Later in the year they will participate in the Pittsburgh Irish Festival.

The Shovlin Academy website (shovlinacademy.com) has a list of public performances where you can experience the excitement of Irish step dancing firsthand. There are also clips of the students’ performances on Instagram, and on Facebook at facebook.com/shovlinacademyofirishdance.