The Caledonian Set

The Caledonian Set

Study Notes for The Caledonian Set:
Caledonean Study Notes [Set Dancing News]
Caledonean Study Notes [San Francisco's Cooley-Keegan Branch CCE]

The Caledonian Set Figures (short descriptions):
[6 figures: all reels except 4th jig; 6th hornpipe]
Figure 1 -House Across [or, home-house-home] (Reels)
Figure 2 - House Around (Reels)
Figure 3 - Home & Across (Reels)
Figure 4 - House Opposite (Jigs)
Figure 5 - House All the Ladies (Reels)*
Figure 6 - Hornpipe

Caledonian Set Videos: First Two Figures of The Caledonian Set Irish Dancing At Milltown Malbay 2006
First Figure on You Tube
First & Second Figure of the Caledonian Set Midwinter Set Dance Weekend 2009, Caledonian 1 & 2
Second Figure on You Tube - (see 1st & 2nd above)
Second and Third Figure of the Caledonian danced at Harrington's in Wakefield (on this website)
  Third Figure on You Tube
Third and Fourth Set of the Caledonian Midwinter Set Dance Weekend 2009, Caledonian 3 & 4
Fourth Figure of the Caledonian
Fifth Figure of the Caledonian
Fifth & Sixth Figures of the Caledonan Midwinter Set Dance Weekend 2009, Caledonian 3 & 4
Sixth Figure of the Caledonian

Caledonean Reel Footwork:
"The Clare style reel step is used for all reel figures and the 'down' jig step for the Fourth Figure." (Set Dancing News)
Ladies Caledonion Reel Battering Pattern for Set Dancers (links) used in the advance retire or dance in place
Ladies Caledonean Footwork Video [and a one, and a one, and a one then two] by YouTube - MaryMcKibbon
Gents "This footwork pattern repeats over n over for the entire Caledonian set dance. Its stepped off during swings, dance at homes, house around, etc." Hoilands http://www.hoilands.com/
Gents Caledonean Footwork Video [and a one, and a one, and a one then two] by YouTube - MaryMcKibbon
* "Often when dancing the Fifth Figure, all dancers will advance and retire rather than just the dancing couples, and both ladies and the non-dancing gents will turn in place as the dancing gents change partners" (Set Dancing News)

Photos of Maine Set Dancing Workshop with Tony Ryan April 2008

See related post:The Antrim Square Set

The Antrim Square Set

The first time I danced The Antrim Square Set was at the Irish Set Dancing weekend in Yarmouth, Maine (related post), hosted by Cathy & Bill Gavin in April 20008. Tony Ryan was the workshop teacher for the weekend and he introduced The Antrim Square to the area; it had already been big in Ireland. Here are the set dancing notes to the Antrim Square set, a short description of each figure, and links to YouTube videos of the figures being danced.

Set Dancing teachers demonstrate The Antrim Square at the Tony Ryan workshop in Maine. Dancing from left: Pat & Barry Callahan (Rhode Island), Cathy & Bill Gavin (Maine), Tony Ryan (Ireland - white shirt) and Ger Cooney-Browne (Massachusetts), and unknown-to-me (sorry) [more photos here]

Antrim Square Set

Study Notes:
Antrim Square Study Notes - Newcastle Irish Set Dancers
Antrim Square Study Notes - Larry Taylor
some common abbreviations in set dancing notation (see short notes below)

Antrim Square Videos:

• Figure 1 - Instruction by Padraig & Roisin McEneany at Cape May / Rehoboth October 2008 by ceili308
• Figure 1 - Danced Padraig & Roisin McEneany at Cape May / Rehoboth October 2008 by ceili308
• Figure 1 - Vienna, Austria, workshop with Patrick O'Dean by Cuchullain10
• Figure 1 & 2 Patrick O'Dea teaches Antrim Square in Seattle February 2009 by MaryMcKibbon
• Figure 2 - Instruction by Padraig & Roisin McEneany at Cape May / Rehoboth October 2008 by ceili308
• Figure 2 - Danced  Padraig & Roisin McEneany at Cape May / Rehoboth October 2008 by ceili308
• Figure 3 - Instruction by Padraig & Roisin McEneany at Cape May / Rehoboth October 2008 by ceili308
• Figure 3 - Danced  Padraig & Roisin McEneany at Cape May / Rehoboth October 2008 by ceili308
• Figure 3 led by Patrick O'Dea in Seattle February 2009 by MaryMcKibbon

• Tractor Square Dance - The tractors are dancing! The beginning of this figure is identical to the "Big Square" in the Antrim

Short Notes:

Fig 1 (reel) Ladies Star , Gents Star,  Advance-Right Square
All: LAR in sweetheart hold,  pivot back & Swing.
Tops: Ladies Star (r-l), Gents Star (r-l). TCs House & Ballyvourney-style square (advance-right 1-2, 123, backup to opp & 1/2 house to home).
All:  Big Square (tops advance / sides retire), reverse & Swing.
Sides: Ladies Star, Gents Star , Sides House & BV-style sq.
All: Big Square (sides advance / tops retire), reverse & Swing; House.

