Irish Set Dancing Fundamentals
Discover the joy of Irish Set dancing! Geared for beginners, but advanced dancers are welcome.
Battering is the footwork and technique utilized in Irish Set dancing. Sets are danced in square formation, much like American square dances, but with their own unique flair and unique Irish footwork. In this workshop, you will master the basics, starting with foundational footwork and introducing percussive “battering” steps. You’ll dance with partners and learn how to synchronise these steps with that partner, with focus on both leading and following techniques. Finally, we’ll bring it all together by dancing in a full set of four couples with patterns and figures.
About Maldon Meehan
Maldon Meehan is a performer, teacher, and choreographer of Irish sean-nós and set dance with a BA in Irish Studies/Theater Arts from The Evergreen State College, and an MA in Ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick, Ireland. She is a 2008 Regional Arts and Cultures grant recipient, has appeared on the nationally televised 2005 Oireachtas at the Cork Opera House in Cork City (TG4), and on Connemara Community Radio and Raidió na Gaeltachta (RTÉ).
Maldon has performed and or taught at MANY Irish cultural festivals. She is a founding member of Sean-nós Northwest, a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting dance, song and language in the Pacific Northwest. In the spring of 2010 she opened the Maldon Meehan Dance Studio where she holds regular classes and workshops.