ABOUT: SEAN-NÓS DANCING

A percussive style of dance generally associated with Connemara and the west of Ireland. Often improvised and close to the floor, with an emphasis on personal style.

If you're new to this style, all you need to know is that this dancing is percussive, relaxed, easy to learn, and fun!

Learn more about sean-nós dance

View descriptions of class levels

watch a video of sean-nós dancing

While techniques and styles vary from locality to locality, and family to family, sean-nós dancing has generally been defined as the style of dance that is speciffic to the west of Ireland, namely Connemara. However, the term sean-nós was originally coined to differentiate the informal and non-standardized styles of dance from the step dancing of the Irish dance masters. With many other regional and local styles of dance that exist outside of the dance master tradition, sean-nós could also refer to dancing outside of Connemara. For instance, the Claire battering step makes a regular appearance in "sean-nós" dancing, as do other travelling steps from other parts of Ireland.

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CLASS LEVELS

BEGINNER Music and rhythm fundamentals, basic time steps and techniques, fundamentals to improvisation, and new dances.

THIS LEVEL IS APPROPTIATE IF YOU ARE A COMPLETE BEGINNER, ARE STILL WORKING ON MASTERING YOUR CONNEMARA STEP, OR WANT TO RETURN TO AND HONE YOUR BASICS.

INTERMEDIATE | More complex rhythms and patterns, steps that are outside of the standard abac format, improvisation techniques.

THIS LEVEL IS APPROPTIATE IF YOU HAVE MASTERED THE CONNEMARA STEP AND ARE READY TO LEARN MORE COMPLEX RHYTHM PATTERNS.

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED | More complex rhythms and patterns, steps that are outside of the standard abac format, advanced improvisation techniques, rhythm studies, development of personal style.

THIS MIXED LEVEL IS APPROPRIATE IF YOU HAVE MASTERED THE CONNEMARA STEP AND THE CLAIRE BATTERING STEP AND AT LEAST ONE VARIATION OF EACH.

ADVANCED | Advanced improv techniques, advanced rhythm studies, work with concepts like triplets, half notes, and quarter notes, composition, focus on precision and somatic principles.

THIS MIXED LEVEL IS APPROPRIATE IF YOU HAVE MASTERED THE CONNEMARA STEP AND THE CLAIRE BATTERING STEP AND MULTIPLE VARIATIONS OF EACH, ARE COMFORTABLE IMPROVISING, AND CAN LEARN AND EXECUTE A NEW 4 BAR STEP IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES.

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