The Joy of Sets in Greater Boston

The Joy of Sets is a blog just for Irish Set Dancing in the greater Boston and the broader New England area that includes information on classes, events, venues, and the traditional Irish music that makes the dancing so lively and fun.

Welcome to those who are new to set dancing! There are many classes in various locations around New England to learn the many fun sets that are danced in Ireland and around the world. There are a few basic simple steps used in dancing the sets; these are combined in various dances in a way that gives each set its unique style. When it's time for the new dancer to "branch out" and dance at other locations in the community, there are many classes and dance sessions just about every night of the week to expand your repertoire and your social network.

Set dancers are encouraged to share information about set dancing with other greater Boston set dancers and notify the community about upcoming events. Check the list of special workshops, ceillis, and other events for times and places.

Beginner Irish Set Dancing Classes at Harrington's

Try something new this summer with an Irish set dancing class at Harrington's Pub in Wakefield (MA).  Here's the updated summer class schedule. Every Monday night at 7:30, Frank & Eileen teach a new set. See details here.

This is a perfect opportunity for beginners to learn the basic steps and most common sets danced year-round upstairs at Harrington's every Wednesday at 7:30 and indeed in the Greater Boston area where you can find a set dance or lesson just about every day of the week.

See the write-up in the Wakefield Patch.

Harrington's Set Dancers in Set Dancing News

Bill Lynch's current issue of Set Dancing News ran a photo-spread of the Harrington's Pub set dancing workshop with Patrick O'Dea that was held July 21. [magazine subscription form here in PDF format]

Patrick taught the Loch Neigh set (music notes and dance notes source).

The Lough Neagh is the largest lake in Ireland; it is 8 miles long by 15 miles wide, according to this YouTube vido of the lake Lough Neagh. It is located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland


The Joy of Sets article by Bill Lynch

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!

Benefit Session at The Burren with Set Dancing

Some of Boston's best traditional Irish musicians will be playing a benefit at The Burren authentic Irish music pub / restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville on Sunday June 13th from 4PM to 1AM. The trad session goes from 4 to 9 featuring Helena Delaney, Peter Malloy (catch Helena and Peter Thursdays in the Burren's Front Room), Jimmy Noonan, and many more; this is followed at 9:30 by the Johnny Come Lately's.

The fundraiser event is for the Maunsell family, Seamus Maunsell, a friend and valued employee of The Burren and Hannah Maunsell, his 8 year old daughter, her mum Jen Maunsell, brother Seamus Jr. and sister Micheala.

If you're a set dancer, Ger Cooney will be leading a set or two around 5 o'clock. What an opportunity to dance to the live music of these great musicians!

Set Dancing at The Burren in the Back Room

Set Dancing at Vaughan's Barn in Kilfenora

Set Dancing at Vaughan's Barn, Kelfenora, Ireland February 2010

On a recent trip to Ireland, I made my way far to the West of Ireland for a night of set dancing with friends at Vaughan's Barn in Kilfenora before heading back home. Yes, it was worth it. Here's a little video of a set with Mr. John Vaughan himself in the set closest to us dancing to the music of the Four Courts Ceili Band.

Irish Dancing at Your Wedding

A wedding is a great time to celebrate your heritage and what better way to entertain your Irish guests than with an Irish dance. You could, for instance, like this bride, surprise your husband and amaze your guests with an Irish jig you've secretly practiced.

Or you could hire a professional dance troupe, like Celtic Storm, to perform during your wedding reception.  How about the bride kicking off freestyle Irish dancing with the guests, the wedding party, and the groom joining in - that looks like a lot of fun to me. You're lucky if you've got a talented Irish dancer in the family, like this bride's brother,  willing to do an Irish dance on your special day.

The whole family joined together in what looks like an Irish set dance (or an 8-hand reel) in this video. That's very impressive and they've done a great job. You can hear in the background a guest commenting, "This is my favorite part of the whole wedding."

Here the bride and groom join the traditional Irish dance troupe (girls with curls). This video clip had me laughing out loud at the non-dancer groom's efforts (What a good sport!) and the groomsmen as they are obviously having a great time, and that's the way it should be.

