Susan L. Connors/The Ballyclare Irish Dancers
Popular Irish Dances
The Walls of
Dancers line up in couples, lady is on gentleman's right, each set of two couples facing each other, this is danced in reel-time.
Advance and Retire -
Gentleman takes partner's left hand in his right, both advance to meet the
opposite couple (2 bars), retire to place (2 bars). Repeat the movement.
Half Right and Left.
· Ladies exchange places by
side-stepping across to the left, passing each other face to face and finishing
with two threes (4 bars). Gentlemen now exchange places, but
side-step to the right (4 bars).
Dance with Opposite.
· Each gentleman and
opposite lady take right hands, both sidestep to gentleman's left, finishing
with two threes, (4 bars); sidestep back, finishing with two threes (4 bars).
Dance Around.
· Gentleman takes own partner's hands, both dance a complete circle around opposite couple, finishing up to face in the opposite direction (8 bars).
Repeat the movements with the next couple and with each succeeding couple until the music ends.
Siege of Ennis
This is a progressive dance done to reel or jig music. Dancers line up in fours, two couples in each line; each set of two couples stands facing another set or line of two couples, each gentleman on his partner's left, lady on the right (why? because the lady is always right!)
Advance and Retire
· Each set of
four dancers take hands and advance to meet opposite four, retire. Advance and retire again.
Sides
· Centers drop
hands, remain holding partners hand. The couple on the left of each line of
four sidestep to the right behind, ending with two 3’s, while the couple
on the right of each line of four sidestep to left, in front ending with two
3’s; all sidestep back to place, ending with two 3’s.
Remember
if you are moving to the right
you go behind the other
couple, if you are moving to the left,
you go in front of the other
couple.
Swing
· Swing with the
opposite person and return to place (a total of 8 bars, 6 to swing, 2 to get
back home). This is also called a
left-hand shake, meaning left hand to left hand and right hand on the opposites waist, your right foot is planted next to the
opposites right foot and you push off with your left foot.
Advance, Retire and Pass Through
· Advance and retire. All advance again and the set of four facing the music raise their arms allowing opposite four to pass under so as to meet oncoming set of four dancers, right shoulder to right shoulder.
Repeat the above movements
with each successive set.
The Stack of Barley
This is a two hand dance. Gentleman is on the lady's left hand side, with his inside hand around his partner's waist. The lady has her inside hand on the gentleman's inside shoulder. Below are the gentlemen's steps, the lady uses the opposite foot.
Gentleman’s Long
Step
· 1(L)-2(R)-3(L)-4(R)-5(L)-6(R)-7Roll/Hop
The gentleman does the "roll" (turns in front of partner) and the
lady does the "hop" (changes outside and back feet).
· 1(R)-2(L)-3(R)-4(L)-5(R)-6(L)-7Roll/Hop
The lady does the "roll" (turns in front of partner) and the gentleman
does the "hop" (changes outside and back feet).
· 1(L)-2(R)-3(L)-4(R)-5(L)-6(R)-7Roll/Hop
The gentleman does the "roll" (turns in front of partner) and the
lady does the "hop" (changes outside and back feet).
· 1(R)-2(L)-3(R)-4(L)-5(R)-6(L)-7Roll/Hop
The lady does the "roll" (turns in front of partner) and the
gentleman does the "hop" (changes outside and back feet).
Repeat each step, total of
four.
Gentleman’s Short Step
· Round
the House, on a 1-2-3 count - gentleman on left turns in front of the lady,
then the lady on left turns in front of the
gentleman...do
this 8 times.
1(L)-2(R)-3(Roll/Hop)
2(R)-2(L)-3(Roll/Hop)
3(L)-2(R)-3(Roll/Hop)
4(R)-2(L)-3(Roll/Hop)
5(L)-2(R)-3(Roll/Hop)
6(R)-2(L)-3(Roll/Hop)
7(L)-2(R)-3(Roll/Hop)
8(R)-2(L)-3(Roll/Hop)
The dance starts again with the first step.
The Fairy Reel
A six-hand progressive dance for
two gentlemen and four ladies, danced to a reel. Sets stand three facing three,
with one gentleman between two ladies, holding their hands
Lady
Lady
· Advance and Retire and Circle (32 bars)
(a) Advance and retire with two threes. Repeat. On second advance all join
hands to form a ring
(b) ring to the right with a seven, and two threes. Return to place
(c) Repeat (a) and (b) but ring left and back.
· Down the Floor (16 bars)
(a) Gentleman faces lady to his right, taking right hand in right, and they
dance down the floor to the gent's left with a seven and two threes, and dance
the same back into place. Meanwhile, lady on the left of the gentleman dances
right to the lady on the right of the gentleman's spot and returns.
(b) Repeat with lady on gentleman's right, moving to the gentleman's right,
while lady on left dances to her left and back.
· Gentlemen link arms and chain ladies (16 bars)
Gentlemen link right arms for four bars then left arms for four bars.
Gentleman gives right hand to lady on original right and turns once, then gives
left hand to lady on original left and turns once, then gives right hand to
lady on original right and turns back into place.
· Diamonds and Squares (16 bars)
Gentlemen make the diamonds and ladies make the squares at the same times.
Diamonds - Moving to the right, gentlemen dance sevens and short threes all the
way around in a diamond shape until they return to their original home.
Squares - Ladies dance sevens and short threes to each corner of the square
until they return to their original home, (move L in front of,
and R behind the other dancer).
