Classes, Current Classes, Irish Sean-nós Dance

2026 July | Sean-nós Dance

overview

Week by Week

MondaysWednesdays
Week 1291
NO CLASSNO CLASS
Week 268
Leitrim ThrushLeitrim Thrush
Week 31315
Aarons KeyThe Star
Week 42022
Tolka PolkaNO CLASS
Week 52729
Tolka Polka
Review & Keep Her Lit
Review & Keep Her Lit

Keep Her Lit/Endurance

  • June Material – Keep Her Lit
    • Maldon’s Jig Steps
    • Reels – Advance & Retire Mick/Willie, Clare 1,2,3 & Mick off beat
    • Teampall an Ghleanntánn
    • Waltz Steps
  • July Music Recordings – These are rough recordings for learning and practicing only. These are from the Colúr band (Autumn, Ben and Maldon).
    • Teampall an Ghleanntánn/Keegan’s Waltz
    • Leitrim Thrush/Aaron’s Key/Star
    • Tolka Polka/The Hop Down

week 2

Week 2

Monday: Leitrim Thursh (single reel)

  • Create a step for each part of the tune
    • A Part Step
    • B Part Step

Homework:

  • Level 1: 70% slower
  • Level 2: 80% slower
  • Level 3: 90% slower
  • Level 4: 100%

Wednesday: Leitrim Thursh (single reel)

Homework:

  • Level 1: 70% slower
  • Level 2: 80% slower
  • Level 3: 90% slower
  • Level 4: 100%

Ideas for the tune

  • A-part – beginning – same but different – ‘hick up step”, ‘kick up step”, “drum”, “slide”
  • B-Part – Clare 1 / Clare 2 / Clare 1 / Mick Dance at home off beats (or improvising around the b part, but always going back to “Mick’s step’ for the last 2 bars).

Variations, Ornamentations, Improvisations

Play with variations, adding ornamentions into your steps and improvising your steps. You can map these out or keep it lose and in your toolbox to bring out while dancing the tune.

  • Level 1: Lock down transitions from the A and B parts
  • Level 2: Create 1 – variation, ornamentation or improvisation
  • Level 3: Create 2 – variation, ornamentation or improvisation
  • Level 4: Dance All 3 varsations

Over all variation ideas

  • Full list of ideas
  • Rythmical varations – listen to Nathon and Joey
    • Emphasis – changing it, swinging it
    • Shifting the Beat
    • Accross the bars
    • Echo the rhythm
  • Same but different – visually diferent but rythmcially the same
  • Space

Homework:

  • Level 1: 70% slower
  • Level 2: 80% slower
  • Level 3: 90% slower
  • Level 4: 100%

week 3

Week 3

Woodshed

Monday: Aaron’s Key (jig)

Keep Her Lit/Endurance Homework:

  • Leitrim Thrush Steps – your own and/or Maldon’s, keep building and improvising
  • June Material – Keep Her Lit
    • Teampall an Ghleanntánn
    • Maldon’s Jig Steps
    • Reels – Advance & Retire Mick/Willie, Clare 1,2,3 & Mick off beat
    • Waltz Steps

Aaron’s Key Homework:

  • Level 1: 70% slower
  • Level 2: 80% slower
  • Level 3: 90% slower
  • Level 4: 100%

Wednesday: Star (jig)

3rd tune in the set. July Music Recordings – These are rough recordings for learning and practicing only. These are from the Colúr band (Autumn, Ben and Maldon).

Homework:

  • Level 1: 70% slower
  • Level 2: 80% slower
  • Level 3: 90% slower
  • Level 4: 100%

Keep Her Lit:

week 4

Week 4

Monday: Tolka Polka

July Music Recordings

Homework:

  • Level 1: 70% slower
  • Level 2: 80% slower
  • Level 3: 90% slower
  • Level 4: 100%

week 5

Tolka Polka C part & whole tune

July Music Recordings

Homework:

  • Level 1: 70% slower
  • Level 2: 80% slower
  • Level 3: 90% slower
  • Level 4: 100%

Keep Her Lit – July

playlist

Playlists

Music

Full Video Playlist

keep her lit

Keep Her Lit: June Material

June Class Page

  • Jigs
  • Reels
  • Waltzes
    • Timming step (with and without extra beat)
    • Simple heel (with and without extra beat)
    • Triplet
    • Kick Up
    • Jump
    • Side (cape breton) 
    • Partner (side by side) 
    • Irish
    • Jig
    • Mattie’s – Clog step
    • Partner (back to back) 
    • Ronan’s – Hip step (Keegan’s Waltz)