We all have hair. Why oh why must we wear a curly boomfy crazy clown wig every time we Irish dance in front of anyone? I’m sure many people have watched Irish dancers and wondered about this exact same thing. So have I. I pushed it to the last minute possible before I got one. Not until I reached Preliminary Championship did I get a wig of my own.
I have thin long straight hair, so when I put the silly thing on, it looks… wrong. Then I start dancing. Boooo-ing, boing, boing! Oh dear.
Every wig designer within the reach of this blog, PLEASE, I’m not saying that we need to eliminate wigs. I wouldn’t mind wearing one at all if the style was more natural. Create long styles and short styles, with less curl and more of a slight wave. I would be first in line to buy one.
I have actually with a leap of joy seen a spare few dancers at various feiseanna this past year wearing a style of wig close to this. More shoulder length and a LOT less clown curl. EVERYONE go buy one so that the style changes! Push the trend girls! Unless you like looking like a clown every time you get on stage.
That’s my wigginz for the day. Or shall I say anti-wigginz… 
Article written by Shelly Hathaway
Photo by Shelly Hathaway Photography
Tags: allysa, attitude, beautiful, beauty, beginner, best, bouncy, championship, clown, competition, cool, curl, curly, dance, dancers, dress, feis, feisanna, Feiseanna, funny, hair, impress, ireland, irish, Irish Dance, irish dance wig, irish dress, irish wig, judge, Micheal Flatley, performance, preliminary, requirements, rhythm, riverdance, Show, silly, straight, Styles, tradition, Trends, why, wig
I am an older ex-dancer and I agree that those wigs make you all look like clowns. I also think the costumes are the most awful looking things ever invented. I would love to start my 4 year old dancing, but the thought of those wigs and costumes puts me off. I thought by now that the dancers would be influenced by the Riverdance style costumes and natural hair, or better yet, take note of a group called “Solas an Lae”. Their approach is modern, and the girls naturally beautiful and elegant.
So true… I do wish the dresses were more like those of Riverdance. When I started I had no idea the skirts would be so stiff! At least they’ve softened a bit the past couple years. Our school does have a dance company(http://shelleyirishdance.com/dance_company.htm) and we have some blue dresses that are much closer to what I’ve seen on Riverdance. So the big poofy dresses aren’t always used, which can be a relief. They are hot to dance in!
i think they should keep the wigs because
their fun to use!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
u guys r so ungreatful i think its fine the way
it is i love irish step dancing and eveything
about u guys r just crazy
I have naturally curly hair, so thank god I wouldn’t need those crazy wigs! Just wet my hair a bit, mousse, toussle it and I’m good to go!
oooh! you’re so lucky! my hair is sooo very straight.
I went to my first Irish Faire and dance competition. I thought the wigs looked ridiculous so decided to do a search and see just why you girls wear those. The tiny little girls with the wigs and all that makeup looked like they were competing in a “Little Miss Pageant” rather than Irish dance. Personally they looked so tacky (cheap?), can’t find the correct word to use but I am sure you understand what I am trying to say. Too bad I saw because I know how hard Irish dancers work and I love the talent – but the wigs should go.
I actually think the wigs are kinda cute on the kids, but makeup on the kids??? heck no. Why touch such beautiful faces? Kids NEVER need makeup. Perhaps lipstick and blush in bright stage lights, but thats ALL!
It says that the video has been removed by the user … which is sad. Can you tell me what it said?
I don’t like the wigs either and I have dead-straight hair, but I don’t have a dress either and I’m competing this Sunday in all black with a red belt that I made myself to brighten it up a little!
Cute! You’re outfit sounds awesome!! Haha the video was just obvious instructions and demo for putting your wig on properly. Really silly!
