TRADITIONAL IRISH CÉILÍ & DANCE WORKSHOP WITH
COUNTY CLARE IRISH DANCE MASTER AIDAN VAUGHAN
AT DOYLE’S CAFE LOCATED AT
3484 WASHINGTON STREET
JAMAICA PLAIN, BOSTON
CÉILÍ ADMISSION $10 (CASH)
KITCHEN & BAR AVAILABLE

STEPS FOR SETS AND SEAN-NÓS IRISH DANCE WORKSHOP
SUNDAY, APRIL 29TH
BEGINNERS 3:30 – 4:45 PM
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED 5:00 – 6:30 PM
$20 FOR ONE CLASS OR $35 FOR BOTH
AT THE BOSTON PERCUSSIVE DANCE GREEN STREET STUDIOS
185 GREEN STREET, CENTRAL SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
RSVP TO KIERANJORDANDANCERS@GMAIL.COM

View or print the flyer:
Aidan Vaughan Irish Dance Workshop 4-28-2012 Flyer

Print a Flyer: Irish Ceili Dances at Doyle's Cafe 2012

Most set dancers are not fortunate enough to travel to Ireland to learn from the dance teachers there, but occasionally we have an opportunity to attend a workshop or a class with a dance master visiting or touring in the States. On April 28th don’t miss special guest Aidan Vaughan from Co. Clare, Ireland. Aiden will teach footwork that will add a traditional Irish style to the Irish set dances. Aiden is performing a sean-nos dance in this YouTube video – his style of dancing is much admired in the Irish dancing community. This is the old style of Irish step dancing before wigs with curls and little girls became so much associated with step dancing. Sean-nos dancing is the style of dancing that Kieran has embraced. Learn more about sean-nos dancing in Kieran’s article “Irish Step Even You Can Do.”

Irish history is complicated and as I understand it, when dancing was prohibited by law with the Public Dance Halls Act of 1935, this practice continued but the dancers and musicians watched out for British soldiers (or did they have to go to the crossroads to dance because dancing was prohibited in the dance halls?). At any rate, dancing at the crossroads was done in more rural areas where travel to town was difficult.

This may be another “romantic memory of a lost Ireland” [Refer to the book excerpt:
Dancing at the Crossroads: Memory and Mobility in Ireland by Helena Wulff for a larger discussion of this topic.] The history of set dancing mimics the culture and politics of the times. For a well-referenced article on the history of the decline and revival of set dancing, refer to A Brief history of Irish Dance by Maldon Meehan.

Well, truth be told, the practice of dancing in the streets has not disappeared at all. These Canberra dancers are demonstrating Irish set dancing at a festival in Gundagai, a town in New South Wales, Australia. Set dancing is very popular in Australia, as you might imagine, given that many Irish have emigrated there over the years. Australia is affectionately referred to as  “Oz” by the current day Irish – something I recently learned by connecting with Irish relatives on Facebook.

Closer to home, my home, these Boston area set dancers are demonstrating a set in Newburyport at The Tannery on a fine summer’s eve, dancing to live music by local area musicians, who gather for traditional Irish music sessions.

We try to make it easy to learn new sets with notes and videos and helpful links and for dancers to share the joy of Irish set dancing with each other.

This is a companion website to our Irish Set Dancing social networking website (hosted by Ning) where you’ll find photos, videos, and event listings submitted by members.

Check back for updates from “Irish Set Dancing – dot- org“.