· Arches (8 bars)
Gentleman takes ladies hands and makes an arch with lady on his left. Lady on
the right dances under the arch, while keeping the gentleman's hand, and he
follows her under. Then he makes an arch with lady on the right, which the lady
on the left dances under and he follows her under, and then makes a third arch
with the lady on left again, which the lady on the right again dances under and
he follows her under.
· Advance and retire, and pass through (8 bars)
(a) Advance and retire. On second advance, top group makes arches and side
group passes under.
The Gay Gordons
This is a two hand dance done in march time. The gentleman is on the lady's left, holding right hand in right (on lady's right shoulder) and left hand in left (in front).
Forward · Left,
right, left, right (step-turn (pivot) still holding hands). (2 bars)
Backward · Left,
right, left, right. (2 bars)
Forward · Left,
right, left, right (step-turn (pivot) still holding hands).
(2 bars)
Backward · Left, right, left, right (all couples
should be back to home position).
(2 bars)
Forward · Left
hands drop and hold right hands up, the lady dances three's around gentleman
facing forward and moving a little forward to a count of 6 bars of music, back
in position for 2 bars and ready to start the dance again.(8 bars)
Repeat above steps until music stops.
Harvest-Time Jig
Lady
Lady
· Advance and Retire - the lines
advance and retire twice (8 bars)
· Sides – each set of three dancers sidestep to the right, end with
rising step, sidestep back, end with rising step (8 bars).
· Right Hands Across – All give right hand across in center, dance around
clockwise (4 bars), release hands, reverse, giving left hands, dance to left
back to place (4 bars).
· Sides - each set of three dancers sidestep to the left, end with rising step,
sidestep back, end with rising step (8 bars).
· Left Hands Across - All give left hand across in center, dance around
clockwise (4 bars), release hands, reverse, giving right hands, dance to left
back to place (4 bars).
· Step and Turn – gentleman turn towards right-handed partner, both dance
Sink and Grind twice on right foot (4 bars), take lady’s right hand and
dance around her to place (4 bars).
Repeat the movement with left-handed partner, giving left hand to return
to place (8 bars).
· Advance, Retire and Pass Through – all advance and retire, release
hands and pass through, opposite dancers right shoulder to right shoulder when
passing each other (8 bars).
· Repeat the above movements with each successive set.
The Haymakers Jig
This is a Long Dance in Double Jig Time for five couples. Partners face each other in two lines, each line hold hands.
Advance and Retire
The lines advance and retire
twice (8 bars), all dance the Rise and Grind (toe throw) on the R foot then the
L foot (4 bars) and the lines advance and retire again (4 bars). 16 bars
R and L hand turn
· The 1st gent and 5th lady dance into the center, half turn each other R hand and dance back to place (4 bars). The same movement is then danced by the 5th gent and 1st lady (4 bars).
· The same couples repeat the movement but this time half
turn L hand.
Swing
· The 1st gent and 5th lady dance into the center, swing with céilí hold and dance back to place. 8 bars
· The same movement is then danced by the 5th gent and 1st
lady. 8 bars
Link Arms or Hands
· The 1st gent and lady link R hands and dance one full turn (2 bars), link L with the next couple, gent with the lady and lady with the gent, and turn once in place (2 bars), meet again with partner to link R and turn in the center (2 bars), link L to turn the next couple (2 bars), meet, link R and turn in the center and so on until the dancing couple have turned all other couples. 16 bars
· The dancing
couple meet again in the center and swing back to top,
and end in their original positions. 8 bars
Arch
· The dancing couple cast off, gent L and ladies R, and march down to the bottom of the set where they join both hands to form an arch (4 bars). The other dancers follow, gents the gent and ladies the lady, and, on meeting their partners, take inside hands and pass under the arch and back up the set so that the 2nd couple is now in 1st couple's original place and the 1st couple is in 5th place (4 bars)
The sequence is repeated
until each couple has danced it from the 1st position.
Two-Hand Reel
This is a circle dance. The
gentleman is on the inside of the circle and the lady is on the outside,
gentleman and lady face each other, right hand in right hand, like you are
shaking hands.
· Gentleman does 7's to the left, and two 3’s in
place. Lady does 7's to the
right, and two 3’s in place, all the while holding
right hands.
· Repeat
step back to original position (gentleman now goes to right,
and the lady goes to the left).
· Both
stamp left foot and kick with right foot, 1-2-3 in place. Then lady turns under gentleman’s arm
as both switch sides turn-2-3, 1-2-3, repeat step, on the second turn you
should end up side by side (gentleman on left, lady on right).
· Promenade around the house - Gentleman
takes lady’s left hand with his left
hand
and her right hand with his right and dance eight 3’s (promenade step)
around the floor, coming back to starting position at the
count of 7 and 8 of the 3’s.
Then the dance starts all over again.
Highland Fling
This is a round dance, gentleman on left, lady on right, arms
around waist.
· (Gentleman
with left foot, lady with right foot)
Stomp,
toe, skip 1-2-3 and turn in to each other
· (Gentleman
with right foot, lady with left foot)
Stomp,
toe, skip 1-2-3 and turn in to each other
· (Gentleman
with left foot, lady with right foot)
Stomp,
toe, skip 1-2-3 and turn in to each other
· (Gentleman
with right foot, lady with left foot)
Stomp,
toe, skip 1-2-3 and turn in to each other
· Round
the House, on a 1-2-3 count - gentleman on left turns in front of the lady,
then the lady on left turns in front of the
gentleman...do this 8 times.
The
dance starts again with the first step.
Updated February 9, 2007