Set Dance article from native Swede living in Ireland

Wonderful description of Set Dancing by a Swedish Native, living in Ireland, describing her first experience with Irish Set Dancing

Celtic Country Line Dancing

Another Irish style of dancing is creating a whirlwind. There is a new rage taking over for those who want to experience the power of Celtic music but would rather dance in a line dancing format. This video of "line dance country celtic slide"  by westerndancer has had over 125,000 hits, just to give you an idea of the popularity.

Article from Wales about The Gathering in Killarney

This wonderful article from Wales about The Gathering in Killarney captures the spirit and fun that those who are fortunate enough to attend The Gathering, in Killarney, in February, enjoy.

Galway Priest leads the way with Set dancing

A Galway Priest, Father Martin Glynn is using Irish Set Dancing as a means to bring people together

Stomp-de-dump stomp-de-dump stomp-de-dump stomp!

I need words when I'm learning a new dance. These are the words I've made up to help me master "the gallop" in Sean-Nós Dancing, a solo form of Irish step dancing. Frank and I and a whole bunch of others have just started lessons with Kieran Jordan, who's teaching a beginner class at the Dance Complex in Cambridge (MA).

Kieran has made this form of Irish dancing popular in the Boston area, as evidenced by the thirty or so dancers who show up for class each week and struggle to make their feet tap out a rhythm in time to a slow reel with some semblance or order. As this is a "free-style" type of dance, there is really no *wrong* way to do it, within some guidelines like "keep your feet low to the ground" and "stay in time with the music," made all the more difficult by trying to remember to stomp first or struggling to switch from leadnig with the right foot to leading with the left. Ah, but wait 'til you see us in a couple of months! Hopefully, the stage-fright jitters will have worn down, as Kieran has us dance a solo before the group at each class. Here's what Sean-Nós dancing looks like as seen at the 2008 ICONS Festival in Canton (MA).

Just a note about how this relates to set dancing: there's a "Clare step" done in Sean-Nós dancing that is often used in the "lead-around" in set dancing. It's a fancy bit of footwork, but I'm still working on the words to it.

Cops reveal Irish dance instructor's disturbing secret

I found an interesting article in a Minneapolis Minnesota newspaper that tells the story of a long time set dance teacher, his ability to "navigate" women around the floor, and his eventual dustup with the local police. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.startribune.com/local/30073039.html?elr=

Travel to The Gathering in Killarney

If you're thinking of traveling from the States to The Gathering (the festival website - view 2008 festival information until the website is updated for 2009) in Killarney (Ireland) in February, NOW is the time to book your flight.

Take advantage of Aer Lingus' $199 each way fares from Boston and other US cities by September 19th, 2008. The festival consists of five days of concerts, ceilis, sessions, set-dance and instrument workshops at The Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, Ireland. To take advantage of all the festival offerings, book your flight to arrive by Wednesday for an evening session and stay through Sunday night (18th - 22nd).

To download a flyer on The Gathering and find more info, go to Irish Thymes.

West Clare Dance Masters Celebrated

The contribution to Irish dance and music of two of Ireland’s most celebrated Dance Masters, the late Dan Furey (1909-1993) and James Keane (1918-2000), is celebrated each September with the Dan Furey Weekend in County Clare, Ireland. They are credited with being the saviors of the traditional dances of the Labasheeda area and for establishing dance schools throughout West Clare* in the West of Ireland. Read more on "Remembering Ireland's Dance Masters." [Photo courtesy of DiscoverIreland.com]

*"Holiday Haunts on the West Coast of Clare" by H B H is a travel guide to the resorts of Clare, published in 1891; it is published by the Clare Library and is a fascinating look into the resorts of the past in this area of Ireland. Find more online publications of the Clare Library here.

A hidden jewel in the West of Ireland

If you were expecting a travel blog, this is not the place. Instead this is about a are radio station, that through it's programming, keeps the tradition alive. The station is Clare FM, based in Ennis, County Clare. Each weeknight they have a two hour show focusing on Traditional Irish Music. Each night there is a different host, each with his/her own style and personality.

For Set Dancers traveling to Ireland, they announce locations,festivals and classes that will occur throughout County Clare.

Last fall, Clare FM did an eight week series, "The Kitchen Sessions", that originated in homes and pubs throughout County Clare.

