Scottish Country Dance of the Day

Happy St. Patrick's day with this namesake jig! The jig is a folk dance form that became popular in Scotland and northern England in the 16th century and in Ireland in the 18th century. The modern term "jig" is believed to be derived from the French giguer, meaning ‘to jump’ or the Italian giga whereas the use of “jig” in Irish dance derives from the Irish jigeánnai, itself borrowed from the Old English giga meaning ‘old dance’. Jigs originally began as a generally improvised dance form performed with rapid footwork while keeping the torso rigid. At the court of Elizabeth I, the Northern jigs were fashionable and appeared as stage dances in compositions by William Byrd, John Bull, and Giles Farnaby. The jig soon spread to France and, in modified form as the gigue, and became the new trend at the court of Louis XIV! Today, the jig dance and musical form is most associated with Irish dance music, Scottish Country Dance and the Métis people in Canada. Originally in duple compound meter (12/8 time), jigs have been adapted to a variety of time signatures, and are often classified into groups, including light jigs, slip jigs, single jigs, double jigs, and treble jigs! Jiggedy-jiggedy and carrots and cabbages! ☘️ 🇮🇪