he pace is lively, the costumes colorful and the rhythm infectious. Irish step dancing is a wonderful recreational activity that improves your cardiovascular health, coordination and joie de vivre.

It's been 10 years since the show-stopping footwork of Riverdance captured worldwide attention, but Irish step dancing has been around for centuries.

The origin and evolution of Irish step dancing is intimately connected with the twists and turns of its homeland's long history; Pagan, Norman and English influences all played a part in its development. Many feel, however, that modern-day Irish dancing owes significant debt to the lively dance masters that traveled throughout Ireland in the 18th century, teaching locals and displaying their own considerable skill in competition.

The reel, hornpipe, slipjig and jig form Irish step dancing's foundation. Each dance is performed in set musical time-for example, the reel is performed in 2/2 or 4/4 time. While these four dances form the basics, the arrangement of the steps varies from school to school, allowing for innovation and virtuosic interpretation. Only the set dances, traditional sequences that preserve past history, are standardized.

Newfoundland-based professional dancer and teacher Shawn Silver (www.idance.ca)-Silver received master dance training at the hands of world champion Ronan McCormack and Roisin Cahalane, also members of Riverdance-sees a diverse range in his beginners' classes.

"Our youngest is three and the oldest about 70+. In fact, I started a 46+ fitness class for mature students. One of the first questions I ask is what they want to take away from these classes. Many want to fulfill a life-long dream to become a dancer, and many want to learn because they've seen shows like Riverdance etc. Others just want to go to cousin Bessy's wedding and get up and dance a lively jig."

Irish dance is also an opportunity to honor family history.

"My grandfather, Antonio Silva, was a step dancer. He was a dancer on a local TV program in the 60's called All Around the Circle. He was a Portuguese stowaway, who came to Newfoundland [and] was a brilliant artist. I started as a kid and when I entered my 20's I started Irish dancing in Toronto," says Silver.

But make no mistake; Irish step dancing's demands on the body are high.

"Irish dancing is very physically demanding. It's an athletic form of movement that requires a lot of physical effort and cardio [training]. It's also a competitive sport. So Irish dancers really train like Olympians. Many train several hours a week and are a combination of gymnasts, dancers, and all around top athletes," says Silver.

Parents, wary of expensive costumes and the costs of traveling to competitions, ought to educate themselves. Warns Silver: "Dresses go for thousands of dollars for the children. There are wigs, shoes, costumes... The cost of competitions, lessons, international travel-you can imagine. But once you are involved and are passionate, and if it's meant to be, you can make it happen"

The rewards, however, make it worthwhile.

"It's an ancient form of dance. There's a spiritual connection when you dance. Irish dancing is all about the rhythms. There are many different time signatures we dance to. It's a great activity. Dance and movement are closely related to spirit I believe. You can definitely connect on a spiritual plane when you connect with the music. People love to see people dance, and people love to see people dance well. Simple as that."

Irish Step Dancing Primer:

• "Threes" and "Sevens" are the basic foundations of Irish dance. Threes, refers to the pattern (right-left-right, left-right-left), which can be used to move forward, backward or dance in place. The knees are lifted. Sevens are sidestep patterns, in which the foot in front determines which way you go. To move to the right: the right foot is placed in front of the left foot. The right foot lifts to the left knee as you hop onto your left foot. This hop and shift pattern continues, with slight variation, up to a count of seven.
• The rigid, arms-at-sides appearance is the signature of Irish dance. No one, however, has been able to adequately explain why or how this developed. One theory suggests that the small stages on which it was originally performed necessitated this posture.
• Feis (pronounced Fesh) is a local Irish step dance competition. It is Gaelic for "festival". An Oireachtas (Oh-rock-tos) is an annual regional competition.
• For more information go to these helpful links: Irish dancing commission www.clrg.ie
• Congress of Irish Dance Teachers www.irishdancing.org
• Irish Dance Magazine www.irishdancing.com