Class | In-Person | Irish Set Dancing

Playlist

Frame / Lead

Hands & turning

Hands & Turn

This is a playlist for ballroom lead and follow, but many of the things and tips will transfer over to set dancing. Set dancing frame looks more relaxed and the arms and elbows are not as high, but the tension and pressure is the same in the connecting points is the same.

Polkas / Slides / Hornpipes

Week one we will look at dancing to polkas, jigs and slides. In particular sets from Slaibh Luchra (Cork, Kerry and Limerick). I was lucky enough to be able to dance to the music of Johnny O’Leary, Timmy O’Connor and John Walsh. All great Sliabh Luchra musicians. Timmy recently passed this last month. I had the opportunity to spend my free time at Willie Week with Timmy and John. I had many lovely chats with both of them that week as well as danced to their music and danced with them. Beautiful music and people.

We will work on the down step used for polkas, slides and jigs as oposed to the up step used for last terms reels.

Solo

• Down 2 3’s
• 1 2 & 123
• & 1 & 2 & 1 2 3

Partner

• Swing
• House
• Body

Group

The Set of the Week: Sliabh Luchra Set

Timmy O’Connor

Timmy & John

Sliabh Luchra Dancing, music and history

Polkas / Slides / Hornpipes

Review – Sliabh Luchra Set

Week

Clare Dancing & The Caledonian

Steps

Willie Keane

Mick’s Advance & Retire Step

Week

Ormond Set – page with video and instructions.

Steps

Smooth Clare reel steps or other Clare battering steps. You can find those steps under the Clare dancing tab.

• Old Mill Lancers – page
• Instructions – google drive
• Instructions

Polka/Slide/Jig

review of polka and slide steps. These steps can also be used for dancing to jigs.

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TIps and Tricks of memorization and set dance deep dive.

• Set Dance Glossery (a work in progress)
• Set Dance Families and moves
• First Set of Quadrilles – Plain sets
  • Figure 1 – some form of Pass though, Cross over – Cashel 1, Clare Plain 1, Corofin Plain 1, Fermanagh Quadrilles 1,
  • Figgure 2 – Some form of crossing over to oposite – Cashel 2, Clare Plain 2, Corofin 2, Fermanagh Quadrilles 2
  • Looking at each figure next to eachother you can see the simliaries between these dances. There’s a full is of these dances Set Dance Families and moves.
• Dance list from the Ceili in Milltown
  • Corofin Plain Set  (1:35)
  • Sliabh Luachra  (27:30)
  • Clare Lancers  (49:20)
  • Moycullen (1:11:50)
  • Plain Set (1:32:50)
  • Ballyvourney Jig  (1:58:10)
  • Caledonian (2:08:40)
  • Connemara (2:30:35)

Susan asked a great question about the third set of quadriles that includes the Caledonian. It Pat’s book he just talks about this one dance. Future deep dives I’d like to look at some of the dances that would fall into this pattern. North Kerry and Sliabh Luachra have similarities as do all to the Jenny Lind sets, like Auban and The Jenny Lind. My goal is to put these dances into these catagories which I believe will help us see patterns and lead to memorizing and understanding more dances.