Fig 2 (jig) Crossovers & Basket
All:  LAR in sweetheart hold,  pivot back & Swing.
Tops: Ladies cross, gents cross, ladies cross back (& move into the center) gents cross back (& move into the center), Basket (swing-4) & Swing.
All: Big Square (tops advance / sides retire), reverse & swing.
Sides: Ladies cross, gents cross, basket & swing.
All: Big Square (sides advance / tops retire), reverse & Swing; House.

Fig 3 (polka) Slide & Change; Swing Corners, Swing Partners
All: LAR in sweetheart hold,  pivot back & Swing.
Tops: Slide & Change, Swing Corners, All Swing Partners.
All: Big Square (tops advance / sides retire), reverse & swing.
Sides:  Slide & Change, Swing Corners, All Swing Partners.
All: Big Square (sides advance / tops retire), reverse & Swing; House.

Patrick O'Dea in Boston at Harrington's

Patrick O'Dea, one of Ireland's foremost Irish dance masters, will make a stop on his brief US tour at Harrington's in Wakefield this Wednesday, June 21st. O'Dea will teach a few set dances at a workshop in the function room upstairs at Harrington's, starting at 7:30. The charge for the workshop and light refreshments is $12.

Patrick O'Dea teaching his "old style" Irish step dancing
at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton July 2008

Patrick  was born in County Clare, Ireland, grew up outside of London, and now lives in Roscommon, Ireland. He's recognized as a modern-day Irish dancing master because of his encyclopedic knowledge of traditional steps and his unbroken lineage to the dance masters of the 1700s.

Venue: Harrington's Food & Spirits, 17 Water Street, Wakefield, MA
Website: http://www.harringtonspub.com

East Galway Set Battering Footwork

Patrick O'Dea was in Seattle for a workshop in February 2010 and taught Irish set dancing battering footwork for the East Galway Set. [links to Mary McKibbin's YouTube video]

It's not easy to apply the complicated and bedazzling footwork into a set, especially when it is new. In this video, the dancers are learning the 5th Figure of the East Galway Set also taught by Pat O'Dea.

The notes for the East Galway Set can be found on Set Dancing News. Bill Lynch's glossy Set Dancing News magazine is filled with stories and photos of events and set dancing information.]

The Plain Clare Set

Tonight we are teaching The Plain Clare Set to Beginners at Harrington's

Plain Clare Set Study Notes:
also known as The Plain Set, The Plain Clare Set, or simply, The Clare Set
Plain Clare Study Notes [Set Dancing News]
The Plain Set Study Notes [San Francisci's Cooley-Keegan Branch CCE]
The Plain Set [Brooks Academy on setdance.com]


The Figures for The Plain Clare Set (brief descriptions):
[6 figures: all reels except jig fifth figure]
Figure 1 - Pass Through, Ladies Chain, Half Lead Around - Turn Under (reel)
Figure 2 - Ladies Turn While Crossing Over (reel)
Figure 3 - Chase the Ladies  - turn once right hands & twice with left hands (reel)
Figure 4 - Wheelbarrow - Hold Hands & Turn the Ladies Out & Under (reel)
Figure 5 - The Gallop - Alternating - (Gallop-Chain-Swing) Top Ladies Start Gallop & Chain (jig)
Figure 6 - Ladies In  (Shake Your Skirts) / Ladies Move On (reel)


Plain Clare Set Videos:
First Figure Plain Clare by clarebannerman - excellent set dancing led by Aiden Vaughan
First Figure Plain Clare  at Miltown Malbay 2008 by  martialmailet
First Figure Plain Clare "Tulla Céili Band & Clare Set Dancers ♪♫" posted by clarebannerman

Second Figure Plain Clare Private Spring Ceili in Southern Maryland by lesliemac56

Third Figure Plain Clare Private Spring Ceili in Southern Maryland by lesliemac56

Fourth Figure Plain Clare  danced in the Square at Kilrush (Co Clare, Ireland) in August 2004 by lazyhound

Fifth Figure Plain Clare  danced by the Copenhagen Set Dancers 2007 by lenemads
Fifth & Sixth Figures Plain Clare  danced in the Square at Kilrush (Co Clare, Ireland) in 2004 by lazyhound

Sixth Figure Plain Clare (see 5th & 6th above) 

Update: I added links to the "study notes" and short descriptions of the figures above to the links to YouTube videos originally on this post. I welcome your comments or additional links about this set. 

Johnny Reidy Ceili Band

Talking With Your Eyes

Killarney area set dancers head for the Grand Hotel on Wednesday nights to dance to the music of the Johnny Reidy Ceili Band (Bebo website). The band is "up-tempo" as you can see in these set dancing videos from West Cork on Ceilimor.net and this video of the band playing at a festival in Tralee. I was impressed by the Irish dancers when I was there last February and shot this video of them dancing to "Talking With Your Eyes" sung by Johhny Reidy (on the Irish Thymes blog). Enjoy!