Category: Irish Sean-nós Dance

• In-person & Online | Hydrid Class
• 2400 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR
• Zoom Link
• Music: Tune learning with Jim Loewenherz

Week by Week

	Tune	Steps	Resources
Week 1 – Jan 7	Reels: Jackie Colman’s Monaghan Twig		Improv with Sir George MacKenzie / Monaghan Twig / Seán Sa Cheo
Week 2 – Jan 14	Marches: Bonaparte Crossing The Alps The Battle Of Aughrim
Week 3 – Jan 28	Jigs: Bill Hearte’s Jig Out on the Ocean
Week 4 – Feb 4
Week 5 – Feb 11
Week 6 – Feb 18
Week 7 – Feb 25
Week 8 – March

Reels: Monaghan Twig & Jackie Colman’s

Marches: Bonaparte Crossing The Alps & The Battle Of Aughrim

Jigs: Bill Hearte’s Jig & Out on the Ocean

Hornpipes: Wicklow Hornpipe

Joey Abarta Playing Wicklow Hornpipe

• This class is held at PCC SouthEast campus
• Dance Shoes
  • There’s no official shoe for set dancing. The most important thing is a smooth, non-grippy sole that allows you to glide across the floor.
  • Good options include:
    • A tap shoe without the tap
    • Smooth-soled dress shoes
    • Dance sneakers
  • Regular sneakers aren’t recommended, as they tend to grip the floor and make turning and traveling harder.
• Local option: The Leotard on MLK carries several shoes that work well for set dancing. Let them know you’re taking a dance class and you’ll receive 10% off.
• Here’s an article about shoes – some ideas and recommendations.

Week by Week

	Set	Steps	Battering
Week 1 – Jan 9	Clare Plain Set Figures 1 & 2 Videos on week 1 tab	3’s Advance & Retire Step Videos on week 1 tab	Heel drop in the 3’s and Advance & Retire steps Videos on week 1 tab
Week 2 – Jan 16 No class at PCC campus!	You are invited to attend the 3rd Friday Dance at Waverly, 3300 SE Woodword St. Portland, OR	Free to all PCC Irish Set Dance Students
Week 3 – Jan 23	Clare Plain Set Figures 2,3,4	3’s Advance & Retire Step
Week 4 – Jan 30	Corballa Set	3’s	Jig step
Week 5 – Feb 6	Cashel Set	3	Slide (Jig step)
Week 6 – Feb 13	Corballa Set	3	Jig step (123,123,123) Step heel step
Week 7 – Feb 20 No class at PCC campus!	Kilfenora Connemara Clare Lancers Merchant Armagh Lancers	You are invited to attend the 3rd Friday Montlhy Céilí Music: Erik Killops Waverly, 3300 SE Woodword St. Portland, OR	Free to all PCC Irish Set Dance Students
Week 8 – Feb 27	Kilfenora Connemara Clare Lancers Merchant Armagh Lancers	3’s
Week 9 – March 6
Week 10 – March 13

On this Tab

• Steps for Set Dancing Playlist: Smooth 3’s practice videos
• Clare Battering Playlist: you are welcome to go down the rabbit hole here. This playlist had many videos of Clare Battering steps. The battering is an optional component of set dancing. If you like working on footwork and like the percussive elements of set dancing this is a good playlist to start working on your own. I will teach some battering steps in class, but they do take time outside of class to work on them and get them up to speed. This is a part of set dancing that I ablsoutly love and there are other dancers who prefer the smooth options. It’s completly up to you what you work on.

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Week 1 – Clare Plain Set

In the first class we learned the frist two figures of the Clare Plain Set from County Clare, Ireland.

• The Clare Plain Set
  • Printable callers notes with links to video examples
  • Clare Plain Set page – instructions, videos, music, steps

What we covered in class:

• Steps: 3’s (traveling step) and Advance & Retire
• Partner: Frame (waltz hold), hand holds
• Clare Plain Set
  • Figure 1: Square
  • Figure 2: Under the Wing

Step: 3’s

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Step: Advance & Reitre (Follow) starting on right foot

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Step: Advance & Reitre (Lead) starting on left foot

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Frame

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Clare Plain Set – First Figure

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Clare Plain Set – Second Figure

Week 2 – 3rd Friday Céilí

3rd Friday Céilí Dance List

Kilfenora Plain

1. Square Reels 96 bars
2. Under the Wing Jigs 112 bars
3. Lineup Reels 136 bars
4. Wheelbarrow Reels 240 bars
5. Sevens Jigs 112 bars
6. Mixer Hornpipes 160 bars

Ballyvourney slides (4 slides 4x each)

Lancers

1. Square Reels 160 bars
2. 4 turns Reels 192 bars
3. Big Christmas Reels 144 bars
4. Little Christmas Reels 192 bars
5. Chain & Line up Reels 192 bars

Connemara

1. Follows Chain Reels 160 bars
2. Back to Back Reels 192 bars
3. Christmas Reels 184 bars
4. Maggie in the Woods Polka 96 bars

North Kerry

1. Star Polkas 152 bars
2. Show the Follow Polkas 152 bars
3. Slide & Change Slides or Jigs 184 bars
4. Follows Star Polkas   88 bars
5. Follows move on Hornpipe 128 bars

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Week 5 – Cashel Set

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Whole Dance

Week 2 – 3rd Friday Céilí

3rd Friday Céilí Dance List

Kilfenora Plain

1. Square Reels 96 bars
2. Under the Wing Jigs 112 bars
3. Lineup Reels 136 bars
4. Wheelbarrow Reels 240 bars
5. Sevens Jigs 112 bars
6. Mixer Hornpipes 160 bars

Connemara

1. Follows Chain Reels 160 bars
2. Back to Back Reels 192 bars
3. Christmas Reels 184 bars
4. Maggie in the Woods Polka 96 bars

Lancers

1. Square Reels 160 bars
2. 4 turns Reels 192 bars
3. Big Christmas Reels 144 bars
4. Little Christmas Reels 192 bars
5. Chain & Line up Reels 192 bars

Merchant

• 1 Corners Advance & Cross
• 4 four turns, Sevens & half house

Armagh Lancers

1. Jig Square & Swing corner 136
2. Jig Square & Line up 136
3. Jig Big/Little Christmas 136
4. Jig Follows Star 136
5. Jig Chain & Line up 168