Sean-nós & Set Dance with Maldon
Specializing in easy to follow step by step instruction for all levels
Live classes, past, current and future.
Week by Week
| Mondays | Wednesdays | |
| Week 1 | 1 | 4 |
| No Class | Jigs | |
| Week 2 | 8 | 10 |
| Continue to build Motif Based Routine | ||
| Week 3 | 15 | 17 |
| Week 4 | 22 | 24 |
| Week 5 | 29 |
Week by Week
| Mondays | Wednesdays | |
| Week 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Metronome work 80 bpm | Start of routine | |
| Week 2 | 9 | 11 |
| Motif Based Routine 70-80 bpm | Continue to build Motif Based Routine | |
| Week 3 | 16 | 18 |
| Drill All steps starting with end Drill Together Metronome Time Add to routine | ||
| Week 4 | 23 | 25 |
| Bring a track or tune On our own we will work on dancing to this tune | Keep working on your tune(s) | |
| Week 5 | 30 |
| Week 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Clare Batter Step Heel & Toe (Rosin) “Shit Step” “Baby Hornpipe” Side Step (Katrina) | Clare Battering #1 Clare Batter #2 Clare Batter #1 #3 Mick 1st Half |
| Week 2 | 9 | 11 |
| 70-80 bpm Motif – Clare Battering #1 Clare Batter #2 Motif – Clare Battering #1 Clare Batter #1 #3 Motif – Clare Battering #1 Mick 1st Half Motif – Clare Battering #1 Hare’s Paw 1st Half Motif – Clare Battering #1 | 80 bpm – revamp and adjust routine A1 Clare #1 B1 Mick #1 A2 Clare #1 (pick up beat) B2 Mick #1 (1 drum/step) A3 Clare #1/#2 B3 Mick #1 (3 drums/step) A4 Clare #1/#2 (pick up beat) B4 Mick #1 (Hare’s paw) A5 Clare #1/#3 B5 Mick #1 (Hare’s paw drum) A6 Clare#1/#3 (pick up beat) B6 Mick #1 (shuffle backs) |
Wednesday Class Notes
In Wednesday’s class we continued refining the routine, simplifying it to one tune and focusing on just two steps:
We also started bringing in ornamentation ideas such as pauses, drums, triplets, slides, and drags.
Homework
Spend some time practicing with a metronome. I suggest working one step at a time to notice where you might be speeding up or slowing down. Aim to perfect each step on its own before putting them back into the routine.
If you find your timing slipping when you include all the variations, try practicing one A-part and B-part variation at a time until each feels solid. Then begin adding them together.
Once you’re happy with your timing, try bumping the tempo up by about 1-5 BPM. Aiming to be at 85 bpm by Monday.
| Week 3 | 16 | 18 |
| 12. B6 Mick #1 (shuffle backs) 11. A6 Clare#1/#3 (pick up beat) 10. B5 Mick #1 (Hare’s paw drum) 9. A5 Clare #1/#3 8. B4 Mick #1 (Hare’s paw) 7. A4 Clare #1/#2 (pick up beat) 6. B3 Mick #1 (3 drums/step) 5. A3 Clare #1/#2 4. B2 Mick #1 (1 drum/step) 3. A2 Clare #1 (pick up beat) 2. B1 Mick #1 1. A1 Clare #1 | 1. A1 Clare #1 2. B1 Mick #1 3. A2 Clare #1 (pick up beat) 4. B2 Mick #1 (1 drum/step) 5. A3 Clare #1/#2 6. B3 Mick #1 (3 drums/step) 7. A4 Clare #1/#2 (pick up beat) 8. B4 Mick #1 (Hare’s paw) 9. A5 Clare #1/#3 10. B5 Mick #1 (Hare’s paw drum) 11. A6 Clare#1/#3 (pick up beat) 12. B6 Mick #1 (shuffle backs) |
Drill all steps starting with the end and adding on each step.
