Dance Class: Claddagh Association of Adult Irish Dance

Irish World Heritage Centre

• Starts at 7:00 pm
• Admission: £4
• Concession Admission: First week is always FREE to give newcomers a taster

There are two types of Irish ceili dancing. One is ‘Set ceili’ and the other is ‘Fior ceili’. The Claddagh Association concentrates on Fior Ceili which is danced in light shoes and is more akin to step dancing as it draws on the same basic footwork.

The Claddagh Association of Adult Irish Dance welcome adults of any age and any level of ability, including complete beginners.
No special footwear is required at the beginning; soft flat shoes are fine.

Class fees are £4 per week and the first week is always FREE to give newcomers a taster.

Teaching is undertaken by many class members who have many years of Irish dancing experience under out collective belts!

Step dancing is what most people think of as the ‘Riverdance’ style of dancing.
It involves dances in both ‘light’ and ‘heavy’ shoes and includes dances such as the reel, the jig, the slip jig and the hornpipe.

Fior Ceili
Dances are done in teams of various numbers depending on the particular dance.
Fior Ceili includes dances such as, The walls of Limerick, The High Caul Cap and Trip to the Cottage.
The dances can be performed for social purposes and also for competition. Although members of the Claddagh Association have entered adult ceili dancing competitions, the dances are taught in class for enjoyment and participation of all members whether competing or not.

Members of the Claddagh Association are happy to give demonstrations at social events in order to promote the enjoyment of Irish dancing to a wider audience.

They offer demonstrations of step dancing, ceili dancing and also the traditional Irish brush dance. The brush dance was danced years ago in Ireland and has many stories relating to its origin, one story is that it was danced by travelling people when approaching a house to sell their goods. For exhibition purposes they can offer one or a combination of the Irish dancing styles described above. If required we can also include dances with audience participation where one of our members will ‘call’ the dances allowing people to join in the dances, adding to the enjoyment.

Over the past two decades we have danced at many different venues and events including;
Weddings
Birthday and anniversary celebrations
Association dinner dances
Festivals
Care venues including nursing homes and facilities for health care and learning disability
Cultural events where overseas visitors are introduced to the art of Irish dancing

www.iwhc.com