Paula Carroll did an incredible job in bringing the flavor of a rural home seisun to a worldwide audience.

From the kitchen of Pat & Peggy O'Reilly, Rath, Corofin

Each show featured live music performed by local musicians, set dancing, interviews with the host and hostess, as well as some of the musicians andset dancers.

Clare FM has kept all 8 Kitchen Sessions on line for everyone to enjoy.

My favorite was the Session 7 held at Chris Droney's house in Belle Harbor. Chris is one of the all time great Concertina players and usually plays with the Four Courts Ceili Band.

His whole multi-generational family participated.

Cillian, David and James Droney play with their grandfather Chris

They were able to convince Chris to do a few steps.

(My goal in life is to be able to dance like Chris when I too am

in my Mid 80's)

There were Set Dancers and Sean Nos dancers who added a distinct comfort feeling to the show. Aidan Vaughn, Four Courts Drummer, and a frequent visitor to Boston, and Gussie McMahon, did a Sean Nos duet.

(Keiran Jordan is producing a video based on Aidan's Sean Nos dancing.)

I was fortunate to have met Gussie when I stayed at his Bed and Breakfast in Doolin the last time I was in Ireland.

Chris's brother John runs Set Dancing classes in Glastonbury CT and is a good friend of my aunt.

During the show they had a few call-ins from the Droney clan in Simsbury CT, giving the show an international audience.

If you enjoy great Traditional Music and want to know where to Set Dance in County Clare, Clare FM is the perfect choice.

For those technology buffs, they leave each show on the web for a week.

You can either listen or download to your IPOD.

Pictures provided from the Clare FM website

not set dancing, but great news for set dancers

Some very exciting news -- read the press release:
Irish band Dervish to bring the spirit of Irish music "sessions" to American airwaves for the first time "Irish Heartbeat with Dervish" weekly public radio program to launch late 2008

The Irish music "session" – regularly connected with the great pubs of Ireland and the wild beauty of the west of Ireland – is now set to take a new path on American airwaves.





Renowned Irish traditional band Dervish will bring the sounds of a spirited Irish session to American public radio audiences through a weekly radio program, "Irish Heartbeat with Dervish." The program goes into production this month at the band's Sligo studios in the West of Ireland.

Hosted by Dervish's charismatic lead singer Cathy Jordan, the program will feature guests from among Ireland and America's top traditional and roots musicians, as well as noted figures from Ireland's literary and wider arts world. Already confirmed are Matt Molloy (of The Chieftains) with John Carty, Moya Brennan of Clannad, The Celtic Tenors, Irish rock band The Saw Doctors, singer Susan McKeown, fiddler
Frankie Gavin (De Dannan), and leading traditional groups Danú and Téada.
Many others are in discussion.

Spellbinding music, exciting collaborations and engaging conversations with guests will all be part of "Irish Heartbeat with Dervish."

Listeners will get a true sense of sitting close in a music session at a pub or party in Ireland—a memorable experience with lively instrumental tunes traded back and forth, moving songs, chat, laughter, and always a great sense of fun, or as the Irish say, "craic" (prounounced crack).

"Irish Heartbeat with Dervish" will launch initially on flagship station WCMU-FM (an NPR-affiliate in Michigan) and its seven-station network later this year, and will be offered to over 800 public radio stations across the country. A Christmas special is in the works,
with plans for a St Patrick's Day show as well as broadcasts from some of Ireland's major festivals and landmarks. The program's website irishheartbeat.ie has just been launched, and will be regularly updated with program and guest information, audio clips, and more.
(For now, information can be found at the band's website, http://www.dervish.ie

Kerry Fleadh ad on Set Dancing causing controvvery

Uproar in Kerry as fleadh goes 'sets mad'

By Anne Lucey

Wednesday July 16 2008

"We are sets mad down here". There'll be "straight sets, illicit sets, wild sets, casual sets, gay sets, unprotected sets -- whatever turns you on!'

So goes a radio advert for the normally conservative Munster Fleadh Cheoil.

The advertisement has caused uproar in Kerry, where some listeners claim the ad has left them confused.

The advertisement's creator is Nick Ryan, honorary public relations officer for the fleadh. Some 30 years ago he created the 'Just One Cornetto' ice cream jingle, one of the most popular ever.

