Some may not consider it a sport, but as someone who has been involved in the world of Competitive Irish dance for the last decade, it absolutely is- the training and athleticism needed is beyond intense, and the young people involved dedicate almost every hour they aren't in school to stretch/workout, classes, practices, performances, competitions.
One thing that's always irked me, especially because the youngest age categories in Irish dance accept kids as little as 4 years old, is the difference between how boys and girls, and men and women are required to dress in order to participate -
Here's a list of what women are required to do in order to not lose points for clothing/appearance at competition
Wear large, heavy bun wigs, often pinned to their heads so tightly with multiple bobby pins and clips that girls will lose hair and develop headaches and semi permanent bald spots.
Gel/hairspray back and dye any visible hair in their natural hair color
Wear concealer, foundation, eyeliner, mascara, blush, and lipstick, which must be kept neat even in hot rooms and while participating in strenuous physical activity
Wear dresses which often cost in the range of $1000, but can be more than $2500, and if they are lucky, end at the mid thigh, but are often cut at the upper thigh
Spray tan, professionally tan, or bottle tan their legs multiple shades darker than their skin in order to emphasize their legs
Accessorize with things like tiaras, hair clips, and earrings
Smile, even when they are preforming strenuous physical feats
Here's a list of what men are required to do in order to not lose points for clothing/appearance at competition
Wear competition pants/dress pants in a material with give (typically required to be black, but this may vary based on competition)
Wear a dress style shirt (typically in black or white)
Wear a custom dance vest or blazer with embellishments, which I've seen for as little as $150, but typically fall around $300, and can even be customized from traditional vests
Brush their hair, possibly use a small amount of gel if it is long
Do these things seem anywhere near equal? In time, pain, effort, cost, how much it inhibits your ability to actually dance? How comfortable you are while competing?
But of course, people will constantly justify every additional step women are asked to take. The girls are asked to smile because they aren't just dancing, they are preforming (Are the boys not?). They wear makeup because the stage lights wash them out, and so blush, mascara, and lipstick are necessary in order to see their features (But the boys features being seen is not relevant). They wear short dresses so the judges can see the muscles moving in their legs (A factor which apparently becomes unnecessary when the boys are preforming, as their legs are fully covered). They tan to emphasize the leg muscles, and so their legs stand out against the stage better (the boys are allowed to simply wear dark pants). They wear wigs because the movement of the curls emphasizes the jumps (The boys jumps need no additional emphasis). On and on and on.
Clearly from both the description and the photos you can tell that an aspect of the clothing is rooted in tradition, and in looking formal for the sake of performance, but the extent that girls are pushed to is simply for the sake of pageantry, often at a detriment to their comfort while preforming.
Irish Dance Costumes for Nationals 2022, Montreal
And for any who may try to claim this is simply a part of the tradition and culture, not an argument I like to begin with, here are some more traditional-leaning Irish Dance Costumes (1950's-70's), which are, surprisingly for the time, closer to the same for boys and girls/men and women than the ones made in 2022