Even if it's just you and your new spouse doing your first dance together, like this couple dancing to a bagpipe tune, you can honor your Irish heritage with a two-hand reel or a highland fling. But then, why not respectfully dance down the aisle like this wedding party - it's not Irish, but you get the idea.

Even if there is nothing in particular scripted into the event, with an Irish tune playing, the guests will surely want to give it a try and have some fun.

So, if there's a wedding being planned in your family, these videos  provide some great ideas to express your individuality and honor your culture. But you don't have to wait for a wedding to incorporate Irish dancing into an event. Get inspired and, most of all, have fun!

Clare Lancers Set With Sean-Nos Style

The Clare Lancers is a fun traditional Irish Set Dance. with a variety of moves. This YouTube video clip of the 3rd & 5th figures of the Clare Lancers, "Maldon Meehan's Irish Dance Show "An Damhsa": Clare Lancers Set Dance," is especially well done and what footwork!

The video is a clip from a show presented in Portland, Oregon, in September 2008. I recognize  the names of two of the dancers in the video from my brief foray into Sean-Nos Irish Step Dancing, Alicia Guinn and Maldon Meehan, who are dance teachers, as well.

There are some links to videos and study notes for the Clare Lancers on the Irish set dancing social network, irishsetdancing.ning.com along with notes for other sets in the Notes tab.

Gathering Momentum

"The Gathering" flyers are ready. If you've been set dancing in the Boston area for any number of years, you're bound to hear about The Gathering in Killarney in February. Ger Cooney-Browne, who teaches set dancing at The Burren in Somerville, organizes the hotel and bus arrangements for most of the Americans making the trip from the northeast. Download a flyer and find more about information and articles on this traditional Irish music and dance extravaganza on the Joy of Sets website. There are set dancing workshops, sean-nos dancing workshops, ceilis, concerts, and a whole lot more.

Saturday morning set dancing workshop with Pat Murphy at the INEC - February 2009

Alicia Guinn's Beginner Sean-nós Dance Workshop

I brought along a couple of visiting family members to Alicia Guinn's Beginner Sean-nós Irish Step Dancing workshop in Milton, Massachusetts, yesterday - they were good sports to accompany me and had never done Irish dancing before. Alicia teaches in the Seattle, Washington area. By the end of the 1 1/2 hour lesson, they had mastered the not-so-easy heel lift and were looking mighty fine as they danced to the concertina music provided by George Keith.

Alicia (left) at Sean-nós workshop August 2009

It was a great class. We started off with just slow-walking in time to the music and built on that rhythmic step, adding the heel-lift - "lift 1-2-3, and 1-2-3," then adding the heel-taps to this basic step- "lift and-1-and-2-and-3, lift and-1-and-2-and-3" (or "lift a-1 a-2 a-3" the "a" being the heel tapping or dragging on the floor; it's a quick and light movement). We added the hop-back step - "hop-1 hop-2 hop-1-2-3" - and variations on the basic steps.

After a summer break, I'm eager to start my second year of classes with Kieran Jordan in the new Green Street studio location in Cambridge (MA). Not only is it a great low-impact aerobic workout, but it is wonderful to be able to tap out a reel or a jig any time, anywhere, to give the spirits a lift. I personally find it invigorating to tap it out in the ladies room at work for a bit before heading back to my sedentary desk job.

Irish Dancing in Florida

It's August and I'm still dancing. Summer is a less rigorously scheduled time when most dance classes take a break and here in Boston, at least, the regular Sunday set dances to live Irish music run from September to May, roughly. But Irish festivals, special Irish dance cruises, workshops, and a few year round set dancing groups keep the music going and the feet battering.

