Author: maldonm

Classes, Irish Set Dancing, Past Classes

2025 November | Sean-nós Dance & more

maldonm

intro

Welcome to November Online!

Deep dive into Clare musicians.

Week by Week

WoodshedKeep Her LitSpeed & Craic
Week 13
Paddy Fahy’s Jig/Sean Ryan’s
5
Priest in his Boots
The Sunday Set		7
Martin Hayes (fiddle)
Spotify
Week 210
The Galway Rambler, The London Lasses

12
Kitty Lie Over / Kitty Lie Over as a Reel
Clare Battering – Mick Banner Step		14
Kitty Hayes (fiddle)
Week 317
Mick: Dance At Home from the Step for Sets video		19
Clare Battering – Mick $500		21
Peadar O’Loughlin (flute)
Week 424
The Crooked Road / The Foxhunter’s Reel		26
The Sunday Set (Jigs)
Clare Battering – Aidan		28
Paddy Canny (fiddle)

playlist

On this tab you will find playlists for the music, sets and video lessons for the whole course.

  • Spotify Playlist – music

All videos for this months course

week 1

Woodshed

Paddy Fahy’s Jig (also called Fahey’s Favourite, Paddy Fahey’s Jig #1), Sean Ryan’s Jig (also called Gallagher’s, The Lonely, Martin’s)

Keep Her Lit

Speed & Craic

This weeks elements

  • Priest in his Boots
    • jump hop shuffle
    • tip cross
    • side step
    • hop shuffles
    • kick
    • circle
    • grapevine
  • The Sunday Set
    • stamp
    • connemara
    • heel downs
    • shuffle downs
    • double shuffle with heel drop (Madness)
    • toe toe heel
    • cross movements (Ronan)
    • Meave (heel and stab)
    • Mick A & R – 123 | ball drop step | step shuffle drop step, ball drop drop
    • Clare – floor shuffle
    • Tricky – 12 movement, heel heel ball ball (extra beats)
    • Hips
    • Wille heel slap 12 | delay slap | 4/5 heels | Shuffle backs
  • Jig elements
    • 1 beat movements
    • 2 beat movements
    • 3 sound
    • 4 sound

week 2

Woodshed

Keep Her Lit

Speed & Craic

week 3

Woodshed

Mick’s dance at home step from the steps for sets video. Here are my notes for the Step for Sets video. I was playing around a bunch and found that this track was very nice with the step and slow. It’s a hornpipe, but it sounds great. Mary MacNamara The Humours of Tullycrine / Mikey Callaghan’s (hornpipes)

11-17-2025 Woodshed Zoom Class Video

Steps for Sets with Mick Mulkerrin and Mairéad Casey (link to notes)

Keep Her Lit

  • Paidhin O’Rafferty’s Jig (I think we just did the $500 step)
  • Clare Battering – $500

Speed & Craic

week 4

Woodshed

In this Zoom class we covered “The Crooked Road / The Foxhunter’s Reel” from Under the Moon by Martin Hayes. Edith noted that this track sits right around 126 bpm.

About the Album

“Martin returned to County Clare to record Under the Moon, gaining the accompaniment of his father, famed fiddler P.J. Hayes, and guitarist Steve Cooney. He is also joined by his American musical partners, accordion virtuoso John Williams and Portland guitarist/fiddler Randal Bays. This album contains all the spirit and eloquence of his eponymous debut and adds even more passion. No one can get inside a tune–be it barndance, jig, or reel–like Martin Hayes. Under the Moon is an album that stirs the heart and electrifies the mind!” – (Compas records)

No wonder the guitar caught my attention so much during class—it’s Randal Bays! He also plays guitar on Martin’s first album. It was a bit hard to hear the guitar clearly on Zoom, so if you can, go back and listen to the recording. It’s just gorgeous. Also I don’t have liner notes anymore and Steve is also on the Album but just from listening I’m pretty sure it’s Randal on that track.

A Note on Speed

Katrina asked a great question about tempo: Are we trying to get up to 120 bpm?

For my own dancing, when I’m at a session, reels are usually a bit slower—often 110–115 bpm. At a céilí, the tempo can be closer to 120 bpm, sometimes a touch faster depending on the musicians.

On stage, though—and this is where I personally get into trouble—the tempos can really take off. This often happens when I’m invited to hop in on the last tune of the night. The band is warmed up and flying, and if I’m not warmed up or haven’t been practicing at those higher speeds, I can find myself struggling.

So what I’m really saying is: I like to be prepared for those situations. I want to know what I can comfortably pull off before I’m standing on stage in front of a crowd. If I haven’t been dancing at those tempos for a few months, I can find myself in a bit of a pickle!

Keep Her Lit

Speed & Craic | Clare Battering Steps transitions

Classes, Irish Set Dancing, Past Classes

Fridays 6:30pm | 2025 Fall | Irish Set Dances and Kitchen Dances

maldonm

intro

Welcome to Fall Term!

Through structured steps, humor and joy, explore these two Irish social dances with community. As you do, you’ll also learn about the culture from which the dances originated. All levels welcome.

