TWIN CITIES IRISH SOCIAL DANCING
CEILI DANCE INSTRUCTION
Ceili dances are made up of groups of dancers - sometimes couples, or groups of
3, 6, 8 or more. You do not need to bring a partner. Come by yourself and make
new friends, or bring a friend or several. It's a whole lot of fun, it's great exercise,
and whichever of these places you choose, you'll be dancing with a lot of really nice
people.
Wednesday night Irish ceili dance class
Learn the basic steps, and then join in the dances.
Classes all run year around and are free:
Dubliner Irish Pub - 2162 University Av., St. Paul. Learn Irish dancing in a genuine Irish Pub with a wooden floor that has known a whole lot of dancing feet. Steps and dances are taught by Paul McCluskey and friends. Basic beginning steps are taught from 7:00 pm, followed by advanced lessons and dancing until 9:00 pm, with more dancing afterwards to live music. Year-round; age 21 and above only. Free, but be sure to patronize the Pub, and leave a tip even if you are just drinking water.
IRISH SET DANCING
Irish Set dancing is a form of social dancing which has been enjoyed in Ireland for over 150 years and has seen a large-scale revival in the 1980s and 1990s; it is very popular today in Ireland and in Irish communities throughout the world.
"Sets" are danced by eight people in a formation similar to that of American square dancing usually consisting of three to six figures with a short pause between each. The music these figures are usually danced to can include reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas or sometimes the occasional fling. In set dancing there is less emphasis on footwork and more on the figures (the formation/movements of the dancers within the "set"). The basic footwork can be described as a low, ‘sliding’ movement. There are many different styles, from basic steps to very elaborately embellished steps. Just enjoy your own ‘style’ and have fun!
"Sets" are descended from quadrilles danced at the French court in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and other related dances from Scotland, and elsewhere. They were brought to Ireland by the British army in the nineteenth century and were taught by the early Irish dance masters who adapted them to Irish traditional music and modified and elaborated them to form dances with great drive and enjoyment. There are said to be over 100 sets, which were adapted and danced at crossroads and homes in various locations all over Ireland.
The most popular sets danced at ceilis include:
• The Caledonian Set (County Clare)
• The Plain Set (County Clare)
• The Clare Lancers (County Clare)
• The Corofin Plain Set (County Clare)
• The Kilfenora Plain Set (County Clare)
• The Ballyvourney Jig Set (County Cork)
• The Connemara Set (County Galway)
• The West Kerry (County Kerry)
• The Derradda Set (County Mayo)
• The Newport Set (County Mayo)
• The Cashel/Castle Set (County Tipperary)
2nd and 4th Tuesday night Irish set dancing
Dubliner Irish Pub - 2162 University Av., St. Paul. Join Irish set dancers in a genuine Irish Pub with a wooden floor that has known a whole lot of dancing feet. Dancing begins at 7:30 pm with music by the Twin Cities Ceili Band (TCCB) and friends. Free.
TWIN CITIES IRISH SOCIAL DANCING
Regular monthly Ceili dances
Whether you've learned the steps and dances at any of the above classes, or are a complete novice, you are welcome to join the fun with live traditional Irish music provided by our very fine local musicians. Each dance we do is taught by the caller, and there are always plenty of experienced dancers to help newcomers along.
Third Saturday Night Ceili with the Twin Cities Ceili Band - The Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul, 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Dances taught and called by Mike Whalen with Irish dance music by the Twin Cities Ceili Band. Admission $5 per person, $20 maximum per family. (This event is sometimes held on other nights of the month - check the IMDA calendar before heading out.)
Sign up for ceili news via e-mail by sending a note to irishdancetc@gmail.com. Updated information on Irish social dance events, including directions and maps, is available at: www.lomamor.org and on Facebook at Twin Cities Irish Dancing .
To find a complete and up to date list of all Twin Cities Irish Social Dancing please visit:
Loma Mor Irish Dance Club
Set, Ceili and other styles of social dance
Classes and dances in St. Paul, Minneapolis
Karen Cieminski - karen9ski@gmail.com
www.lomamor.org
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