Memory Monday ◈

Memory Monday ◈

I Thought I Was Bad at Practicing

For years, I thought I was bad at practicing.

I didn’t have a regular practice routine.

I wasn’t setting aside an hour every day to work on my dancing.

And I felt guilty about it.

I put a lot of pressure on myself about what practice was supposed to look like.

Then one day, I was in a grocery store in Seattle with dancer Alicia Guinn.

I was standing in front of the cheese, trying to decide what to buy.

And while I was deciding…

I was dancing.

I didn’t even realize I was doing it.

Alicia came around the corner, saw me, and said,

“See! I’m not the only one who does that!”

I remember thinking:

Wait.

I’m practicing.

I just hadn’t been calling it practice.

That little moment in the cheese aisle changed the way I thought about practicing—and eventually, the way I taught it.

Practice doesn’t have to mean an hour in a studio.

It doesn’t have to require special clothes, a particular floor, or a carefully planned routine.

It can be five minutes.

It can be one step.

It can be listening to a tune.

It can be trying a rhythm while you’re waiting for the bus.

Or standing at the elevator.

Or waiting in line at the grocery store.

Your feet come everywhere with you.

So maybe the question isn’t:

“Did I practice today?”

Maybe it’s:

“Where could I dance for a few minutes today?”

That’s something I want my students—especially beginners—to know.

You don’t have to completely rearrange your life to become a dancer.

Start small.

Dance while you’re waiting for something.

Those few minutes count.

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I’d love to hear from you.

Where’s the funniest or most unexpected place you’ve ever found yourself dancing?

Or, if you’re just beginning:

Where could you dance for a few minutes today?

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This Week

I’d love to dance with you this week—online or here in Portland!

◈ Sean-nós Dance Classes

Monday & Wednesday

7:30 AM PT • 8:30 AM MT • 9:30 AM CT • 10:30 AM ET • 3:30 PM Ireland

Bring a YouTube clip of a musician or tune you’d like to work with, and we’ll develop steps to the recording.

I’ll guide you through the process while each dancer works with their own recording. There will also be time to share what you’re discovering and receive feedback.

Class information, Zoom links, recordings, and practice resources: https://maldonmeehan.com/2026-august-sean-nos-dance

◈ Open Studio Practice

Monday • Wednesday • Friday

8:30 AM PT • 9:30 AM MT • 10:30 AM CT • 11:30 AM ET • 4:30 PM Ireland

Need a little accountability? Join Open Studio hosted by Kathy Fletcher—a welcoming space to practice, ask questions, or simply spend time dancing alongside others.

And this week especially:

Remember that even a few minutes count.

Open Studio Details: https://maldonmeehan.com/open-studio

◈ Around Portland

Tuesday, August 18 — Steeplejack Set Dancing

6:30 PM

Join us for an evening of Irish set dancing with live music. No partner or experience needed—we’ll teach every dance.

Music: Eddie Parente & Cary Novotny

Dance List

• South Galway
• Cavan Reel Set
• Cashel Set
• Merchant

More Information: https://maldonmeehan.com/event/tuesday-steeplejack-ceili

◈ Friday, August 21 — Third Friday Céilí: Lúnasa

7:00 PM

Music: Betsy Branch

Waverly United Church of Christ
3300 SE Woodward St
Portland, OR

Dance list available on the website.

Details: https://maldonmeehan.com/event/3rd-friday-ceili-9

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Until next Monday…

Keep listening.

Keep dancing.

Keep the music alive.

— Maldon

I still remember my first céilí.

I was nervous.

Really nervous.

The last dance I’d been to was in middle school, and I remember feeling like a wallflower. Later, in ninth grade, I wanted to go to another dance. I asked someone if they’d go with me, and they said no. So I never went.

Walking into my first Irish céilí, all of those feelings came rushing back.

But this time was different.

Mary Lowes smiled and simply said,

“Join us.”

Those two words changed everything.

I had no idea what I was doing.

I went the wrong direction.

I counted my 3s and 7s instead of listening to the music.

And somehow…

I danced the Fairy Reel and the Three-Hand Hornpipe with my dad and Mary.

I danced the Haymakers Jig with John, one of the Lewis & Clark students.

I remember thinking,

“I feel so grown up.”

During the break, one of the musicians, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, sang. Everyone sat on the floor and listened together. I’d never seen a room full of adults do that before. It was beautiful.

There was even a raffle.

On the drive home, I couldn’t stop talking about the music.

My dad smiled and said,

“Wait until you hear the albums I have at home.”

Albums?

The musicians I’d just danced to had albums?

