TORC CÉILÍ CLUB
WHAT WE TEACH
Join us every Tuesday at the Irish Club Western Australia.
Adult's Class – 5:45pm to 7pm
Our non-competitive Irish Dance classes are taught in a relaxed friendly environment focusing on the traditional styles of Irish Dancing. Everyone is welcome with no previous experience necessary.
Adult's Class – 5:45pm to 7pm
Our non-competitive Irish Dance classes are taught in a relaxed friendly environment focusing on the traditional styles of Irish Dancing. Everyone is welcome with no previous experience necessary.
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what is cÉilÍ dancing?
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Irish céilí dancing is the native group dancing of Ireland. Some of our céilí dances can be traced back to the 1500's. Most céilí dances are danced to reels or jigs.
Céilí dances can have various formations including two couples (4-hands), 6-Hands, 8-Hands, 16-hands or round dances for any number of people. Other formations include lines of couples facing others and progressing on to meet a new line of dancers down the hall. We dance a wide variety of ceili dances in our class to suit all abilities. |
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what is SEAN NÓS dancing?
This form of dancing is a tradition thought to be first created in the 18th and 19th century by the Irish dance masters who would travel around Ireland teaching dance. It is a casual dance form, as opposed to the more formal and competition-oriented form of Irish stepdance.
Sean-nós dance is characterised by its "low to the ground" footwork, improvised steps, free movement of the arms, and an emphasis upon a "battering step" (which sounds out more loudly the accented beat of the music). By its nature, it follows the music closely. It is traditionally a solo dance form. Because sean-nós dancing is improvisational, it is not necessary for a pre-arranged routine or choreography to be decided upon by the dancer. Spontaneous expression is highly valued. Therefore, it is less common to see groups performing synchronised sean-nós dance (which requires choreography in advance). Instead, the dancers may dance in turns, playing off the energy of the other.
Sean-nós dance is characterised by its "low to the ground" footwork, improvised steps, free movement of the arms, and an emphasis upon a "battering step" (which sounds out more loudly the accented beat of the music). By its nature, it follows the music closely. It is traditionally a solo dance form. Because sean-nós dancing is improvisational, it is not necessary for a pre-arranged routine or choreography to be decided upon by the dancer. Spontaneous expression is highly valued. Therefore, it is less common to see groups performing synchronised sean-nós dance (which requires choreography in advance). Instead, the dancers may dance in turns, playing off the energy of the other.
what is set dancing?
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Irish Set Dancing is a form of traditional folk dance. Set dances are danced by four couples arranged on the sides of a square and, occasionally, in “half sets” of two couples opposite each other. Sets are almost always broken up into several (usually 5 or 6, but ranging from 2 to 9) "figures". These “figures” often, but not always, have a common element. or movement. Until recently, there were substantial regional variations in the sets done. Counties Cork and Kerry favoured polkas and jigs. County Clare is better known for reels.
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what is step dancing?
This is definitely the leading form of Irish step dance which became very popular by the show ‘Riverdance.’ As well as other Irish dancing stage shows from the 20th century helped to make it a favoured form of dancing.
The main characteristic of modern step dance includes having a rigid torso and is mainly performed on the balls of your feet. Modern step dance is performed competitively in a variety of countries around the world.
For each style of Irish dance, there are two categories which they can fall under; soft shoe or hard shoe. Soft shoe dances include reels, light jigs and singles jigs that are classified by the timing of the music and step taken in each dance. Whereas hard shoe dances include hornpipes, treble jigs and traditional sets.
Irish dance masters also helped to choreographed dances to certain traditional music which created solo traditions. The traditional music included ‘Blackbird’, ‘Job of Journey Work’ and ‘St. Patrick’s Day’ which are still used in modern Irish step dancing.
The main characteristic of modern step dance includes having a rigid torso and is mainly performed on the balls of your feet. Modern step dance is performed competitively in a variety of countries around the world.
For each style of Irish dance, there are two categories which they can fall under; soft shoe or hard shoe. Soft shoe dances include reels, light jigs and singles jigs that are classified by the timing of the music and step taken in each dance. Whereas hard shoe dances include hornpipes, treble jigs and traditional sets.
Irish dance masters also helped to choreographed dances to certain traditional music which created solo traditions. The traditional music included ‘Blackbird’, ‘Job of Journey Work’ and ‘St. Patrick’s Day’ which are still used in modern Irish step dancing.
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