Fall Term runs October 3 – December 12 (Notes: No class 10/17, 11/7, 11/21, 11/28. No black-soled shoes)

Course Resources

Week by Week

DanceSteps & MovesBackground
Week 1: 10/3Kitchen Dance:
The Corn Reeks
(Na Corn Rigs)		hop 123
hop 1234567
hop back, hop back, hop 123
house around		Article in The Irish Times
Set Dance:
Connemara Reel Set		lift 123
Lead Around / Back
Advance & Retire
House Around
Swing
Follows Chain
Week 2:
10/10		Kitchen Dances:
Stack of Barley
Week 3:
10/17		No PCC class
3rd Friday Céilí @ Waverly
Week 4:
10/24		No PCC class
Concert @ Waverly
Week 5:
10/31		Set Dance:
Connemara Reel Set
Canadian Barndance
Merchant
Week 6:
11/7
Week 7:
11/14
Week 8:
11/21		No PCC Class
3rd Friday Céilí @ Waverly
Week 9:
11/28		No PCC Class
Butterball @ Kathleen’s
Week 10:
12/5
Week 11:
12/12

playlist

On this tab you will find playlists for the music, sets and video lessons for the whole course.

history

History/Background

Set dancing teacher Padraig Mc Eneany posted a video of the French Lancers. It’s so cool! I’ve always hear about the Irish Set and other squares/sets coming from the orignial French Quadrila but never had the chance to see one. This is well worth watching if you are a set dance nerd. Same but different!

Barbra and Bret sent this to me and I wanted to share it with all of you:

  • History/Background – this a great video of set dancing on the site. One of the dancers look to me like the late Willie Keane. (the taller lead).

Kitchen Dance: The Corn Reeks (Na Corn Rigs)

  • In: hop (or drop) 123, hop (or drop) 123 (2x)
  • Out: hop back hop back hop back hop back
  • house: hop 123 (6x), hop back hop back hop back hop back

connemara

Connemara Reel Set

This playlsit has several Connemara dances. The first set is the Connemara Reel Set that we danced in class.

corn

Kitchen Dance: The Corn Reeks (Na Corn Rigs)

  • In: hop (or drop) 123, hop (or drop) 123 (2x)
  • Out: hop back hop back hop back hop back
  • house: hop 123 (6x), hop back hop back hop back hop back

stack

Stack of Barley

barndance

Canadian Barn Dance

merchant

Merchant Set

Classes, Past Classes

10/2025 Maldon’s Performance Process

maldonm

I have a goal of getting back into dance shape and back to preforming. I tought that I would record my process and share it with you.

Material Samhain Folder

  • W 10/01 – am Class, private lesson, pm Class, prep, listen, 4 hours
  • T 10/02 – Fiddler’s She Performance, listen 4 hours
  • F 10/03 – am class, Melt, Cape Breton, pm class, listen – 4.5 hours
  • S 10/04 – Yoga Nidra, Irish langae, walk, listen – 3.5 hours
  • S 10/05 – walk, listen, 2 hours
  • M 10/06 – am class, accordion, fumble, listen – 4 hours (had AI symptoms) – over did it, off on medication. Had to bring the walker back into the mix, not a good day!
  • T 10/07 rest, sets, listen – 6 hours
  • W 10/08 – am class, open studio – Melt Feet & Melt Lowback, pm class, listen – 3.5 hours
  • T 10/09 – Waltz Clog, stamina, listen – 2 hours
  • F 10/10 – am class, walk – 3 hours
  • S 10/11 – Walk – 1 hour
  • S 10/12 – Melt Feet & Melt Lowback, – 1 hour
  • M 10/13 – am class, open studio,
  • T 10/14 -sets
  • W 10/15 – am class, open studio, pm class
  • T 10/16 –
  • F 10/17 – am class, open studio, céilí
  • S 10/18 –
  • S 10/19 –
  • M 10/20 – am class, open studio,
  • T 10/21 – sets
  • W 10/22 – am class, open studio, pm class
  • T 10/23 –
  • F 10/24 – am class, open studio,
  • S 10/25 – Samhain Festival
  • S 10/26 –
  • M 10/27 – am class, open studio,
  • T 10/28 – sets
  • W 10/29 – am class, open studio, pm class
  • T 10/30 –
  • F 10/31 – am class, open studio,

Blog

Breaking News | The Fall Schedule is out NOW!

maldonm

FALL 2025

Classes & Events with Maldon Meehan

WEEKLY CLASSES

Mondays – 7:30am · Woodshedding (Zoom)
Tuesdays – 6:30pm · Irish Set Dancing (In-Person, Portland)
Wednesdays – 7:30am · Keep Her Lit (Zoom)
       6:30pm · Sean-nós Dance (Zoom)
Fridays – 7:30am · Speed & Craic (Zoom)

Private Lessons — Now booking limited spots (online or in-person)

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 19 · 7pm – 3rd Friday Céilí
Waverly, 3300 SE Woodward St, Portland
with Bob Soper · First Céilí of the season

Sept. 27 · 12pm – Irish/Scottish Céilí
with Preston Howard Wilde & Ellisa Chandler
Waverly, Portland
Celebrating Maldon & Amber’s 50th Birthday

OCTOBER

Oct. 2 – Fiddlers She – Alberta Rose Theater
Jacie Sites, Celeste Johnson, Aarun Carter, Brongaene Griffin & more

Oct. 17 · 7pm – 3rd Friday Céilí
Waverly, Portland

Oct. 25 – Samhain Festival – Salem, OR
Performing with Betsy Branch & Dylan Wilde
Workshops & Family Céilí with Na Róisí
Festival info

NOVEMBER

Nov. 7–9 – Yachats Celtic Music Festival · Yachats, OR

Nov. 13 – Sean-nós Dance Workshop · Eugene, OR
Sponsored by Frolicking Meese
Details here

Nov. 21 · 7pm – 3rd Friday Céilí
Waverly, Portland

Nov. 28 · 7pm – Butterball Céilí
Private Home (contact Maldon for details)

DECEMBER

Dec. 19 · 7pm – 3rd Friday Céilí
Waverly, Portland