week 1
WEEK 1 | Class notes
week 2
WEEK 2 | Class notes
- Maldon’s Reel step Tricky Step as a jig
week 3
WEEK 3 | Class notes
- Step step step stuff-le step stuff-le step
- Side step
- Reels into Jigs steps
Author: maldonm
2023 March | Saturday Set Dancing
intro
Shake out those shamrocks ‘n let’s boogie!
This March, our theme of the month will be advance and retires. We will focus on basic Clare advance and retires as well as including some battering. We will continue to review previous techniques and learn new dances.
As always I encourage you to review the videos and instructions before and after class. If you don’t have time, I’ve got your back. I will break everything down nice and handy and we will progress through the months dances. There’s never a better time to enjoy the art of Irish Set dancing. St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner!
Irish Set Dancing
Saturday 4-6pm
Waverly United Church of Christ
3300 SE Woodward St, Portland, OR, United States, Oregon
$10 general, $5 students
Last Saturday Céilí ~ 4-7 ~ Live Music
week 1
WEEK 1 | Class notes
Sat. March 4, 2023
Our set of the week is: Caledonian
This is one of my favorite sets. It is one I love teaching both beginners and experienced dancers. It’s the perfect set for perfecting housing and dancing at home. It also allows room for battering. The set can be receptive and when you aren’t focusing on footwork it some might call it boring. But adding a little battering and some great advance and retire steps lights up the dance. We will cover the basics and beginning of advancing and retiring as well as more advanced steps for those with more experience.
If there is time we will review the Claddagh Set. Reviewing the instructions and video before class will give you a nice leg up. If you don’t have time or forget no worries I’ve got your back and will teach and call everything.
- Instructions Claddagh
- Callers notes for the Claddagh Set – this is a google document. You can make a copy and save it and print it for your reference.
week 2
WEEK 2 | Class notes
Sat. March. 11, 2023
Our set of the week is: Clare Plain
If there is time we will review the Seit Doire Cholmcille (Derry Set). We covered this dance in February. Videos and instructions can be found on the February class page under the week 1 tab.
week 3
WEEK 3 | Class notes
Sat. March 18, 2023
Our set of the week is: Corofin Plain
Jim Belcher recently taught a lesson on the Corofin Plain set at our Sweet Hearts dance in February. We will review the set and add more footwork.
If there is time we will review the The Cashel or (The Castle). We covered this dance in February. Videos and instructions can be found on the February class page under the week 2 tab.
Last Saturday Céilí
WEEK 4 | Class notes
Sat. March 25, 2023, 4-7pm
Last Saturday Céilí music by Preston Howard
- The Caledonian
- Seit Doire Cholmcille (Derry Set)
- Claddagh Set
- The Corofin Plain Set
- The Clare Lancers set
We might not get to them all but we will try.
St. Practice to St. Patrick’s Challenge
Your challenge is to decided how often you will practice and what you will practice. As part of the St. Practice to St. Patrick’s challenge I will be offering an open studio starting next week. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30am PST. Bring what you plan on practicing and your music and join us for some accountability. Zoom Link Here.
Can’t make to open studio’s. Design your own practice routine at home. Share your ideas, progress, struggles in the Facebook group.
There are several recesses to help you get inspired on the website. The Your Ultimate Practice Guide is one place to start.
2023 Sat. Sept. 30th | Kickoff Céilí
Saturday, September 30th
6-9pm, Fall Kick off Ceili
Waverly United Church of Christ, 3300 SE Woodward St, Portland, OR, $15
Music: Laura Feddersen, Nathan Gourley, & Brian Miller, Calling: Maldon Meehan
This month’s An Céilí Beag is a special kickoff event after our summer hiatus to get us all excited about dancing again. We are doubly excited to welcome special musical guests Laura Feddersen and Nathan Gourley – superb fiddlers from Boston MA – along with DADGAD guitarist extraordinaire Brian Miller. Maldon Meehan will be calling all of our favorite sets and will likely teach a new set if time and energy allow! All are welcome to dance or listen or both! Fáilte ar ais – WELCOME BACK!
