Set dancing in full swing
Sarah Saunderson • Published 19 Jan 2012 13:00
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Erne Set Dancing Club's set dancing classes are now in full swing in Donagh and Enniskillen.
Classes are from 8-10 pm on Mondays at Donagh Community Centre, Donagh and on Thursdays from 8-10pm at St. Macartin's Church Hall, Enniskillen.
Set dancing, sometimes called "country sets", are a popular form of folk dancing in Ireland. Set dances are based on quadrilles.
The latter were court dances which were transformed by the Irish into a unique folk dance of the Irish rural communities.
Promotion of Céilí dance during the 1930s and 1940s, and the rise of Rock and Roll in the 1950s caused the popularity of set dancing to fade. However, in the 1980s, a revival started and many sets that have not been done for forty years or more are being recovered and danced again.
The Erne Set Dancing Club aims to continue to revive this age old tradition and currently set dancing has been very active in Fermanagh since Fermanagh District Council's £500,000 Community Arts based Art of Regeneration Programme took place during 2006 - 2010.
Since this period the Set dancing club have achieved independent status and funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's small grants programme for over £6,000 to continue to facilitate set dancing in County Fermanagh.
The Erne Set Dancers have also introduced a major set dancing ceilidh weekend at Mahons Hotel, Irvinestown in May 2011.
If you would like to learn how to set dance then come and join in to celebrate this unique and great tradition that's both exciting energetic and sure to get you into swinging into shape!
Men and women are both welcome. Suitable for aged 16+.
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 19 Jan 12
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