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Set dancing classes on Thursday nights in Marino, North Dublin, Ireland


Thursdays 8pm - 10 pm, in:
The Edmund Hall, Marino Institute of Education
Charlemont, Griffith Avenue
Marino, Dublin 9

Everyone Welcome!

Thursday night dance classes in Marino, North Dublin:

If you have been thinking about starting set dancing, right now is the perfect time to start!


Northside Dublin: Set Dancing Class, Thursdays 8pm

Learn set dancing, join in the Ceili and enjoy the craic!

The class is held in the Edmund Hall, a lovely old stone building, located in the central courtyard of the Marino Institute of Education campus. The venue is easy to find, has lots of parking and good public transport. For directions on how to get there by car or by public transport, please see the
directions section below, which includes a link to an online map.

When you arrive at the Marino Institute of Education, follow the signs for Reception and ask for directions to the Edmund Hall, where the set dancing takes place.

Set Dancing Classes

Thursday nights at 8 - 10 pm, in Edmund Hall,

Marino Institute of Education, Charlemont, Griffith Avenue, Marino, Northside Dublin

Learn/practice the steps, figures & time of the popular sets and enjoy the fun of the ceili

No experience required - suitable for complete beginners

Partner not required, no need to book - just come along

Guaranteed fun!

Join us alone, with a partner, or with friends

Northside Dublin: Set Dancing Class, Thursdays 8pm

The class will be mainly of interest to people who live in or near Dublin. However, if you are visiting Dublin any Thursday night, whether from abroad or from elsewhere in Ireland, you are very welcome to join us - you will be made very welcome and we guarantee a good night's craic!

During the break at 9pm we have a bit of fun with Sean Nos dancing. Some basic sean nos steps will be covered and dancers are encouraged to take these, or other, steps and "make their own of them".

Set dancing has become very popular in recent years - it's great fun, good exercise and a great way to meet people. Set dancing classes are held in Marino on Thursdays at 8pm throughout the year, except during July/August - see Class Schedule section below. The class caters for both experienced dancers and beginners and you can join in at any stage, simply by going along any Thursday night at 8pm. It is not necessary to have a partner, but couples may of course dance together if they wish.

The class provides detailed instructions on the steps, figures and timing for the popular sets and there is ample opportunity for participants to put into practice what has been learned in class. The main emphasis is on dancing for enjoyment and class participants can meet up at ceili and festival events throughout the year, at home and abroad, should they wish to do so.

Beginners and experienced dancers are welcome at any time.

It is not necessary to book in advance, just come along any Thursday night.

Clothing and Shoes:

No special clothing is required, just wear whatever you are comfortable in. Although leather-soled shoes are easiest to dance in, your choice of footwear is totally up to you.

Admission:

Admission is 10 Euro, payable on the night.

Other Nights:

Set dancing classes are held on the south side of Dublin city on Tuesday nights and on the north side on Thursday nights. You are very welcome to join us either night, or indeed on both nights, if you'd like to dance more then one night a week. For details of Northside/Southside classes, please select below and click "Go":



Class Schedule:

The aim of the class is to teach the steps, figures and timing for the popular sets, such that dancers who attend regularly will be able to dance a set, without calling.

The dancing year is broken into modules/terms, as follows:
  • Figures (January - Easter)
  • Steps (Easter - last Tuesday in May)
  • Break (no classes during July or August)
  • Timing (2nd Tuesday in September - Christmas)

New dancers, whether first time beginners, or experienced dancers, can join in at any time throughout the year. While sets will be danced through at every class, the main emphasis will be on steps for the Steps Module, figures (movements) for the Figures Module and timing the Timing Module. It is not necessary to attend these modules in sequence.
  • Figures (Movements):

    The dance movements of each figure of each set will be explained and practiced in class. Typically, once the set has been taught, the full set is then danced through, with a short pause between each figure.
  • Steps:

    Steps will include:
    Clare Reel Step: a step for dancing the reel figures of Clare sets
    Clare Jig Step: a step for the jig figure of a Clare set
    Clare Hornpipe Step: a step for the hornpipe figure of a Clare set
    Cork/Kerry Polka Step: a polka step for dancing Cork/Kerry sets
    Cork/Kerry Hornpipe Step: a step for the hornpipe figure of Cork/Kerry sets
    Connemara Reel Step: a step for dancing the reel figures of the Connemara Set
    Cashel Hornpipe Step: a step for the hornpipe figure of the Cashel Set
    Sean Nos Dancing: a bit of fun with some solo steps in the Sean Nos style

    In much the same way that we all have individual accents, everyone has their own unique style of dancing (even though some people may not know it yet!). When teaching steps, the emphasis is on encouraging individual style. The basic steps will be explained, demonstrated and practiced in class. Dancers who already have steps are encouraged to keep and develop their own way of dancing, while beginners are encouraged to take these basic steps and "make their own of them".
  • Summer Break:

    We take a break during the Summer and dancers who wish to do so have the opportunity to attend any of the many festivals which take place throughout Ireland and abroad. The final class before the Summer break is on the last Tuesday in May.
  • Timing:

    Dancing in time with the music is one of the main factors which makes set dancing so enjoyable. While steps vary from one dancer to another and figures vary from one set to another, dancing in time to the music adds to the enjoyment of all set dancers across all sets. We will start by teaching one set, which we will then dance every night. After a while, the figures of the selected set will become well known to the class. We will then use this as our reference set for explaining and practicing dancing in time. At the end of the term, dancers who attend regularly will know the selected set well and will have a good understanding of the impact that dancing in time has on the enjoyment of set dancing.
All modules are suitable for both beginners and experienced dancers and it is not necessary to attend the modules in sequence - you can join in at any time throughout the year. While of course, we'd love if you could attend every class, we realise that this is not always possible. You are always welcome to join us whenever you are available, whether you are an experienced or inexperienced dancer, even if it's only for a single night.

