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)

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

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!

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.

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.

Paula Carroll. back on the road with Kitchen Sessions

Paula Carroll, Clare FM, takes her world famous "Kitchen Sessions" on the road starting on Jan 11 from Fanore, in North Clare

http://comhaltas.ie/events/detail/kitchen_sessions_in_clare/

The shows are usually repeated on Wednesday nights and available on the following Thursday for Download as a podcast


If you are wondering what this has to do with set dancing, listen carefully to the music. In the background, on some of the songs, you will hear the unmistakable footwork of those County Clare set dancers

Enjoy the series

One of the sessions will be held in Winchester Ma. at Gerry Dunleavey's house. Now we need to figure out how to get an invitation

Set Dancing moves to the south, Tennesee to be exact

Set Dancing moves to the south, Tennesee to be exact, Irish Set Dancing in Tennesssee at the home of the musical heritage center.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.