Aktuality 20. 12. 2012

Knihy o irském tanci (8)

V úvodní části se autoři věnuji historickému vývoji irských ceilí tanců a mimo jiné také kostýmům. Součástí knihy je několik ilustrací Mary Fairclough představující taneční kostýmy a jejich součásti. Jde o velmi zajímavé akvarely, které se orientují zejména na ženské kostýmy. Popisy tanců jsou uvedeny výkladem tanečních pohybů, kroků a figur. U tanců je zařazen i notový materiál s hudbou určenou pro daný tanec.

Kapitolu o kostýmech si dovolím zde uvést celou, protože s uvedenými ilustracemi podává potřebná vysvětlení a jde o velmi zajímavou stať.

COSTUME
We are not very happy in the matter of costume, for the present traditional costume as adopted by most dance schools seems to be neither traditional nor Irish, although it may be pleasing and distinctive in itself. However, there are quite a number of pieces of costume still being worn, such as the handsome patterned shawls seen in Connemara, tzhe curiously worked belts worn by the men of Aran and the great black hooded cloaks of Munster.
Plate 4 shows a common eighteenth-century country dress, the girl with her shoulder shawls held in place by a lace dred belt, her skirt tucked up and her long hair tied with a bow; the man in his short coat, breeches and stockings and a high-low hat. Unfortunately this costume has been travestied and defamed by its association with the stage Irishman, although i tis an hostoric and traditional costume, appropriate to traditional dances.

I tis know that the ancient Irish had a very beautiful costume and the present traditional costume is the result of an attempt to reproduce this. The girls wear a sleeved, knee-length frock, usually adorned with Celtic embroidery with a sash or braid at the waist and a short cloak, often attached by a Tara brooch at the left shoulder. A variety of colours are used.

The men wear a saffron or green kilt with a short cloak hanging from the left shoulder, or shirt, trousers and sash. In fact, little has been discovered, as yet, regarding the ancient formo f the women’s dress, and with regard to the kilt, McClintock maintains that so far as the evidence here collected goes to show the sixteenthcentury Irish dress did not include (1) the kilt; (2) a shoulder plaid or any such garment; (3) a sporran; (4) nor . . . a flat-topped cap like the Highland bonnet, and goes on to show that Highland kilts did not evolve until long after the ancient Irish formo f dress had fallen into disuse. There is much to be said for his suggestion that girls might adopt the costume worn in Ireland before the Famine: a crimson or other bright-coloured skirt with a bodice of black or some different colour, perhaps embroidered, and if needs be a shawl. . . .

The crimson skirt indeed is of considerable antikvity in Ireland. It would be in keeping with tradition if a brighter attire were adopted, for many writers from the sixteenth century bear witness to the Irish predilection for bright colours.

VB

Václav Bernard