Mailing List:

If you would like to receive class email messages, such as a reminder when a new term is about to start, please enter you email address at the top of this page and click "Subscribe" - you can unsubscribe at any time by replying to any message, indicating that you wish to unsubscribe.

Visiting Dublin:

If you are visiting Dublin, whether from abroad or elsewhere in Ireland, you are very welcome to join us any Thursday night. The class provides a relaxed and friendly environment in which to enjoy the fun of Irish set dancing. The class runs each year from the second Thursday in September until the last Thursday in May the following year.

Cameras & Phones:

We would ask you to switch off your mobile phone and not to take photos or video during class. If you want to take a momento photo, please say so and we will invite people who wish to be in it to assemble during break time.

Sets:

The aim of the class is to cover the figures, steps and timing for the set dances commonly danced at ceili events throughout Ireland, including:

Clare:
  • The Caledonian Set
  • The Mazurka Set
  • The Plain Set
  • The Labasheeda Reel Set
  • The Clare Lancers Set
  • The Corofin Plain Set
  • The Kilfenora Set
Cork/Kerry:
  • The Ballyvourney Jig Set
  • The North Kerry Set
  • The Sliabh Luachra Set
  • The Borlin Set
  • The West Kerry Set
Tipperary:
  • The Cashel Set, also known as The Castle Set
Galway/Meath:
  • The Connemara Set

Other Dances:

While the emphasis is on the popular set dances, other types of Irish dancing will also be covered at some stage during the year, including:

Sean Nos Step Dancing
  • A bit of fun with Sean Nos dancing:
    Several solo dancing steps will be taught and dancers are encouraged to take these, or other, steps and "make their own of them".
Ceili Dances
  • The High-Cauled Cap (Cadhp an Chuil Aird)
  • The Walls of Limerick (Ballai Luimni)
  • The Siege of Ennis (Ionsai na hInse)
Two-Hand Dances
  • The Stack of Barley
  • Shoe the Donkey
Throughout the year, the figures (movements), timing and steps of the popular sets are explained and practiced. While experienced dancers are very welcome, no prior knowledge of set dancing is assumed. The emphasis is on social dancing and many of the class participants meet up regularly at local ceili events and at festivals at home and abroad.

Above all else, the primary objective is to have fun!

Why not give it a try by coming along any Thursday night at 8pm - you will be very welcome.

Leaflet:

If you know of someone who you think might be interested in attending the class, we would greatly appreciate if you would print our leaflet and pass it on. Or, if you live in the Dublin area and you would be willing to help us to get out the message, please print our leaflet and post it, if allowed, in your local shop window, work noticeboard, etc. - many thanks.
If you have problems accessing the leaflet via the above link, please click here instead.

See you at the Ceili
We plan to hold the occasional ceili on a Sunday afternoon throughout the year. If you wish to be informed when events are scheduled, please subscribe your email address above.

Latest News:
If you would like to be kept up to date with latest news, please enter your email address in the box at the top of this page and click "Subscribe".



Directions - how to get there:

The Marino Institute of Education can be easily reached by car (there's plenty of parking), or public transport.
Marino Institute of Education - gates to Irish dance class in North Dublin
This is the entrance to Charlemont, off Griffith Avenue.

Charlemont - entrance to Dublin set dance class
This is the entrance to Marino Institute of Education, off Charlemont.

After you enter the campus gates:

When you arrive at the Marino Institute of Education campus, follow the signs for Reception and ask for directions to the Edmund Hall.
signs
Follow the signs to RECEPTION.

reception
Reception: at the desk on the left inside the door, ask for directions to the EDMUND HALL.

Edmund Hall:

North Side Dublin: Set Dancce Classes, Thursdays 8pm

This is the Edmund Hall, where we'll be dancing. It's a lovely bright room with high ceilings, a wooden floor and tall windows along each side.

More Information:

Well, there isn't really any more information about the dancing class - we've put everything we can think of here on this website, which is up to date as of today, 9th February 2010. But, if you have read everything on this page and you still do not have enough information to make a decision on whether to come along, then we have forgotten something. In this case, please click here to contact us and we will get back to you by email as soon as possible. If your do not have access to email, please come along any Thursday night at 8pm and we will answer your questions then. You can find more information about the venue here: Marino Institute of Education Conference Centre


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Irish Dance Class Dublin Ireland: Set Dancing Sean Nos and Ceili