Next Week – Bring a tune or a track that you like and create steps to it. Work on dancing it without the tune to see if you can hear the tune in the steps. Still no music March, but using music to inspire your steps. Practice listing and creating steps and then turning it off and keeping the rythm, pulse and melody in your feet and head.
| Week 4 | 23 | 25 |
| Bring a tune Dance to: 1. The Tune 2. Without the tune 3. With a Metronome | Continue with your tune Dance to: 1. The Tune 2. Without the tune 3. With a Metronome |
Maldon’s Accapella Routine
Week by Week
| Woodshed | Keep Her Lit | Speed & Craic | |
| Week 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| The Galway Rambler / The London Lasses | Triplets Paddy Bon (ball) | Seamus Egan | |
| Week 2 | 9 | 11 | 13 |
| Teampall an Ghleann/Hickey’s | Triplets hips (heel) Paddy Bon (ball) | Enda Scahill & Joel Anderson | |
| Week 3 | 16 | 18 | 21 |
| Triplets Ronan (step shuffle) | Triplets hips (heel) Paddy Bon (ball) Ronan (step shuffle) | Brian McGrath | |
| Week 4 | 23 | 25 | 28 |
| Triplets – Hop | Triplets: All | Feburary 2026 Playlist |
| Week 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| The Galway Rambler / The London Lasses | Triplets – Heel Review – Ball | Seamus Egan |
| Week 2 | 9 | 11 | 13 |
| Teampall an Ghleann/Hickey’s | Triplets Heels | Enda Scahill & Joel Anderson |
We talked after class about O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat and Seosamh Ó Neachtain (Joe)
| Week 3 | 16 | 18 | 21 |
| Triplets Ronan (step shuffle) | Triplets hips (heel) Paddy Bon (ball) Ronan (step shuffle) | Feburary 2026 Playlist |
| Week 4 | 23 | 25 | 28 |
| Hop Triplets | All the triplets | Feburary 2026 Playlist |
Enda Scahill – Gan Ainm/Liz Carroll’s (Air Tune) – steps inspired by this track. I went down the rabithole after class and continued to work on the step. I created the orginal part of it just before class and then built on it and am in the process of adding a triplet into the step. It’s a work in porgress.
I’m on the hunt for great banjo players and recording to share with you. I put it out on facebook and got some great recommendations some of whom I had never heard of. Those of you not on facebook here’s the list so far. If you are on facebook check out the post as folks keep adding to it.
I have been going through and listing to some of these. If you find ones you really like please let me know. I put a few of my favorites at the top of the list.
Here is my youtube banjo playlist.
Monday, Wednesday and Fridays
8:30 AM PST | 9:30 PM MST | 10:30 AM CST | 11:30 AM EST | 12:30 PM ADT | 4:30 PM GMT on ZOOM
Hosted by Kathy Fletcher
Room to open 15 minutes early and close 15 minutes after the official end time.
Elevate your practice routine with Open Studio! Join artists, dancers, crafters, and musicians for free weekly practice sessions that boost accountability. From Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, sharpen your skills and receive peer support in a non-judgmental environment. The encouraging community at Open Studio will inspire you to excel in your craft. Struggling to stay motivated? All are welcome, and it’s entirely free.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/96434303782?pwd=UnR4WWRkRUwxTCtQeUhaSmdYMmpuUT09
Meeting ID: 964 3430 3782
Passcode: 720099
Class Held at:
2400 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR (upstairs)
Week by Week
| Set | Steps | |
| Week 1 – Jan 6 | Armagh Lancers | Slide/Jigs/Polka step: down23’s |
| Week 2 – Jan 13 | Armagh Lancers | |
| Monthly Céilí – Jan 16 | Kilfenora Plain Ballyvourney Lancers Connemara North Kerry Set | Waverly 3300 SE Woodward St Portland, OR |
| Jan 20 | No Class | |
| Week 3 – Jan 27 | Corballa Set | Reel steps: up23’s advance & retire Jig Step: down23’s |
| Week 4 – Feb 3 | Corballa Set | |
| Week 5 – Feb 10 | ||
| Week 6 – Fen 17 | ||
| Week 7 -Feb 24 | ||
| Week 8 -March 3 |
we will learn the Armagh Lancers.
