Category: Dance Styles

All the courses on the site.

Clare Battering, Classes, Irish Set Dancing, Past Classes

2024 Sept | Set Dance | Advance & Retires

maldonm

intro

Entire Playlist

week 1

Willie Keane’s Advance & Retire Step

  • Level 1 – with a pause
  • Level 2 – with a heel
  • Level 3 – orginal with 4 heels
  • Version 4 – orginal with 3 heels
  • Willie Keane Page – videos of Willie dancing

Woodshed – Left Side

week 2

Hornpipes, Old-Style Step Dance, Steps

Old Style Step Dance | Set Dance | Job Of Journeywork | Step 1 Lead Out

maldonm

breakdown

Step 1  – Lead Out

Tip down Tip down shuff-le 1 2 

Hop tip down shuff-le 1 2

Hop tip down shuff-le 1 2

Hop tip down shuff-le 1 2

Hop tip down shuff-le hop back

Tip down tip down shuff-le hop back

Tip down tip down treble hop tip down treble hop 

tip down shuff-le hop back

practice

drills

Drill 1 – “Hop tip down shuff-le 1 2”

Drill 2 – “Tip down tip down shuffle-le hop back”

Drill 3 – Second half of step

playlist

Classes, Irish Set Dancing, Past Classes

Class | In-Person | Calling for Sets

maldonm

intro

Calling for Sets

Dive into the art of calling dances with our energizing 8-week course! Whether you’re a dancer looking to take the mic or simply eager to master the craft, this step-by-step program will guide you through everything—starting with calling your very first dance and building up to creating an unforgettable night of calling. Are you ready to bring the dance floor to life? Let’s do this!

Saturdays 11:30 AM

1/18 – 3/8

$120 for 8 weeks

2400 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR

Entire Playlist

week 1

Week 1

week 2

Week

week 3

Week

week 4

Week

week 5

Week

week 6

Week

week 7

Week

week 8

Week

Irish Sean-nós Dance, Old-Style Step Dance, Past Classes

2023 June | Thu 6pm | Hornpipes!

maldonm

intro

We will explore hornpipes, both traditional old style and Sean-nos inspired steps. Over the month each of will work on creating our own steps and style for dancing to hornpipes.

week 1

WEEK 1 | Class notes

week 2

WEEK 2 | Class notes

week 3

WEEK 3 | Class notes

Week 3. Find a tune that you like dancing to and put steps to the tune. Hornpipe steps, reel steps, jig or slide steps. You can create steps or create a routine or just improv to the tune.

week 4

WEEK 4 | Class notes

week 5

resources

    Classes, In Person Set Dance, Irish Set Dancing, Past Classes

    Irish Set Dancing

    maldonm

    intro

    The month of April we will be learning sets from Connemara.

    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

    Saturday April 1, 2023

    Our set of the week is: The Connemara Set

    Footwork for the Connemara. The Connemara step and the stamp and stamp step. The stamp and stamp step can help you travel when you are first starting out it might be hard to travel across the floor and I find this step easer to move further. I used it for years until I was able to dance the Connemara step fully.

    Connemara Set

    The Connemara set is a nice 4 figure set. The first sides are on the right of first tops.

    We reviewed 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.

    We also danced 3 figures of the Inis Oirr Set.

    week 2

    WEEK 2 | Class notes

    Sat. April 8, 2023

    Set of the Week: The Claddagh Set

    This another Connemara set. It was taught by Seamus O Meoloid a great set dancer and Sean-nós dancer. The set was revived in Ráth Chairn, Co. Meath. There is a Gaeltacht in Ráth Chairn.

    “n 1935 a number of families from the Connemara Gaeltacht were transplanted east to Ráth Chairn to live on land acquired by the Land Commission. It continues today as a thriving Gaeltacht, where Irish is spoken and its traditions embraced through dance and music.” from Ireland XO.

    My hope is to keep working on this set and have become one of Portland’s regular dances.

    If there is time we will review the Connemara and The Derry set.

    week 3

    WEEK 3 | Class notes

    Sat. April 15, 2023

    Our set of the week is: Foraer a Neaintín (Connemara Jig)

    If there is time we will review the Claddagh set.

    Week 4

    WEEK 4 | Class notes

    Sat. April 22 2023

    Mini Céilí

    • The Connemara
    • Foraer a Neaintín (Connemara Jig)
    • Inis Oirr
    • Claddagh Set

    We might not get to them all but we will try.

    Quarterly Rambling House

    Saturday Rambling House (Bealtaine)

    • Saturday, April 29, 2023
    • 4:00 PM  10:00 PM
    • Waverly UCC (map)

    Quarterly CCE open house and fundraising event. Our quarterly Saturday Rambling House returns for an half-day event featuring a General Meeting of the branch followed by instrumental sessions, singing circles, and music & dance workshops. Potluck and full céilí dance to follow! This is a great opportunity to introduce members of the wider Portland community to Irish cultural traditions while bolstering our current MÓD community with convivial conversation, moving music, superb singing, deft dancing, and FOOD!