Irish Sean-nós Dance, Past Classes

2020 October | Sean-nós Dance | Kids

Intro

All the Videos for this Course!

Bellow is a collection of all of the videos we have used for this course in one place. They are organize week by week with the extra videos from class in-between each weekly class.

Welcome!

Did you know you can play your feet like a drum? It’s true! 

In this class, children of all ages will learn the basics of Sean-nós dance and become familiar with the rhythms of traditional Irish dance music (jigs, reels, polkas, etc.) through games, call-and-response instruction, and improvisation. This fun, low-pressure dance class is a great introduction to Irish music, dance, and cultural heritage for kids and their families. And best of all, it’s right in your own home! All you need is a screen with an internet connection, some hard-soled shoes, and a little space to dance. Each month of classes will have a theme based on the Celtic calendar. The theme for October is Samhain (pronounced SOW-in), a Celtic pagan festival similar to Day of the Dead. 

Sean-nós (“old style”) dance is a form of improvisational solo percussive dance from Ireland. Unlike modern step-dancing with its high-flying leaps and rigid arms, Sean-nós is close to the ground, rhythmic, and more relaxed. Sean-nós dancers aren’t just dancers, but musicians as well. Our instrument is our feet! 

Join us for weekly Zoom dance classes for children ages 3-12 (for children under 6, we request that an adult sit in; teens are encouraged to join the adult beginners class) and get ready to move your body!

Shuffle, shuffle, heel, toe tap!

class 1

class 2

class 3

class 4

resources

Irish Sean-nós Dance, Past Classes

2020 Spring Term | Sean-nòs Jigs | Acapella Jig

Class 1

00 – Warm up to Joe Root on box – “New Moon Meadow” 

5:00 – “Shuffle” – Breakdown

6:13 – 1st Step “3 shuffles, 2 shuffles, 4 heels” – Breakdown

11:15 – 1st Step “3 shuffles, 2 shuffles, 4 heels” – Slow Music – Betsy Branch on fiddle “Tatter Jack Walsh”

12:52 – 1st Step “3 shuffles, 2 shuffles, 4 heels” – A little faster

15:00 – 2nd Step “Cross” – Demo and Breakdown

19:00 – 2nd Step “Cross” – Slow music 20:18 min a little faster yet

22:12 – 1st (dance step 4 times – 16 bars) and 2nd step (dance step 2 times – 8 bars) – Slow music

25:30 – 3rd step “Simple” Run on (7 shuffles and a step)

I love how we all learn in different ways. I usually go by sound and visual, counting a step as you can see is not my strong suite. 

27:10 – 3rd step “Run on with no pause” demo and breakdown

When we put this all together in the routine this “run on step” will be the 5th step in the routine. 

32:50 – “Simple” 7 shuffles and “Run on with no Pause” to music. Ignore me saying 6 shuffles, it’s 7! 

37:00 – All 4 steps to music

  1. “3 shuffles, 2 shuffles, 4 heels” (4 times)
  2. “Cross” (2 times)
  3. “7 shuffle Run on” (2 times)
  4. “Run on with no Pause” (2 times)

40:40 – Breakdown of the “Bonuses”

44:15 – All 4 steps to music – 80 BPM (This section is a little glitchy on the recording).

47:30 – All 4 steps again to music 80 BPM “Morrison’s Jig/Munster Bacon”

54:13 – all 4 steps – to slower music followed by the “Run on with no Pause” a bunch of times

57:47 – We end class and check in

Resources:

Joe Root

Class 2

Class 3

Class 4

Class 5

Class 6