Irish Set Dancing in Nova Scotia
The most fun you can have on two feet
Other set dancing events
Ballyduff Set in Rustico, PEI, 2005
APRIL
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (pronounced "kol-tus kyol-tori air-in") or CCÉ for short, is a worldwide organization based in Ireland, committed to the preservation and practice of traditional Irish arts such as music, singing, dance, and language. CCÉ North America holds an annual convention the weekend following Easter with many dance workshops and céilís. Several dancers attended the 2006 convention in Chicago. The 2007 convention, Ireland in Dixie, was held in Atlanta and the 2008 one was in Parsnippany, New Jersey. Every four years the convention is held in Canada, so look for a Canadian location in 2009.
MAY
The Prince Edward Island dancers hold a weekend of music-making and dancing every Victoria Day long weekend. Check out the PEI page to find out what you missed last year.
JUNE
Toronto's set dancers will hold their 5th Annual Reel Blast on May 30-June 1, 2008. Mick Mulkerrin will be the instructor this year. Nova Scotian dancers have attended this event several times, and had a real blast!
We usually mark the Summer Solstice in some way. On June 21, 2006, we hosted a visiting group of dancers from New Jersey to a small ceili at the Celtic Corner. These folks ended a two-week bus tour of the Celtic Maritimes (Cape Breton, PEI and us) with this farewell ceili. Past solstice celebrations have included dancing on a bridge in the woods (that's how it was explained to me) and dancing on the Sullivan's Pond Gazebo (in the pouring rain).
JULY
The Fourteenth Annual Catskills Irish Arts Week will take place July 15-21, 2008 in New York State. This is a popular event with the PEI dancers. Several dancers from PEI and Nova Scotia plan to go this year.
The 2007 Willie Clancy School in County Clare took place July 7-15. This week of classes and céilís is the most popular international set dancing event. Nova Scotia dancers have attended several times.
AUGUST
In August 2007, we welcomed home to Nova Scotia long-time dancers Elizabeth MacDonald and Dan Deslauriers. They have been living in Germany for four years. Elizabeth is a former teacher of our group, and she's been teaching and dancing all over Europe.
Our friends from Cork, Bert and Annie Moran visited again summer 2006. They are a dynamic duo: teachers, dancers and musicians. The tour began in St. John's, Newfoundland where they taught a dance workshop at the Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival. In Halifax, they danced with us at The Old Triangle two Sundays in August. In between, they visited les Iles de la Madeleine, and joined friends in Prince Edward Island for dancing in Lorne Valley, Lot 7 (Burton) and Charlottetown.
SEPTEMBER
With the assistance of Culture Ireland, the Irish Association of Nova Scotia, An Cumann, held a weekend of events in September 2007 to celebrate Irish music and dancing. We welcomed set dance teacher Michael Loughnane, who was joined by Kerry musicians, accordion player Johnny Cronin and fiddler Paddy Jones. Events included: a concert at The Music Room with Gaelic singer Lewis MacKinnon; workshops in set dancing, fiddle, accordion and Gaelic culture; and a evening ceili. The visitors joined our usual activities at the Old Triangle on Sunday afternoon. On Monday evening, Michael taught the Sliabh Fraoch, Durrow Threshing Set and Sixteen-Hand Reel at our class--a lively end to a busy weekend.
Michael Loughnane is a well-known dance teacher and collector from Thurles, County Tipperary. Pat Murphy has published sets that Michael has collected. Michael is also the brother of Scaip na Cleiti member, Pat Loughnane, dance leader in the Annapolis Valley.
OCTOBER
Bert and Annie Moran, our dancing, singing, playing and teaching friends from County Cork were in Halifax and Charlottetown in October 2007 for dancing, singing, playing, teaching and general fun. Their friends, Jan the guitarist and Roger the piper, joined them.
NOVEMBER
Elizabeth MacDonald, our Halifax set dance teacher, conducted workshops in Prince Edward Island, November 10-11, 2007. Check out the PEI page for details.
WINTER
Since 2006, An Cumann, the Irish Association of Nova Scotia, has held a concert series in winter entitled "To Drive the Cold Winter Away." All performances were held in the lovely Music Room on Lady Hammond Road. Poetry recitations in Irish accents rounded out the evenings.
2007-2008 - At Samhain, the Celtic New Year, Bill Plaskett and Bridget Garvey presented music from all over the Celtic world. Ronnie MacEachern performed traditional and uniquely contemporary ballads. A Solstice-time concert featured harpists Ardyth and Jennifer with songs of the season. Instrumentalist Kevin Roach and singer Jimmy Sweeney warmed the mid-winter. In celebration of St. Bridget's Day, the traditional Irish first day of spring, a group of women Celtic musicians presented songs, stories and instrumentals arranged for flute, fiddle and harp. Performers were Denise Aspinall and Tessa Wingate from Wolfville, with Cheryl Reid O'Hagan, Cathy Coates, Kate Dunlay and Jane Lombard from metro Halifax.
2006-2007 - New Wave Celtic band MacCrimmon's Revenge marked Samhain, the beginning of Celtic winter and the origin of Hallowe'en, with eerie instrumentals, haunting songs and ghost stories. Harpist Cheryl Reid O'Hagan and friends, including Maeve, John Spurns and Jennifer Publicover, celebrated Christmas and Winter Solstice. Irish Studies prof Joe Murphy, and Scaip na Cleiti fiddler Kevin Roach joined the Old Triangle's most popular singer, Jimmy Sweeney, to entertain us with Songs from the Hearth, in a lovely evening of songs not usually heard in pubs! In honour of St. Bridget's Day, Celtic women musicians entertained. Jane Lombard, Cheryl Reid O'Hagan, Jennifer Publicover, Kate Dunlay, Susannah Murphy, Nancy Grossert and Erin Dempsey delighted the audience with lively and lovely music. "Facts" about the elusive Bridget, pagan goddess and Christian saint, were interwoven with the music, and handmade St. Bridget's crosses of straw decorated the cozy venue.
FEBRUARY
The 2008 Gathering Traditional Festival took place in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, February 20 to 24. Visitors flock from all over the world for music and dancing. Two local dancers went to the 2007 version and and another to the 2008 one. They had a rollicking time.
MARCH
The Irish Association of Nova Scotia, An Cumann, holds an annual St. Patrick’s Day Céilí in Halifax--Irish stew, Irish music, Irish dancing, Irish music, and more. When? March 17, of course. Except when it isn't. In 2008 the feast was held on Saturday, March 15 at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Hall in Halifax.
ALWAYS
Set dancing events take place around the world. Please check Set Dancing News for the ones nearest you.