Now living in Kenmare, Mr Ryan, who plays traditional music locally, said he tried to liven up news of the Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan 2008.

Amusing

"At the end of the day it was just an amusing way to present a fleadh, rather than just the usual 'diddle-da' advertisement," he said.

John Greene, a presenter with Radio Kerry, says the radio has had "an unmerciful amount" of text messages and calls about the advertisement, but only about half are complaints. Other calls are defending it and seeing it as a bit of a laugh. Radio Kerry is to continue running the ad.

- Anne Lucey

Boston Comhaltas Fundraiser for trip to Ireland to help defray costs of musicians attending Fleadh Cheoil Na hEireann

A packed house was on hand Friday August 8 at the Canadian American club for the Boston Comhaltas fundraiser to help defray some of the costs for Boston's participants the Fleadh Cheoil Na hEireann being held in later in August at Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
The Boston Comhaltas Music school Ceili band joined with the Boston Comhaltas band in providing exhilarating music throughout the night.
There are three Boston area participants, Caroline, Catherine and Roger who will represent Boston. There were large donations of food and raffle prizes resulting in over $1000 raised for the young musicians.
Caroline and Catherine each performed their specialty, Caroline on the tin whistle and Catherine with a Sean Nos song. They also combined their efforts in duet, where Catherine played the fiddle.
The dance floor was completely full all evening, with a mixture of Set Dances, Ceili Dances and Old Time Waltzes.
Larry, as usual, did a fabulous job as Emcee for the evening.
The proud parents were very appreciative for the amount of effort it took to make this a fantastic success both monetarily and socially.

The Festival of Lughnasadh

For thousands of years our ancestors have marked the significant moments of the year with seasonal festivals. Lughnasadh (pronounced loon-assah) is a festival of the first fruits of harvest, marking the beginning of the harvest season. In Ireland, it was a time of digging up the first of the potatoes. In the Irish language, the word for the month of August is 'Lunasa', named after the Celtic pagan god Lugh.

(photo from the 1998 movie with Meryl Streep "Dancing at Lughnasa")

The cheerful gatherings in observance of the festival included dancing “to observe and conform with the powerful rhythms of nature and cosmos.” [Celebrate the Solstice.]

Traditionally, small local groups gathered together in a larger cultural unit to celebrate; that provided much of the cohesive force that bound clan to clan. Like the people who have celebrated Lughnasadh through the years, the local groups of set and ceili dancers, musicians, and the Irish community in the Greater Boston and New England area are gathering in August to recall and be part of this traditional festival. The celebration with music, dance and refreshments, takes place at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, Massachusetts, on August 23, 2008, at 7PM.

Organizers Frank Bane, the president of Ceol Trad, and Maureen McNally are working with a number of well-known Irish organizations who are combining efforts to celebrate Lughnasadh: the Irish Cultural Centre of New England, C.A.R.E. The Eire Society of Boston, the Irish Pastoral Centre (IPC Boston: "a parish without boundaries" - see details of bus trip to the Centre), and The Irish Immigration Centre. The Ceol Traidisiunta na h'Eireann band has been asked to help play the music for the ceili. [Catch these musicians playing for a monthly ceili on the third Sunday of the month at the Hibernian Hall in Watertown (MA).] However, with such a diverse group sponsoring the ceili, they welcome others to play with them that evening! Join in the fun and dance the night away to the sounds of live traditional Irish music.

Contact Frank Bane at (617) 926-8847 or by email at FrankMaryB (at) aol.com for more information. Venue Phone number: 781-821-8291.

The Sliabh Fraoch set danced at The Gathering

A Set Dance Ceili, it wasn't

Last February, I was at the Micho Russell festival in Doolin, County Clare set dancing to the music of Chris Droney and the Four Courts Ceili Band. At the end of the afternoon, the band leader announced that they would be playing Monday Evening at Vaughn’s Barn in Kifenora, for a special benefit for a priest.

I mentioned to my friend that I would be in Kilfenora on Monday visiting relatives and said that I planned to go to the benefit.

