«I dance for a living» often receives a follow up question «Yes, but what about a ‘regular’ job?». In the modern perception dance is still not seen as an easy lifestyle and a ‘serious’ occupation. The fragility of human body and transience of the dancer’s career also makes this art-form extremely insecure. At the same time, the self-identification of “Me/dancer” takes up a huge part of a personality of an art practitioner, making it nearly impossible to imagine oneself outside this lifestyle and community.
This case study is focusing on a group of professional Irish dancers who are currently touring (or used to tour) with a world-known show Riverdance. The show itself grew out of a short production at the 1994 Eurovision talent contest and became a representation of the whole nation seeing an overwhelming success overseas and at home. Irish dance through this very show became a trademark of Ireland, stepping into the line of the export goods of the country. However, as Gupta and Fergusson suggest, «as actual places and localities become ever more blurred and indeterminate, ideas of culturally and ethnically distinct places become perhaps even more salient» (Gupta ? Ferguson, 1992), one can see the further codification of Irish dance as an art form through this artistic manifestation in the show. Personal and national interests portrayed in it become intertwined in an intricate manner. The main questions to consider are the National and personal ones: 1) how does the art form reshape the way the dance looks like and is perceived 2) how is the dancers’ self-identification transformed through dance (such as overcoming the identity crisis when stepping off the stage). As one of the dancers says “Embrace the ups and downs along the way”.