Oh, okay
My parents think they’re mad, it’s one of the reasons they’re so reluctant to let me “go a-feisin’”
The wigs are fine if u knew the torture or curling your hair to get a simular look. My daughter does Irish dancing now but did competitive cheer leading before. It took me hours to curl her hair the night before a competition, house in the morning to remove the curlers and load on the hair spray. The cheer teams begged to use the Irish dancer curly bun wigs but the cheer team coach refused. The wig u put on and take off, that’s not hard to do, lol
I have to admit that my daughter wore a bun wig and I loved it. As she grew older, we conceded defeat and went to a big wig. Now the bun wigs are back and I love them but she wants to stay with the big wig. Argh… Love your post!
I’ve heard from different stories why we originally started wearing wigs, and I think the correct one was because how it makes you look like you’re jumping higher because of all the bounce it adds. Putting on wigs is stressful and hurts a lot, but I like the look with our solo dresses and I can’t stand the wavy/sort of straight ones. (Not to sound mean by giving a strong opposing opinion)
I just think the wavy takes away the purpose of wearing a wig and isn’t as pretty as the super bouncy ones at all.
But I guess, from an outside of dance opinion, our solo dresses look too short and the tans look ridiculous and the same for the wigs. It’s just us dancers and our weird styles!
It’s ridiculous. Really, wigs look tacky and trashy. My daughter had her first feis today and I was horrified. As a pure irish speaker this trashy behaviour bears no roots in our tradition and has no place in the dance. It’s horrible and made beautiful little dancers look like drones. You couldn’t see the little person for the massive wig on top of them. It was horrific.
I don’t mind putting curls but if taking part in our national dance involves dressing my child in that way I will not take part. Nor would any right thinking parent
Next time do it without the wig! More and more dancers are going wig-less these days. The more that do it, the sooner the wearing of wigs will FINALLY end!
I think that wigs are a big part of putting the face of an irish dancer, its one of the important and unique things that we get to do. you wouldnt walk on a feis stage without your solo dress. if we throw out the ‘crazy clown wigs’ a solo dress doesnt look natural. tried it, it doesnt look good. and if we throw out wigs we might as well throw out a solo dress too, becasue they dont make all the sense in the world. and then we would just be normal people who dance. i think wigs and dresses, and makeup and everything we do makes our hobby unique and fun and have lots more personality and we shouldnt discourage our unique things.
That’s a really interesting perspective! Thanks for sharing, Robyn.
As an adult dancer and veteran feis mom, I have to chime in about the discomfort and distraction of the larger, heavier wigs. I’m with you, Shelley, I wouldn’t mind if the wigs were more natural and smaller, it’s just that we’re getting closer and closer to a Marie Antoinette look. When my daughter moved into the championship level, we caved in and bought her one of those monstrous heavy Grainne wigs. That thing had a life of its own and she was forever adjusting and resecuring it between dances. It would give her headaches and there are studies coming out about how heavy wigs can cause bald spots and hair loss (temporary, I believe). I say not only do the oversized wigs add cheapness (sorry, I can’t stop thinking of Toddlers and Tiaras here), they distract the focus of the dancer. Kudos to you, Shelley, for speaking your mind and trying to put some balance back in Irish dance.
Oh yes… I read about wigs causing bald spots too. Insanity! I really do hope a couple years from now wigs are a thing of the past. They are just too much. All we need are enough brave dancers to step up and go wigless and the rest will follow. That’s how any trend starts.
As an outsider who just enjoys watching my sister dance I have to say the wigs and dresses make you guys look like little dollies. Just sayin’. It’s too bad too ’cause Irish dance is so elegant and powerful, stunning to watch once you can take your eyes off the funny curls and dolly dresses. I love you Shelly! Great article.
Thanks Ria! I love you too!
Down with wigs forever!
some of your conmments i agree with i am dancer myself and i have been dancing for 5 years i have wavy hair so use to put in rollers the night before a feis but it was agony and i didnt get any sleep before i danced which affected my performance when i first saw the dresses and the wigs i thought it looked awful but they have grown on me and i have a dress and wig of my own which i love wearing i think they look gorgous every little girl wants to dress up like a princess.