Seán Nós Dancing

This is an old style traditional form of dancing that is very popular in the Connemara region (west coast of Ireland).
Many viewers of seán-nós dance comment, “That’s the way my grandfather used to dance.”
This is a low to ground, stepping out to the music. Very relaxed and similar to tap dance, but it is not like the Step Dancing you see in productions of big irish dance shows (Lord of the Dance and River Dance).
Seán Nós dancing is a very rhythmic, and low key accompaniment .It is normally danced to a single musician, therefore both the musician and the footwork is heard.
The body should look loose and the arms are held away from the body to add style and tradition to this style of dancing.
This form of dancing was danced all over Ireland before the 1900s but Connemara held it well as they did with their Irish speaking.

In the early days, Seán Nós Dancing was performed on doors as the floors were made from dry clay. There is still a door dancing competition held every year in Keadue, Co. Roscommon.
It was often danced with four pints of stout on each coner and the best dancer had to dance as well as he could without spilling the stout. The winner got to drink what was left in the glass.

The footwork is great fun to watch and to listen to. Everybody who trys it just loves it. I taught it in Australia for the first time ever this year and they loved it.

Send me an e mail if you have any more questions

ps… I will have a video available early 2008.