This set will be familiar to some of you who were in class last year. It also shares many similarities with the Clare Lancers Set. If you are taking the PCC class we will be learning the Armagh Set, this week which is also a jig set.
Fig 1 Square & Swing Corner Jigs 136bars
Fig 3 Big/Little Christmas Jigs 136 bars
Fig 4 Follows Star Jigs 136 bars
Fig 5 Chain & Line up Jigs 168 bars
Review the Armagh Lancers from Week one.
Week by Week
| Tune | Steps | Resources | |
| Week 1 – Jan 7 | Reels: Jackie Colman’s Monaghan Twig | Improv with Sir George MacKenzie / Monaghan Twig / Seán Sa Cheo | |
| Week 2 – Jan 14 | Marches: Bonaparte Crossing The Alps The Battle Of Aughrim | ||
| Week 3 – Jan 28 | Jigs: Bill Hearte’s Jig Out on the Ocean | ||
| Week 4 – Feb 4 | |||
| Week 5 – Feb 11 | |||
| Week 6 – Feb 18 | |||
| Week 7 – Feb 25 | |||
| Week 8 – March |
Week by Week
| Set | Steps | Battering | |
| Week 1 – Jan 9 | Clare Plain Set Figures 1 & 2 Videos on week 1 tab | 3’s Advance & Retire Step Videos on week 1 tab | Heel drop in the 3’s and Advance & Retire steps Videos on week 1 tab |
| Week 2 – Jan 16 No class at PCC campus! | You are invited to attend the 3rd Friday Dance at Waverly, 3300 SE Woodword St. Portland, OR | Free to all PCC Irish Set Dance Students | |
| Week 3 – Jan 23 | Clare Plain Set Figures 2,3,4 | 3’s Advance & Retire Step | |
| Week 4 – Jan 30 | Corballa Set | 3’s | Jig step |
| Week 5 – Feb 6 | Cashel Set | 3 | Slide (Jig step) |
| Week 6 – Feb 13 | Corballa Set | 3 | Jig step (123,123,123) Step heel step |
| Week 7 – Feb 20 No class at PCC campus! | Kilfenora Connemara Clare Lancers Merchant Armagh Lancers | You are invited to attend the 3rd Friday Montlhy Céilí Music: Erik Killops Waverly, 3300 SE Woodword St. Portland, OR | Free to all PCC Irish Set Dance Students |
| Week 8 – Feb 27 | Kilfenora Connemara Clare Lancers Merchant Armagh Lancers | 3’s | |
| Week 9 – March 6 | |||
| Week 10 – March 13 |
In the first class we learned the frist two figures of the Clare Plain Set from County Clare, Ireland.
What we covered in class:
Ballyvourney slides (4 slides 4x each)
North Kerry
3rd Friday Céilí Dance List
Merchant
Armagh Lancers
Week by Week
| Steps | Music | Resources | |
| Week 1 – Jan 10 | Jigs 3 Shuffles, 2 Shuffles, 4 Heels 8 shuffles Tip & Click | Jigs Link to the Spotify playlist | Jig Course |
| Week 2 – Jan 17 | NO CLASS | Jig Course | |
| Week 3 – Jan 24 | Cross Step Run on | Jig Course | |
| Week 4 – Jan 31 | |||
| Week 5 – Feb 7 | |||
| Week 6 – Feb 14 | |||
| Week 7– Feb 21 | |||
| Week 8 – Feb 28 | |||
| Week 9 – March 7 |
This week we put together the start of our routine. Sean-nós dance is at it’s core improvisational and free form, but when you are starting out you need a place to start. Having a routine and something to practice as you get comfortable with the dance form.
Moycullen Set (Galway)