Beginners, Past Classes

Mon. 12pm | 2021 Winter 2 | Class | Absolute Beginners

intro

Welcome Absolute Beginners!

This 4 week course covers the fundamentals of Sean-nós dance and introduces students to Irish music. 

Learn how to shuffle and do the Connemara basic step. Get familiar with foot vocabulary from step one. Learn the difference between jigs and reels.  Hear other rhythmic tunes such as polkas, hornpipes and waltzes. With a true beginner approach, learn to step in time with the music and discover the joy of Irish Sean-nós dance.

This course is designed for students with no prior dance experience.

Welcome to your sean-nós dance practice!

class 1

The first class we learn jigs. Jigs are in 6/8 time.

Class 1 – Jig

class 2

Class 2 Polkas

Music Resource page | All Tune types

Polka Resource Page

  • Warm up – polkas
  • Vocabulary/Tricks
    • Kick up
    • Heel kick/click
    • Step, heel, hold
    • Side step
  • Song – Tell Me Ma

class 3

Class 3 Reels

class 4

Class 4 Waltz

  • Vocabulary
    • Basic Step
    • Simple heel
    • Ending Step
  • Song – Cockles and Mussels

resources

Past Classes

Tues. 5pm | 2021 Winter 2 | Class | Set Dance | Battering

intro

We will continue to work with Clare battering steps. We will work with Clare sets and incorporate battering steps while learning or refreshing on popular Clare set dances. The focus of the first 3 classes will be dancing at home. We will drill Mick and Aidan’s dance at home steps.

class 1

Class 1 – Dance At Home with Mick’s Banner Step

  • Intros
  • Warm up
  • Basics – 4
    • Smooth traveling step
    • Smooth advance & retire
    • Smooth house
    • Smooth dance at home
  • Step
  • Practice
    • In place

We will be working towards dancing these steps in the plain set. We didn’t get there tonight, but you can check out where we are headed.

class 2

Class 2 – Dance At Home with Mick’s $500 Step

5pm PST | 6pm MST | 7pm CST | 8pm EST on ZOOM Class | Battering: the second class we will cover Mick’s $500 Battering step. We will work on dancing at home with this step and review Mick’s Banner step and the Clare Battering step. Our goal is to incorporate 1 or all 3 steps into the Kilfenora Plain Set. This should get us primed for the Thursday night class where Phil Meehan will lead us in the Kilfenora set. 

  • Warm up
  • Basics – 4
    • Smooth traveling step
    • Smooth advance & retire
    • Smooth house
    • Smooth dance at home
  • Step
    • Mick’s $500 Step
    • Right Lead (Lady)
    • Left Lead (Gent)
    • Shuffle vacation or heel toe heel drop
  • Practice
    • In place
    • Home
  • Set: Kilfenora Plain Set
  • Review
    • Mick’s Banner Step
    • Clare Battering Step

class 3

Class 3 – Dance At Home with Aidan’s Step

  • Warm up
  • Basics – 4
    • Smooth traveling step
    • Smooth advance & retire
    • Smooth house
    • Smooth dance at home
  • Step
  • Practice
    • In place
    • Home
  • Set: Caledonian

class 4

Class 4 – Mick’s Advance & Retire Step

  • Step
    • Mick’s Advance & Retire
    • Right Lead (Lady)
    • Left Lead (Gent)
  • Practice
    • Slow, Med, Fast

class 5

All steps thus far:

  • Mick Banner
  • Mick $500
  • Aidan
  • Clare Batter
  • Mick Advance & Retire

class 6

resources

All the Videos for this term!