When I arrived at Vaughn’s, I sat near the door to put on my dancing shoes. All of a sudden there was raucous cheering going on outside the main door. You have to understand, that two people would constitute a crowd in Kilfenora at 9PM on a Monday. My curiosity got the better of me and I went to see what all the excitement was. You can imagine my surprise to see hundreds of Priests, Nuns and people in Chinese Kimona’s cheering speaker after speaker, on a makeshift podium, in front of Vaughn’s Pub.

I quickly retreated inside and saw Bill Lynch, the editor of Set Dance News, who was capturing the event with his camera. I asked him about the benefit that was supposed to take place and he told me I was in error, it was not a benefit, it was TedFest 08, a memorial weekend in honor of the Irish hit TV series “Father Ted”

Just then all hell broke loose, the TedFesters all came at once, inside, forming a parade. Those of us who were there to set dance were in shock. The Ted Festers had their own emcee who announced that we were all there for an "Ecumenaceili" and then proceeded to teach the marchers a few Ceili dances, all in costume, of course. Have you ever seen Priests and Nuns, accompanied by Chinese, dance the Stack of Barley?

The Four Courts Ceili Band did play for the event, but I am willing to bet this was one of the more eclectic events that ever participated in.
The look on Chris Droney’s face was priceless. It looked like he was thinking, "how in God's name did this happen to me and when will it end".

After an hour of watching, we decided that it was best to leave Vaughn’s to the TedFest revelers.

A night to remember, but not for the set dancing.

Tony Ryan Workshop in Maine August 5th

There was quite a turnout for master Irish set dance teacher Tony Ryan from Galway, Ireland, last April (2008) at the Maine Set Dancing Weekend hosted by Kathy and Bill Gavin (backs to the camera in this photo; Tony in white shirt opposite holding microphone). Tony will be back in Maine at the Yarmouth Community House, 179 East Main Street, Yarmouth, Maine, for an evening set dancing workshop on Tuesday, August 5th at 6:30 PM. The Greater Portland Set Dancers would like to invite any and all, whether experienced or not, to come to the workshop. Contact Cathy Gavin by email at setdncr02 (at) maine.rr.com for more information.

Irish Dance Master Drills Boston Dancers

The pace was brisk at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton (MA) on Thursday night (7/24/08). Guest dance instructor Patrick O’Dea from Ireland kept the crowds hopping, first the step dancers then the set dancers. Patrick dances and teaches the old style of step dancing, known as sean nos Irish step dancing. “His feet batter in loose shuffles, hops, rocks and drums - complicated and percussive - but graceful, effortless and understated.” [From the Boston Irish Reporter, August 31, 1998 By Kieran Jordan; article archived at Celtic Cafe. I believe the step dance he taught was The Blackbird; as I sat waiting for the set dancing to begin, I watched the dance come together and was inspired into thinking about adding step-dancing lessons to my fall schedule; it looked like so much fun to do.

The set dancers gathered in their groups of eight to learn the Valencia Right and Left [Larry Taylor's Study Notes and Set Dancing News Study Notes]. As explained in “Another Brilliant Weekend by the Windmill” article in Set Dancing News, “this is an easy going set with an unusual ladies chain. Ladies don't touch or chain in the centre they pass each other by and chain with the opposite gent.” The Spanish sounding name had some of the dancers puzzled, but this set is from Valentia Island in the southwest of County Kerry in Ireland. It’s all polkas and the Kerry dancers love their polkas. As the study notes explain, you dance a gliding low-to-floor polka step, with a Ballyvourney-style “double-reverse” or "backup two steps and house" house. It was a fun night and an enjoyable dance that I am sure has gained instant popularity in the Boston area.


The organizers, Jackie and Janine, are shown here with Patrick. [View larger image] Keiran Jordan arranged and promoted the event, and Pat Callahan notified the set dancers on his email list covering Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Together they pulled together the "last minute" step and set dancing workshop with Patrick O'Dea. As you might imagine, word passed quickly among the dancers of the opportunity to learn from a renowned dance teacher.

Tony Ryan, another celebrated Irish dance teacher, will be leading a set dancing workshop in Yarmouth, Maine Saturday, August 2nd 2008 and again the following Tuesday. See the Irish Thymes Google calendar for details.

What a way to spend a hot Saturday in July

The Blackstone Theatre Celtic Festival

Last Saturday, in 95 degree heat, three sets of dancers had great Craic dancing to the fabulous music provided by the Broad Street Ceili band.

