Sean-nós Dance & Battering for Sets
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Lecture/Demonstration
The lecture/demonstration for this week was on the dancing of Páidí Bán Ó Broin. For those of you who got a chance to see the video clip on our website or youtube consider yourselves lucky. I just checked to see if I could link the video to this blog and it has been taken down. So it is on longer online.
In the lecture we also talked about Sean-nos Singing. Steven requested a list of Sean-nos singers. Here are a few:
Seosamh Ó hÉanaí/Joe Heaney
Áine Uí Mhuíneacháin
I will look for more and post them.
BEGINNERS
Steps we covered
‘Basic Connemara’
Hop(L), heel(R) step(R), heel(L) step(L), Stomp(R)
‘The Johnny’
Toe(R), Toe(R), heel(R)
Hop(R), heel(L) step(L), heel(R) step(R),Stomp(L)
Toe(L), Toe(L), heel(L)
Hop(L), heel(R) step(R), heel(L) step(L),Stomp(R)
(Repeat all 3 more times)
‘The Johnny’ is a step I learned in Mick Mulkerrin & Mairead Casey’s class in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare. It’s a nice little step that allows you to add quite a bit of personality and style.
The Connemara Sean-nós dancer Padraig O'Hoibicín has a step starts out the same way as ‘The Johnny’ with the toe, toe, heel, except instead of dancing the basic step, he dances his own step. What is so interesting and amazing about his step is that it starts out on the beat and moves on and off throughout his repetitions. In previous classes I have demonstrated this step to show Padraig on the beat and off the beat dancing. If you would like I can demonstrate it again next week. Just ask.
Intermediate Class
In the advance class we covered one of Páidí Bán Ó Broin’s steps.
Páidí Bán Ó Broin Step
Tip(R) down(R), Tip(L) down(L), Shuff-le(R) hop(L) back(R)
Tip(L) down(L), Tip(R) down(R), Shuff-le(L) hop(R) back(L)
Step(R) up(R) 1(R) 2(L), Step(R) up(R) 1(R) 2(L)
Tip(R), tip(R), heel(L) heel(L)
Tip(L), tip(L), heel(R)heel(R)
Tip (R), tip(R), heel (L) heel (L), 1(L), 2(R)
And(R) back(L) and(L) back(R) and(R) 1(L) 2(R) 3(L)
End left foot in front ready to repeat on left foot.
I learned this step in Mick Mulkerrin & Mairead Casey class in Miltown Malbay.
Next weeks class will be:
Saturday March 31
Performance Works NW
11am Beginners
12pm Intermediate
Lecture/Demonstration will be on Clare Set Dancing and battering
Hope to see you all there.
-Maldon Meehan
