Sean Nós & Set Dancing are both old-style dance forms, as well as vibrant living folk traditions in Ireland today.
STYLE OF DANCE
At McTeggart Kentucky, we offer two different ongoing adult dance programs: Irish dance and Sean Nós dance. To learn more about our Irish dance program, click here. While Sean Nós dance is lower to the floor and lower impact, Irish dance is danced in relevé, or on the balls of the feet, with higher impact movements (hops, jumps). If this is your first experience with the diverse world of Irish dance, we’d encourage you to try both styles!
Sean Nós DANCE
Sean Nós, or old-style Irish dancing, is a rhythmic, improvisational, close-to-the-ground form of percussive dance that is both an ancestor of Appalachian flatfooting and American clogging as well as a vibrant practice in its own right today.
SET DANCING
Set dancing borrows from other European folk dancing traditions, but then takes lively Irish tunes and battering footwork from the sean nós tradition to make the dances uniquely Irish. A “set” is four couples set in a square; a “half set” is two couples facing.
Our classes
McTeggart’s Sean Nós & Set Dancing classes are led by Allison Duvall, TCRG, with support from teaching assistants. Classes are encouraging and laid back, focused on the enjoyment of dancing and music, releasing tension, nurturing creativity, and letting go of self-judgment. Teens and adults welcome! Please sign up for our email list to be the first to hear about new classes.
STREAMING INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
Allison Duvall, TCRG offers two series of streaming instructional videos so you can learn sean nós dance at home!
Pre-Sean Nós: Percussive Dance Basics
This series is for you if you’ve never had formal dance training, have never studied percussive dance, or if it’s been quite a while and you need a refresher. The course teaches you all the fundamental skills you need to enjoy your study of the sean nós dance tradition. Stream Pre-Sean Nós: Percussive Dance Basics and Sean Nós Reels here and be sure to enter discount code LEARNTODANCE at check-out for 10% off!
Sean Nós Reels
This series teaches the fundamental movements, patterns, and skills of sean nós reels, including the Connemara Step and the Clare Step. By the end of the six-lesson series, you’ll be dancing independently and making up your own routine!
Stream Pre-Sean Nós: Percussive Dance Basics and Sean Nós Reels here and be sure to enter discount code LEARNTODANCE at check-out for 10% off!
FIRST CLASS FREE!
WHAT TO WEAR
For your first class, you should wear comfortable, non-binding clothes for movement, and clean and hard-soled shoes for dancing. Shoes without metal taps are preferable, but tap shoes will work in a pinch! Clogging Shoes and other similar styles are ideal. Before you make a special purchase, try a pair of Oxford-style dress shoes or shoes like cowboy boots.
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