The setting for the festival could not have been any better. The Diamond Hill Park is a hidden jewel located in Cumberland RI. As you enter the park, there is a small lagoon, at the back of the lagoon, a permanent stage. Small hills surround the lagoon forming a natural amphitheater, complete with many trees for shade. On the upper left was an additional stage for music and on the upper right, the dance stage.

Barry Callahan was the designated emcee for the day and did a superb job coordinating all the different events at the dance tent. Set Dancing accompanied Irish Step Dancing, Irish Improvisational dances, Ceili dances and a few other styles I was not familiar with.

There were set dancers from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, dancing the Sliabh Luchra, Kilfenora, Antrim Squares, and other sets throughout the day. Barry shared some history of sets with the audience: all Clare sets have a social figure where everyone changes partners; the fourth figure of Clare sets is always a Show the Lady, etc. These are some facts that I had never heard before. He also changed the way the Sliabh Luchra was danced to reflect the original version.

On my ride down with friends, I offered to donate for gas. Joe suggested that I buy him a Guinness instead. The deal was struck. The Blackstone River Celtic Festival is family friendly and “dry”. I still owe him the Guinness

All in all, it was a great time.

Frank Lee Irish

Day dreaming about February in July

The Gathering is the perfect spot to be in February. Very little chance of a sunburn, mild weather and “Great Craic”

The Gathering is held annually in Killarney at the Glen Eagle Hotel. The Gathering is an event that features both Irish Set Dancing and Irish Traditional Music. The Set Dancing always starts on Wednesday night with a bus trip to Scartaglen in Sliabh Luchra country . There is more set dancing Thursday at the Glen Eagle and Friday, Saturday evenings and Sunday Afternoon at the Irish National Exhibition Center, next door to the Glen Eagle. The best Ceili bands supply the energetic music

Last year on Wednesday, we decided to change the Wednesday plans to an alternative location, closer to the hotel. A group of us, Nora, Trish, Cynthia, Lou, Martha and Tiag, plus a few dancers from the Burren, did a quick trip to the Grand Hotel in Killarney, for music by the Johnny Reidy Ceili Band. ( If you have never heard Johnny you are missing something, fast and exuberant) Imagine our surprise when we ended up directly in the front of the band. The first set was the Sliabh Fraoch, a set not one person in the group had ever danced or seen before. It was quite a sight, everyone trying to watch over their shoulder to the next group, to see what they were doing, all while the band played a fast paced polka.

Tim Joe and Pat Riordan provided the music on Thursday at the Glen Eagle. On Friday the music was provided by Abbey Ceili Band and on Saturday by the Four Provinces Ceili Band. Sunday, the Allow Ceili band from Cork, a band that won the 2007 All Ireland Ceili Band Competition, was by far and away the most exciting to dance to. The dance floor had roughly 500 dancers for each session, leaving plenty of room for the Kerry Set Dancers to show off their high kicks and jumps, without bumping into any other dancers. The dances were all called by the area’s best teachers, which really helped.

There were Set Dance workshops Saturday morning and afternoon and Sunday Morning. The workshops were for all levels, the advanced were taught by Pat Murphy, the beginners by Tim (The Brit) McCarthy, and also a children’s set dance workshop.

If that was not enough there was also a Sean Nos dance workshop for those interested in “Old Style” dancing. Pat Murphy taught the Antrim Squares Set and the Flight of the Earls. Regina and her daughter were in the same set as me for the Saturday classes. Pat called the Antrim Squares at the dance on Saturday night, so it really was worthwhile for us to have attended the workshops.

The concerts were performed by Pauline Scanlon and her Band(Friday), Lúnasa(Saturday) and Máirtín O'Connor, Cathal Hayden and Séamaí O'Dowd(Sunday).Also on stage at the various concerts was Seán Keane of the chieftains with Liam O'Flynn, Zoe Conway and John McIntyre, Jackie Daly, Séamus Creagh and Paul de Grae, Séamus Begley, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Jim Murray ,Jimmy Doyle, Paudie Gleeson and Joe Sullivan, Finbarr Dwyer and Mary Conroy, Paddy Cronin and John Cronin and many others.

