Irish Set Dancing

Quadrilles from the eighteenth and nineteenth century French court spread throughout Europe in different forms after the Napoleonic Wars. In rural Ireland, the dance form evolved into "set dancing," a form of traditional social dance still popular today. Irish Set Dance is most often done in an eight-person square formation, although four-person half-set dances can also be found. The footwork ranges from simple to complex, as with the distinctive Co. Clare battering style. Irish set dances are usually made up of five or six individual "figures" and danced to a combination of reels, jigs, polkas, hornpipes or slides.

www.setdancingns.com: Official website for local dance group, "Scaip na Cleiti". Information on classes and upcoming events, including their annual Easter workshop with internationally renowned dance master, Pat Murphy.

www.setdancingnews.net: An international source of information on Irish set dancing events, workshops, teachers' schedules and more.