Irish Set Dancing in Nova Scotia

The most fun you can have on two feet

Prince Edward Island has a lively set dancing group led by Helen Gough. Their demonstration group is called Laban Rua ("red soil," of course). They have regular classes each Wednesday, from September to May, at the Benevolent Irish Society Hall in Charlottetown, 582 North River Road. Classes are held from 7:30 to 9:30, with the first hour for beginners. For further information, contact Helen.

Chain around the pillar, Marine Landing, PEI


BHICTORIA WEEKEND

The Prince Edward Island dancers hold a weekend of music-making and dancing every Victoria Day long weekend. Dancers and musicians are welcome!

In 2009, we met from May 15th to 18th for ceilis, music sessions and traditional Irish dance and instrument instruction, presented by the Laban Rua Irish Dancers and the Benevolent Irish Society in Charlottetown.

The fun started with the regular Friday night concert, featuring Roy Johnstone. Instrument and dance workshops followed on Saturday, as well as a concert and ceili that night, featuring Kate Dunlay, Jennifer Publicover and Phil Schappert of Fancy's Flight, joined by guest piper and whistle player Glenn Coolen. Sunday featured music sessions and dancing.

Dance instruction with Elizabeth MacDonald included set dances and traditional sean nos  step dancing. Instrument workshops were provided by the members of Fancy's Flight, as well as Glenn Coolen, and included Irish fiddle, uilleann pipes, whistle, Irish flute and guitar accompaniment (DADGAD tuning).

Most events were held at the Benevolent Irish Society Hall, 582 North River Road, Charlottetown.

Costs:
Instrument workshops: $15 each
Dance workshops: $10 each
Friday night ceili: $8
Concert/Ceili with Fancy's Flight: $10.


Prince Edward Island Set Dancers held a weekend of traditional Irish social dances with Irish set dance teacher Elizabeth MacDonald of Scaip na Cleiti Halifax, November 10-11, 2007.

SATURDAY, November 10, 2007
All events took place at the Benevolent Irish Society Hall at 582 North River Road, Charlottetown. During the day, Elizabeth taught set dances and two-handed dances. At an evening ceili, an experienced caller led the dancing to traditional Irish instrumental tunes. Live music was provided by Roy Johnstone, Margie Carmichael and Cef Pobjoy.

SUNDAY, November 11, 2007
A traditional Irish music and dance session was held at Brennan's Pub and Eatery, Charlottetown. Music was led by Roy Johnstone. In the evening, a House Party with tunes and dancing was held at Nine Mile Creek.


Dancers and musicians from County Cork, Ireland visited Prince Edward Island in October 2007. Dance teachers Bert and Annie Moran led a workshop introducing the Irish social dances of southwest Ireland. Roger Scofield from County Cork conducted a workshop for pipers on the basics of Irish Uilleann Piping. A traditional Irish music session wrapped up the festivities.


Sets in the Irish style have evolved into their own forms in Atlantic Canada.  Several have been published by Pat Murphy, and are now danced all over the world, even in Ireland! Thanks to Leona Dalton for the following information about one such set, the Lot 7 from Prince Edward Island.

History of the Lot 7 Set

This is the dance that the Irish, Scottish and Acadians danced in the western part of the Island for many years until the early 1960s when the Rock and Roll craze caught on with Prince Edward Island youth. Then the older people followed the trend and, for almost 40 years, the square dance was rarely danced in Lot 7 or surrounding areas.

Then in 2000 Fred Horne and Mary Burke approached a couple from Burton, Lot 7 and the task began of putting the sequence of the dance together. After much discussion and consultation with Dorothy Rogers, a former piano player for the square dances, the dance, as we now have it, was finalized. Many agree that it is not exactly as it was in 1960, but for now those who come to the annual dance will say that it is close enough.

Elizabeth MacDonald, an Irish dance instructor from Halifax, who lived in Germany 2003-2007, took the sequence of the Lot 7 dance with her and made it part of her dance instruction in that country. The Lot 7 dance has also been recorded by Pat Murphy, the well-known Irish dance instructor and preserver of Irish dance who lives in County Mayo, Ireland. Pat has taught the Lot 7 in Ireland, and in 2009 he published the dance in his third book, Apples in Winter. Since it is believed that the sequence has come down from the quadrilles which the first Irish settlers brought with them to the shores of Lot 7 about 1820, it can be said that the dance form has come full circle.