Irish dances can broadly be divided into social dance and
performance dances. Irish social dancing can be divided further
into dancing. Irish set and céilí dances are usually danced by
formations (sets) of couples, often in squares of four couples,
also called a four hand. Irish social dance is a living
tradition, and variations in particular dances are found across
the Irish dance community; in some places, dances are
deliberately modified and new dances are Irish performance
dancing is traditionally referred to as stepdance. Irish
stepdance, popularized in 1994 by the world-famous show
"Riverdance," is notable for its rapid leg movements, body and
arms being kept largely stationary. Most competitive stepdances
are solo dances, though many stepdancers also perform and
compete using traditional set and céilí dances. The solo
stepdance is generally characterized by a controlled but not
rigid upper body, straight arms, and quick, precise movements of
the feet. The dancing traditions of Ireland probably grew in