Category: Dance Styles

All the courses on the site.

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 Set Dancing

2024 | Keep Her Lit | Battering for Sets

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52 Weeks of Battering for Sets

You have the freedom to choose your desired level for this course or challenge. I will be providing weekly lessons to guide you in learning, and I will also post video lessons for each step. By the end of the year, my aim is for you to have a collection of 52 weeks of Set dance and battering for sets lessons. The approach to this course is entirely up to you – whether you prefer to learn one step per month or per week.

Some of you might be keeping past material lit and some may be learning it for the first time. Where ever you are at we have the support you need.

  • Week 1 – Clare Batter #1
  • Week 2
  • Week 3
  • Week 4
  • Week 5
  • Week 6
  • Week 7
  • Week 8
  • Week 9
  • Week 10
  • Week 11
  • Week 12
  • Week 13
  • Week 14
  • Week 15
  • Week 16
  • Week 17
  • Week 18
  • Week 19
  • Week 20
  • Week 21
  • Week 22
  • Week 23
  • Week 24
  • Week 25
  • Week 26
  • Week 27
  • Week 28
  • Week 29
  • Week 30
  • Week 31
  • Week 32
  • Week 33
  • Week 34
  • Week 35
  • Week 36
  • Week 37
  • Week 38
  • Week 39
  • Week 40
  • Week 41
  • Week 42
  • Week 43
  • Week 44
  • Week 45
  • Week 46
  • Week 47
  • Week 48
  • Week 49
  • Week 50
  • Week 51
  • Week 52
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!

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

2023 March | Saturday Set Dancing

maldonm

intro

Shake out those shamrocks ‘n let’s boogie!

This March, our theme of the month will be advance and retires. We will focus on basic Clare advance and retires as well as including some battering. We will continue to review previous techniques and learn new dances.

As always I encourage you to review the videos and instructions before and after class. If you don’t have time, I’ve got your back. I will break everything down nice and handy and we will progress through the months dances. There’s never a better time to enjoy the art of Irish Set dancing. St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner!

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

Sat. March 4, 2023

Our set of the week is: Caledonian

This is one of my favorite sets. It is one I love teaching both beginners and experienced dancers. It’s the perfect set for perfecting housing and dancing at home. It also allows room for battering. The set can be receptive and when you aren’t focusing on footwork it some might call it boring. But adding a little battering and some great advance and retire steps lights up the dance. We will cover the basics and beginning of advancing and retiring as well as more advanced steps for those with more experience.

If there is time we will review the Claddagh Set. Reviewing the instructions and video before class will give you a nice leg up. If you don’t have time or forget no worries I’ve got your back and will teach and call everything.

week 2

WEEK 2 | Class notes

Sat. March. 11, 2023

Our set of the week is: Clare Plain

If there is time we will review 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.

week 3

WEEK 3 | Class notes

Sat. March 18, 2023

Our set of the week is: Corofin Plain

Jim Belcher recently taught a lesson on the Corofin Plain set at our Sweet Hearts dance in February. We will review the set and add more footwork.

If there is time we will review the The Cashel or (The Castle). We covered this dance in February. Videos and instructions can be found on the February class page under the week 2 tab.

Last Saturday Céilí

WEEK 4 | Class notes

Sat. March 25, 2023, 4-7pm

Last Saturday Céilí music by Preston Howard

  • The Caledonian
  • Seit Doire Cholmcille (Derry Set)
  • Claddagh Set
  • The Corofin Plain Set
  • The Clare Lancers set

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