Just to make your jaw drop.....

Watch this video! This is Alan Kenefick of Riverdance. Alan started dancing at age 9 under Peggy McTeggart, Maureen Hall's sister, in County Cork.

That's what good ol' McTeggart training can get you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0APG854pfNQ&feature=fvsr


Enjoy!

Three Tunes & Four Hand Reel & High-Cauled Cap

Hello class!


At long last, here is a video! Please check out the Three Tunes, as danced by the Claddagh School (California).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWEdOnc4R6c


Many of their counts and some of their movements are different, so don't go about memorizing the intricacies. You can use this as a tool to help you remember what we've learned in class.


Here is a video of the Four-Hand Reel, as danced by the Culkin Adults, who are under the instruction of Megan Moloney & Sean Culkin. Megan was our visitor to class a few weeks back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrHz2i5kbJs

Here is another school from Eastern Canada performing the Four-Hand Reel. For those of you who have learned the "First Figure," a.k.a. "Figure of Eight and Rings of Three," you won't see it here! They're performing the Second Figure, which is called the Ladies' Chain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3wZWuvWnuE&feature=related

And, finally, the High-Cauled Cap as performed by Scoil Rince ni Chearra O Baolain. This video is part of master teacher Olive Hurley's series on the ceili dances. The team is very good - neat, clean, and polished. They also dance the High-Cauled Cap in its entirety. It is a 10 minute dance, making it the longest ceili dance in "the book."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJcSjGYF8g


See you in class!

Single jig steps

Dear dancers,

Thanks to Erin, I'm finally posting some steps!


Single jig lead:
(R) step (L) step (R) up up
(R) step (L) step (R) up up
(R) step (L) up (L) step (R) up
(R) leap 2 3 4 5 6 7
*all "steps" can be performed as "leaps"

Single jig step:
(R) Up 1 2 (R) leap 2 3
(L) leap 2 3 4 5 6 7 (right leg in front, moving toward right)
(R) leap 2 3 step out step in (left leg in front, stationary)
(L) leap 2 3 (R) leap 2 3

A hardshoe video clip!

Hello dancers,

If you've been dropping in for very basic hardshoe classes, you've learned a beginning traditional hornpipe step.

Here's a link to a YouTube video of a dancer doing a very similar step to the one we learned. You'll notice in the middle of the step she does some "heel back" type movement - don't worry about that! Just watch the "tip down tip down shuffle hop back" and the ending parts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80s_ekVhKFI

See you Thursday!

Dance class sessions

NEW CLASS SESSIONS:
Tuesdays, March 23 - April 27. 5:30-6:30pm: Beginning Traditional Hardshoe. Please email me to register. Hardshoe dancing is not meant to replace your softshoe/ceili class.Please make every effort to enroll in both classes.

Thursdays, March 25 - April 29. 6:00-7:00pm. Softshoe and Ceili dancing. This session we've primarily concentrated on ceili dancing, but there is a wealth of other material to learn - partner dances, solo dances, etc. Please join us!

Pre-register for your class sessions so I can lower the price for everyone!

Dancing between sessions

Our current class session ends February 18.

Here's what's going on in the meantime:

Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 and Thursdays 6:00-7:00pm, from February 23/February 25 through March 9/March 11 (3 weeks), we will have drop-in classes at the studio. If you pre-register by emailing me the days you plan to attend, I can calculate a discounted per-person rate. We need to cover cost of rental and cost of instruction, but that's it! The more money I can save you, the happier we all will be!

Hardshoe: Where to buy 'em, when you'll learn

We will start very introductory "drop-in" hardshoe classes on Tuesday February 9, from 5:30-6:30. We will take a one-week break (I'll be in Ireland February 16), and I hope we'll resume Tuesday February 23. More details on my absence and trip to Ireland to come.

Official traditional hardshoe classes will begin Tuesday March 23, from 5:30-6:30pm. The more students, the less the cost per person (base rate is $10 per class, per person). We'll do this class in a 6 week session, lasting from March 23 through the last Tuesday of April.

If you want to learn hardshoe, you will want to start looking at prices/brands/ordering information. Below you'll find a list of information about different shoemakers. Please ask me if you have further questions!


Some websites I would check out are:
http://www.corrsirishshoes.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=8

The Corrs website has an "Eco-Hardshoe" which costs less than shoes that many competitive Irish dancers wear. I'm picky about my shoes and need them to be able to do certain things for competitive dancing, but if you are looking for something that makes good sound, and you're not worried about specs like "super-flexi" or "flexi" and "champion toes" (oh, the silliness of it all!), then I would go with the Eco-hardshoe.

http://www.fayshoes.com/products_shoes.htm
Fay's Shoes has four hardshoes to choose from. The cheapest shoe is $120.

http://www.antoniopacelli.com/irish_dance/shoes/
Antonio Pacelli carries a number of shoes (some made by other designers), and also a "budget" shoe. I used to wear Pacelli's. I like them.

http://www.rutherfordshoes.com/productSectionOverview.asp?station=1&section=7
I swear by Rutherfords! Rutherford Shoes carries three types of hardshoes (or jig shoes, as they're sometimes called). The Inishfree Beginner hardshoe is affordable, although I would advise against it since it offers no support, and uncomfortable, inflexible sole, and low-quality tips and heels. My Rutherford shoes sound like a Starbucks order: super black suede sole flexi, extra wide, with standard straps, sandblast tips and heels, and squared-off toes. Hold the whip!

Good luck finding shoes! Another way to go is to use the sizing charts on the websites above to find your size, then checking eBay, Amazon, or other Irish dance sites for used shoes.

Welcome back to dance!

Welcome to the blog, dancers! I hope that you find this helpful and that it leads to more enjoyable dance classes, pub outings etc. This is our class "information central," and I'll try to include class announcements, YouTube videos, information about dance shoes and attire, etc. on this site.

First, here are videos that show you the High-Cauled Cap that we've been learning in class.

This first link is to a video from Olive Hurley's Complete Ceili instructional video series. Olive Hurley is one of the most respected and recognizable teachers, partly because of her use of video to spread Irish dancing. This is Scoil Rince Ni Chearra O Baolain dancing the High-Cauled Cap (all 10 minutes of it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJcSjGYF8g

This next link is from the North American Nationals in 2007, where some teachers got up on stage and did the High-Cauled Cap for fun. You'll notice that after the top couple performs the First Figure, the dancers repeat the lead-around. I believe they did this for fun, since it's not how the dance is normally performed. Oh well! They look like they had a blast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC7IPILMkiM


I'm still searching for a good video of the Humours of Bandon. Having trouble finding one. I'll post when I do.


Happy viewing!