Category: Beginners

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!

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

Class 1 – Jig

• Warm up – Jigs
• Song – Humpty Dumpty / The Frost Is All Over
  • Create your own humpty dumpty with your feet
• GameToes only
• Tricks – 4
  • Heel Drop
  • Cross
  • Slide
  • Shuffle

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 Reels

• Warm up – Reels
• Step – danced at half time and full time
  • Heels (Róisín)
  • Connemara basic
• Song – Michael Finnegan / Goodie On A Saucer

Class 4 Waltz

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

All Steps Covered in this course:

• Vocabulary Skip back
• Vocabulary Cross
• Vocabulary Fancy Heels
• Vocabulary Stamp
• Vocabulary Toe Behind
• Vocabulary Toe
• Vocabulary Heel

• Connemara Step
• Heel Drop
• Shuffle step

• Connemara Hop
• Connemara Hop 123

• Connemara Zig Zag
• Shuffling