We saw a few of the concerts, but many were scheduled at the same time as the Ceili’s

After the Set Dancing and concerts finish, everyone converges on the Glen Eagle. Wherever you could find room, musicians setup an impromptu Seisun. It was a kick to see Regina moving from Seisun to Seisun, lugging her harp. The Seisun’s continued until the wee hours of the morning. The two main pubs were filled to capacity, one had Sean Nos dancers and the other Set Dancers, showing their steps, as well as a combination of amateur musicians and concert performers. The Guiness flowed freely on the weekend nights. Tiag, the Other Tim, Regina and I spent one long night taking in the Guiness, the dancing and the music. (It’s not your average American concert scene with limos and aides. Everyone carries their own instruments: harps, whistles, fiddles, concertinas, accordions etc.)

During the day on Thursday and Friday, Martha, working with John O’Shea, The Gathering’s promoter, organized a group of musicians and dancers for a community outreach program at 12 elementary schools. Nora, Trish, Lou and I were the dancers on Thursday, Cynthia went on Friday. We were accompanied by "Tim O’Shea and Friends" who provided the music. Thursday was one of the highlights of the trip as many of the kids performed for us, while we were in their schools. In fact, there were many who did a more vibrant version of the North Kerry Set than we could do, forcing us to change our choice of dances at the last minute. At one school, one of the dancers did a “broom dance’ that brought the house down. One of the band members, whose name is Jacque, was from Brittany, in France. At each school the kids would shout, “Bonjour Jacque”. To see all smiling Irish faces, dressed in their school uniforms, was priceless. The talent level assures us that Traditional Music and Set Dancing have a long future.

A small world story, even though they live in Killarney, both John and Tim O’Shea attended the same elementary school as me in Massachusetts.

The Gathering dates are February 18-22 2009. If you are planning to attend, there are a few important items you need to be aware of. Bring plenty shirts, they don’t call this “Irish Sweat Dancing”, without good reason. Between sets, the Men’s room looks like a Gym locker room, everyone changing into dry clothes. If you are a Set Dancer, arrive early, all the seats around the floor will be filled ½ hour before the dance starts. If you are going to the concerts, be aware that the times listed are when the “doors open” not the start of the concert, which can occur anytime from 1-1 ½ hours after the doors open.

There are great packages available that include room, breakfast, transportation from/to Shannon, breakfast and all the events, check the www.thegathering.ie .

I can’t wait until “The Gathering 2009”

Frank Lee Irish

The Joy of Sets Blog - Introduction

The Joy of Sets Blog http://www.thejoyofsets.blogspot.com/ was created July 2008 by your hosts: Joy S. Dancer and Frank Lee Irish.

We use the name “The Joy of Sets” because it really does describe how we feel about set dancing. There is a feeling of joy and exhilaration while set dancing. The jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas and slides require an exertion of energy as in physical exercise, but, in addition to the endorphin high, the sharing of smiles and laughter among the dancers while pounding out the beat to traditional Irish music together is its own reward. The challenge of learning new sets can sometimes be frustrating but, once mastered, there is a great feeling of accomplishment and pride - a quiet but joyous satisfaction.

Why a blog? We want to share our love of set dancing with anyone who is interested. A blog is a quick and easy way to post information, photos, and videos about set dancing.

Our names are not really Joy S. Dancer and Frank Lee Irish, in case you didn’t already suspect that; but it doesn’t really matter who we are. We are set dancers. We are enthusiastic. We speak to, for, and about set dancers, set dances, set dancing, and the lively traditional Irish music that goes hand in hand (and foot in toe-tapping foot) with the dances.

Here’s a quick bow to Bill Lynch in recognition of his Set Dancing News (setdancingnews.net) website, his widely acclaimed magazine, and the wonderful photos and stories he has made available to Irish set dancers all over the world. The Joy of Sets Blog is not affiliated with Set Dancing News nor is it connected to Bill Lynch. We acknowledge Bill’s article “The Joy of Sets” published on his website which was (in his own words) “written to explain set dancing to people who are unfamiliar with it and to encourage them to give it at try. It originally appeared in the newsletter Inside Ireland in February 2004 and in Hornpipe magazine in June 2005.”

Signed: Joy S. Dancer