Oxford Irish Set Dancers meet most Mondays from 7pm until 9pm at Corpus Christi Church Hall, Margaret Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 8NB.
Be sure to check that the class is on before travelling in case we decide to have a week off. Call, text or WhatsApp 07856 846128 to get in touch, or email.
Set dancing is social dancing for adults to traditional Irish music done purely for fun, so if you are sociable, adult, like dancing to music and having fun then you're good to go.
Set dancing is not Riverdance (Michael Flatley, etc). That's step dancing which is completely different. Set dancing is social dancing that's just good fun and makes you happy! Bill Lynch's article The Joy of Sets describes it well and his website sets.ie is an essential reference.
Website: https://www.oxfordirishsetdancing.club/
Here's an alternative description: https://www.oxfordaweso.me/
And here's what it can look like: https://www.setdancing.fun/
Come along and give it a try.
You will be very welcome and we look forward to meeting you.
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Irish set dancing, sometimes called "Irish set", is a popular form of folk dancing in Ireland danced to Irish tunes in groups of eight dancers.
Set dancing is based on quadrilles, which were court dances. These were transformed by the Irish into a unique folk dance of the Irish rural communities.
To start, four couples are arranged in the form of a square to dance with each couple being in the middle of the sides of the square. Both the eight dancers in the group and the dance itself are called a "set". The dance is a sequence of several dance figures, which usually have a common theme or structure. The figures usually begin and end with repeated parts that everyone dances, and then during the figure each couple or pair of couples will dance separately. In the set, the couple with their backs to the band are traditionally named "First Tops" with "Second Tops" facing them. The couple on First Tops left hand side is called "First Sides" with "Second Sides" facing. Usually the First Tops are the first to dance, with some sets having First Sides and then Second Tops going next and some having Second Tops and then the First Sides. Second Sides is almost always the last couple to dance, and is therefore a good place for beginners to start, as they get more time to watch the demonstrations of the figure that the other couples give.
Sets differs from square dance and round dance in that it does not require a caller: the sequence of figures is predefined by the name of the set. In places with a large community of set dancers, like Ireland or New York City, it is usual for dances to be uncalled - that is, done with no calling - because most dancers already know the instructions for the common sets. However, at venues with larger numbers of occasional dancers, or for an unaccustomed or new set, a caller is often present to give instructions as the dance progresses, for those people who are not yet familiar with the set.