The Irish Cengail seems to be cognate with the old French verb, Ginguer (to move the feet,) and the refrain of this dance song was perhaps like that of the Fer Gigaoila, which consisted of a humorous kind of giggling, in short catches of the breath, accompanied by sudden starts of the body. The Jig derives its name from gigg or giga, the name of a short piece of music much in vogue in olden times, which was of a joyous lively character, and consisted of two parts of eight bars each, and these of the shortest notes. It was in great favor as a dance tune at Irish fairs, and from the music the dance took its name.

   The "Gigue" borrowed its much disputed name in the seventeenth century from the English Jig, which in turn comes from the old French giguer (to Dance). This verb has been traced to the old hypothetical Frankish Giga to the Old Norse Gigja. The Irish, Scotts, English and Americans all had their own Jigs, but Ireland was it's birth place.

   Tradition is that the Jig became a courtly dance in the time of Queen Elizabeth (1553-1603) and was introduced to the

Continental Courts in the reign of Louis XIV (1638-1715.) The Jig could have been a couple's dance at one time as, well known as "Gigue a deux", but only at one time (Feuillets Book-1699.) Martins book: "Irish Hayes, Jiggs and Roundelays" (1589) or Heywoods Country measures, rounds and Jiggs (1603), seems to state Jigs were choral or round dances for several people, however traditionally they were not. The jig was very popular in France during the 16th. and 17th. Centuries.

   Many fashionable dance figures were set to "Jig Melodies" (6/8), of the time and up till 1843, people were dancing hand in hand, around tables to to the measure of an Irish Jig. The Jig calls for a lively stamping of the heels and rapid footwork with a quiet torso. The Jig may be danced by one or more persons, as a solo or couple.

   One, two, or more persons took part in the dance, and he or she who could longest keep time to the liveliest music was considered the best dancer. The males usually carried in their hands a short stick called a 'shillelagh' which they kept constantly whirling to the time of the music, during the continuance of the dance. The singing of ballads was always interspersed with these dances, the dance not infrequently taking the place of our modern chorus. The basic music defines the speed of the dance with the music for a Jig being in 6/8 time and a slip Jig is 9/8. The popular dance shoe for the Jig today is the 'Boynewalk', 'Kelly' and 'Avriel' Irish Jig Shoe.

   According to many written articles, Master Juba (William Henry Lane) was the first African-American to dance the Jig in the United States in the 1830s. Johnny Diamond (1823-1857) Tommy Peel, who danced a match with Dick Carroll (AKA Master Marks) at Wallack's Theatre, April 16th., 1862, which Peel won.

  The Giga which has also survived as a couples dance in Italy, the two partners make two rounds and then "il suo balletto" (a courting dance). There are also the Muiñeira, which is a traditional Galician jig, The Muñeira: which is the same as the muiñeira, and the Muñeres: which is a traditional jigs from Asturias, Spain.

Movies / Films

Television

Ballets / Stage

1898 - Clog Dancing

1898 - Irish Jig (I, II)

1898 - Sailor's Hornpipe

1898 - Scotch Reel

1902 - La Gigue

1909 - La Gigue merveilleuse

Publications

1941 - Jungle Jig

$ Irish Dance Tunes for All Harps: Jigs, Reels

1949 - Jigar

$ Ryan's Mammoth: 1050 Reels and Jigs: (Song Book)

1986 - Tall Man Executes a Jig by Irving Layton, A

$ Howe's 1,000 Jigs and Reels: (Song Book)

Lord of the Dance (Clog, Step)

$ Between the jigs and the reels

Riverdance (Clog, Step)

Harlem Harmonies Vol. 1 (Dandridge)

Other Related Dances of the time...

Arkansas Traveler

Espringall

Lancashire Clog

Sir Roger - De Coverly

Tap

Barn Dance

Fandango

Pedestal Dance

Spanish Dance

Virginia Reel

Breakdown

Flamenco

Plantation Breakdown

Square Dance

Zip Coon

Buck and Wing

Hornpipe

Reels

Step Dance

Chica

Irish Cengail

Rigoletto / Rigaudon

Stomp

Clog

Juba Dance

Shim Sham

Strathspey

Associated Jigs ...

American Jig (De Coverly)

Haymakers Jig

Munster Gigue

Single Jigs

Double Jigs (1852)

Hevy Jig (Comp)

Muiñeira

Six Penny Jig

Geige (German)

Jig Allemande (1866)

Old Noll's Jig

Slip Jig

Giga (Italy)

Jiggs

Sailors Jig (English)

Tater the Road

Gigue

Kemp's Jig

Scotch Jig

Half Penny Jig

Light Jig (Comp)

Singin' Jigs

Historic Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

Bill Price - (1860s)

Frank Kerns - (1860s)

Master Jerry ?- (1860s)

Louis XIV (1638 - 1715)

Billy Carlton - (1860s)

Gallus Wright

Master Juba - (1840s)

Charles II (1661 - 1700)

Billy Hedden - (1860s)

George Christy - (1850s)

Matt Peel - (1850s)

Queen Anne (1665 - 1714)

Billy O'Neil - (1850s)

Hank Mason - (1860s)

Mickey Warren - (1860s)

Queen Victoria (1819 - 1901)

Billy Quinn - (1860s )

Hank Mudge - (1860s)

Mert Sexton - (1850s)

Billy Woods - (1860S)

Irving Layton - (1989)

Pete Lane - (1860s)

Ben Mallory - (1850s)

J. H. Clifford - (1860s)

Rube Innard

Ben Miner

Jerry Bryant - (1850s)

Sam Collyer - (1860s)

Bobby Newcomb - (1860s)

Jimmy O'Connell - (1860s)

Stanley Zompakos (NY - 1945)

Thomas Dartmouth ("Daddy") Rice

Joe Brown - (1860s)

Tam O' Shanter ?

Dick Carroll: Master Marks - (1860s)

Joe Miles - (1860s)

Tim Hayes - (1860s)

Johnny Diamond - (1840)

Tim Norton - (1850s)

Dick Pelham - (1840s)

Johnny Durang - (1768-1822)

Tommy Peel - (1860s)

Dave Reed - (1860s)

Johnny Golding - (1860s)

Uncle" Jim Lowe 

Dick Sands - (1860s)

Johnny Hutton

Wash Norton - (1860s)

Dick Sliter - (1850s)

Johnny Thompson - (1860s)

Earl H. Pierce- (1850s)

Johnny Queen - (1860s)

Eleanor Powell

Master Barney

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Date Published

Publisher

W.W.Norton

Musicians

'Irish Jig' - Cocktail

Poets / Writers

McKowen, James (1814 - 1889)

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Other...

Link: Costumes for the Irish Jig