Irish Dancing Short Course

Offered by the UPC Short Course, at the University of Virginia - Spring 2006

Time & Location:
Wednesday 6-7 PM, O’Hill
(Course has been cancelled due to low enrollment)

Description

Learn the basics of Irish dancing! We will focus on the social form of Irish dance, called ceili dancing, which is similar to square or contra dancing. You will also be introduced to Irish step dancing, which is the energetic and intricate dancing you may have seen in Riverdance, which includes reels, jigs, and slip jigs. Throughout the course, you will also learn bits and pieces of Irish dance and music history, from traditional to modern interpretations of the culture.

All levels of experience are welcome and a partner is not required. You should come prepared for a fun workout, so wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

The course is taught by Kate Spanos, a recent UVA graduate who has practiced Irish step dancing for 14 years and has been teaching ceili dancing and competitive step dancing for 7 years. She is a three-time qualifier for the Irish Dance World Championships and is preparing for her teacher’s (TCRG) exams for certification from An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (The Irish Dance Commission). For more information, you can email her at irishdance@thekatespanos.com.

Syllabus

In this course, we will focus primarily on the social form of Irish dance, called ceili dancing, which is similar to square or contra dancing. Students will also be introduced to Irish step dancing, which is the energetic and intricate dancing you may have seen in Riverdance, which includes reels, jigs, and slip jigs. If time permits, we will also do a brief introduction to sean-nós dancing, which is the oldest form of Irish dance, similar to clogging.

In addition to teaching the dances, I will also talk about Irish music and rhythms and how they relate to the dance. I will discuss how Irish music and dance have evolved over the years and the impact of Riverdance on Irish artistic culture. We will also talk about the growing divide between traditional Irish dance and
more contemporary forms, with the increasing shift towards competitive Irish dancing as it becomes popular worldwide.

You should come to class prepared for a good workout–wear comfortable clothes and sneakers if you don’t have Irish dancing shoes (ghillies) or other dancing shoes, like jazz shoes or ballet slippers.

There is only one rule in this course: If you have to miss a class, please let me know as soon as possible (irishdance@thekatespanos.com). It’s important that I know how many people will be in class so I can plan what dances we’ll do (most ceili dances require a certain number of dancers).

The goal of this course is to have fun–I hope that everyone will enjoy learning Irish dance and meeting new people and that you’ll be confident with a good jig once St. Patrick’s day rolls around!

You can find this syllabus online at http://www.thekatespanos.com/short-course

Schedule
(subject to change)

Week 1

Introduction to Irish ceili dancing

The fundamentals of Irish dance: style and technique

The basic steps: 3s and 7s

Ceili dance: Siege of Ennis

Week 2

Review the fundamentals

Ceili dance: Walls of Limerick

Week 3

Jigs