We got home after midnight and put on a Bothy Band record. I stayed up listening until the early hours of the morning.

When I woke up the next day, I only had one question:

“When is the next céilí?”

Looking back now, I realize that evening wasn’t really about learning the Fairy Reel or the Three-Hand Hornpipe.

It was about someone making space for me.

Someone saying,

“Join us.”

More than 35 years later, that’s still why I teach.

I want to be that person for someone else.

Because sometimes all it takes is one welcoming evening…

and two simple words.

“Join us.” 

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I’d love to hear from you.

What was your first experience with Irish music or dance?

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FALL 2025

Classes & Events with Maldon Meehan

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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)

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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

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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

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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)

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DECEMBER

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

I have been working on and studying mindset coaching and goal setting. It’s one of the things that has helped me most through my cancer journey. I have been working with my students and sharing some of the things that have been so helpful. One of them is Jon Accuff’s best moments list or as he now called it his awesome moments list. 

It’s a list that you make of the best moments in your life. Looking at the past to help guide the future. A list that I continue to add to and it makes me smile daily. I started working with this and then added the past goals that I reached. Oftentimes I reached them without knowing I was reaching them. Looking back at my accomplishments. 

One of the things that came to mind was the last time I was in the “best shape of my life”. I didn’t start out with that goal in mind. I started walking to the bus stop that was 15 blocks away. Then I rode that bus to work and got off at the stop that was 2 blocks away. These two blocks were straight up and very steep. 

Since I was in high school I have ridden the bus to school. In high school I grew tired of waiting for the bus. I was never very good at getting the time table so I would just go out when it was time to go to school and maybe I’d catch it and maybe I’d miss it and wait for the next one. I saw my teacher walking across the Hawthorne bridge on my way to school. I started to think if he can walk to school, so can I. He had mentioned that he saw me waiting for the bus one day. I realized that he was walking at least 10-15 blocks further than where I got on the bus so I started walking. This started my love of walking as transportation. 

Back to not wanting to wait for the bus and starting to walk further. I am also cheap and didn’t want to pay for the short bus ride to transfer to the max at Lloyd Center, which was in the free zone. I realized that if I walked to Lloyd center and got on there and then got off at the edge of the free zone downtown I could ride for free and walk part of the way. Then one day I decided to walk the whole way. I built this up over months. Walking to the max gave me the courage and curiosity to walk further and eventually I walked the whole way to work from home. 

I was so proud of my walking the whole way I of course told all my co-workers. One co-worker said that must take a long time. I said 2 hours. She offered me her extra bike and said you could bike and it would be faster. 

This scared me a little. I had biked in the country at my mom’s, but never in the city and so I started out small. I biked to the Lloyd center and got on for the fee zone and then biked up that massive hill or rather walked my bike up it. It’s a crazy hill. In fact, here’s a video that made national news when someone tried to drive it down in the snow. 

Eventually I decided I could bike the whole way and from there grew a habit of biking everywhere. Folks would offer me lifts home and I would say no I want to ride my bike and decompress. I looked forward to it everyday. This is evidence that I can do this. 

When I started walking again after being undiagnosed with Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency I started with a timer on my phone for 2 and half minutes and my walker. I waked until the timer went off and then I turned around. I did this for a month until I bumped it to 5 minutes and then to 10 minutes the following month. 

I’m back to dancing now and some walking, but I’m going to start my timer again. I’ll start with 15 minutes and then turn around. Who knows, maybe I’ll start biking again. The other thing I have learned is to have a low, medium and high goal. My low goal is once around the block. The medium is a timer for 10 minutes and then turn around and the high is a timer for 15 minutes and then turn around. 

After examining my progress I realize that I have done this with most of my walking. During the pandemic I started walking to the high school track and walking once around and then back home. Then I started walking twice around. After that I started running on the corners of the track and walking on the straight away. Then I ran straight away and walked on the corners. When I was doing this I visualized and remembered Mahomaod Ali saying he hated training but loved running. I was training 3 times a week with my personal trainer on zoom and dancing several times a day. I would like to get back to some of the things while listening to my body and taking care of my SAI. Not being scared of it but also not ignoring or pushing it too much. I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work and usually lands me in bed for days or a week. Baby steps everyone. 

Something that seems not good enough can be the motivation that keeps you going for the next 1% level up. Even as I write this I think my goal might be too big. 

So my new goal is going to build slowly on purpose. 

Let me reframe it:

• Low – walk around the block once a day
• Medium – walk twice around the block once a day
• High – walk three times around the block once a day

I can do this for one month before I level up.

What is your small goal that will help you reach your bigger dream?