Dance List
- Plain Set | Reels 112, Reels 128, Reels, 176, Reels 265, Jigs 160, Reels 192
- Ballyvourney Jig | Slides
- Clare Lancers | Reels 160, Reels 192, Reels 144, Reels 192, Reels 192
- Claddagh | Reels 192, Reels 184, Reels 154, Jigs 192
- Cashel | Slides 200 | Polkas 136 | Polkas 200 | Hornpipe 152 | Slides 256 | Polka 120
- Antrim Square | Reels 144, Jigs 136, Slides 152
- Caledonian | Reels 128, Reels 96, Reels 192, Jigs 244, Reels 192, Hornpipes 160
- Connemara | Reels 160, Reels 192, Reels 184, Maggie in the Woods 96
Video Playlist
2023 Feb 25th | Last Saturday Céilí | Betsy Branch
set list
Dance List
- Merchant | Reels 128, Reels 192, Reels 128, Hornpipes 144
- Seit Doire Cholmcille (Derry Set) | Reels 128, Reels 160, Reels 144, Jigs 104, Hornpipes 152
- Antrim Square | Reels 144, Jigs 136, Slides 152
- Cashel | Slides 200 | Polkas 136 | Polkas 200 | Hornpipe 152 | Slides 256 | Polka 120
- Connemara | Reels 160, Reels 192, Reels 184, Maggie in the Woods 96
- Claddagh | Reels 192, Reels 184, Reels 154, Jigs 192
- Waltz
video playlist
music playlist
In this playlist they didn’t have a recording for the Merchant Set on Spotify so I used the Mabula site to find another recording of the same length. A great tool for teachers and callers. Here is a link to their site. It’s a database of set dancing recording. All you have to do is enter in the number of bars and tune type and all the recording of that length will come up. I love this site as often I can find a recoding that is the right length even if I don’t have the recording in my library for that particular set. In the olden days we used to call these “scrap sets”.
3-10-23 | 7pm | CVS Ceili
set list
CVS Ceili
- Merchant | Reels 128, Reels 192, Reels 128, Hornpipes 144
- Haymakers Jig | Jigs 400
- Claddagh | Reels 192, Reels 184, Reels 154, Jigs 192
- Siege of Carrick | Jigs (haste to the wedding)
- Antrim Square | Reels 144, Jigs 136, Slides 152
- Waltz
BREAK
- Seit Doire Cholmcille (Derry Set) | Reels 128, Reels 160, Reels 144, Jigs 104, Hornpipes 152
- Siege of Ennis | Jigs
- Cashel | Slides 200 | Polkas 136 | Polkas 200 | Hornpipe 152 | Slides 256 | Polka 120
- Fairy Reel | Reels
- Connemara | Reels 160, Reels 192, Reels 184, Maggie in the Woods 96
- Waltz
video playlist
Coming soon
music playlist
Coming soon
In this playlist they didn’t have a recording for the Merchant Set on Spotify so I used the Mabula site to find another recording of the same length. A great tool for teachers and callers. Here is a link to their site. It’s a database of set dancing recording. All you have to do is enter in the number of bars and tune type and all the recording of that length will come up. I love this site as often I can find a recoding that is the right length even if I don’t have the recording in my library for that particular set. In the olden days we used to call these “scrap sets”.
2023 Feb | Saturday Set Dancing
intro
This February, let’s double our love! Our goal is for everyone to gain mastery in the skill of doubling as we learn several dances featuring this special move. From Seit Doire Cholmcille (Derry Set) and Cashel Sets to Clare Lancers, Myserks and Caledonian – there are plenty of opportunities during the month-long event to perfect your technique. Let’s get ready to take a twirl through these traditional dance styles – twice!
Irish Set Dancing
Saturday 4-6pm
Waverly United Church of Christ
3300 SE Woodward St, Portland, OR, United States, Oregon
$10 general, $5 students
week 1
WEEK 1 | Class notes
Sat. Feb. 4, 2023
Our set of the week is: Seit Doire Cholmcille (Derry Set)
This set was composed by Frankie Roddy. Frankie was a wonderful dancer from Derry. When I meet him in 1999 he was just getting back to dancing after some health issues. My fellow student at the University of Limerick ended up writing her theses on him. We traveled together to attend in his adult ceili class and to have a chance to chat with him again. At the time he was the only person we could find that was teaching ceili dancing to adults. He was a great solo dancer and had a school of dance. His son was the evil lead in Lord of the Dance. When Josephine and I meet him in Limerick he was the light we were looking for. We were both struggling in our studies and it was so lovely to meet such an amazing and generous person. I am happy to be reviving his dance here in Portland. I hope it one that we will dance many times in Frankie’s memory. I learned this dance from Anne McCallum at the Milwaukee Irish Festival Summer School.
week 2
WEEK 2 | Class notes
Sat. Feb. 11, 2023
Our set of the week is: The Cashel or The Castle
This dance is from Tipperary and was taught by the late great Connie Ryan. Many of the dance instructors that you know and love learned from Connie and followed him around the country to workshops and dances. In this particular video you can see Connie Ryan in first tops, Pat Murphy in first sides and Pádraig & Róisín McEneany in second sides.
week 3
WEEK 3 | Class notes
Sat. Feb. 18, 2023 (NO CLASS THIS WEEK) – we will learn this dance another time.
Our set of the week is: The Clare Myserks
We used to dance this years ago in Portland. This dance is dances in Seattle and in San Francisco. It’s a good one to know and nice and handy.
week 4
WEEK 4 | Class notes
Sat. March 25, 2023
Last Saturday Ceili
- The Caledonian
- Seit Doire Cholmcille (Derry Set)
- Claddagh Set
- The Corofin Plain Set
- The Clare Lancers set
We covered these five dances in the month of March Tonight we will celebrate by dancing them all. All dances will be called. All are welcome.
2023 | February | Slides
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