I was happy to read about the Irish dancing activities in Gainesville, Florida. The Inisheer Irish Dance Company sponsored "The Long Hot Summer Irish Ceili Dance and Workshops" in July - read the article in the Gainesville Sun - consisting of an Irish step-dance workshop and a subsequent ceili and set dance workshop, followed by an evening ceili dance accompanied by excellent area musicians, with guest instructor Liam Eagan of West Palm Beach leading the social dances and Piper Call leading a workshop on Sean nos ("old style") Irish step dance. [The article, by the way, does a great job of defining the various types of Irish dancing: step dancing, sean-nos dancing, set dancing and ceili dancing.]

 

Harrington's Beginner Class - Nora Helps Out (Reading Advocate photo)

It has long been a wish of mine to some day be a "snow-bird" but the one thing I would miss if I headed south in winter would be the Irish dancing - in season, September to May, you could dance every night of the week around Boston and several groups remain active all summer - so I'm glad to know that there are pockets of it alive and "kicking" in Florida. It's funny, though; as part of a plan to ensure that I would be able to dance no matter where in the world I go, I have started to teach set dancing to beginners so I can bring the Irish dancing with me.

Beginner Set Dancing at Harrington's

Frank and I have started teaching a beginner Irish set dancing class at Harrington's pub in Wakefield (MA, USA). We dance there upstairs on Wednesdays and have noticed there was an interest in the set dancing by some of the pub-goers but a lack of experience kept many from joining in. With a general lull in the set dancing classes for the summertime, we announced an eight-week series of classes at the pub on Monday nights. We were pleasantly surprised to find so many from the surrounding communities show up for the first night of classes.

We worked on the footwork and steps for The Connmara Reel Set [links to instructions and videos] and managed to get through the set, with a little help from our friends PJ, Peggy, and Maureen. Thanks, guys!

Tonight we're on to The North Kerry Set to demonstrate more set dancing footwork and dance moves like the polka, hornpipe, "show the lady," and the "four ladies chain." Having been a teacher in one of my prior lives, I understand the importance of a lesson plan and, as always, I am reminded that the best way to learn something well is to teach it. Looking forward to lesson two tonight.

Boston Set Dancers Drafted for New Irish Play

The Irish-American community around Boston is eagerly awaiting the new Irish play by Ireland's Tommy Marren of Mid-West Radio based in County Mayo, The Banshee of Crokey Hill. Irish set dancers were happy to co-operate when asked to participate in the kitchen hooley scenes in this 3-act play.

Dancers from Sally Harney's Comhaltas Watertown group and Frank Keane's Harrington's group in Wakefield will dress in West of Ireland '70's attire to welcome the neighbors' son returning to Ireland after being away in Manchester, England, as the drama unfolds around them.

Boston's Larry Reynolds (video with Larry joined by concert flute player Mike Rafferty and button accordionist Tara Lynch, originally from Corofin, Co. Clare. ) and friends provide the traditional Irish tunes for the kitchen session. The play also features the renowned Brian Cunningham (take a sneak peek at this amazing video), Sean-Nos dancer from Connemara.  

"There is an exceptional ‘hooley’ scene that includes a breath-taking display of brush-dancing (an old Irish dance done with a sweeping brush!) by Brian Cunningham from Connemara in County Galway and traditional musician that will warm the hearts of the audience!"


The Banshee of Crockey Hill will be presented Friday & Saturday, June 26th & 27th at 8PM and Sunday, June 28th, at 3PM at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA (directions).

Post Script: Link to some "Banshee" photos and a video on the Irish Set Dancing social network:

Photo Album: Backstage Photos of  The Banshee of Crokey Hill - Boston Performance

Photo Album: "Off Broadway" Photos of The Banshee of Crokey Hill - Broadway in Arlington MA

Video: Boston Sean-Nos Dancer Hughie's Stage Debut at Sunday Performance

A Little Rain Falls on Siege of Ennis

It rained in Ennis (surprise) but it didn't seem to dampen the spirits much for the Special Olympics fundraiser. Around 6,000 people turned out to dance The Siege of Ennis. Watch the video.

Here's how the dance is done professionally; it's nice, but it's much more fun with a big crowd of people.

These are the study notes with detailed instrctions on how to dance it: "Two couples line up facing two couples in lines of four ..."

It's a ceili dance but is often danced as well by set dancers.