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IRISH TWO-HAND AND CEILI (FIGURE) DANCING © 2008 Larry E. Taylor |
Two-hand dances literally are for two persons -- couples-dancing. Broadly, however, some two-hand dances are enjoyed by trios, lines of variable lengths and by a circle of dancers.
Ceili (figure) dances are for couples, for trios, for quartets, for lines, squares and circles and includes some dances for four couples.
Some of the both types of dances are progressive -- that is, a particular pattern is danced within a group of dancers then the group divides and dances forward or backward in the line-of-dance to form another group where the pattern is repeated. When a dance is not progressive, the pattern is danced repeatedly by the same group until the music stops or the dancers quit.
As with set dancing, only occasionally are new dances composed.
A few two-hand and ceili dances are danced to specific tunes. Dances of both types are listed below.
Available Music -- Many, perhaps most, of the two-hand dances do not have specifically-timed music. Though patterns have a defined length in bars of music, the quantity of times the pattern is danced is usually variable. Examples: Dancers may want music only long enough to dance a pattern (a dance) three times; musicians may choose to play enough music to dance the pattern a dozen times; a caller or dance leader may specify musicians are to play for only six iterations of a particular pattern; further, musicians may play only a certain number of bars so the music ends before the normal end of the dance pattern; (a similar issue of being too long or perhaps too short will arise when using recorded music).
A source for specifically-timed music is not generally available. Refer to the documentation and choose the particular rhythm pattern (jigs, reels, etc.); use whatever is available from recordings or from live performances.
Though identified hereon as Irish, some of the dances may have first been danced in Scotland or in other Celtic areas of the world. This page has been created and is maintained by dancers, Dr. Lenette S. and Larry E. Taylor of Stow, Ohio USA.
DocumentationClick-on dance information below. Documents marked
have either been recently posted or recently revised. Note the version-date on each document.
The documentation perhaps should not be considered official or final. The notes record dance instructions for a point-in-time. Two-hand dances may change due to dancers' skill levels, the dancers' and musicians' likes and dislikes and other factors. There may thus be many different versions of two-hand dances which are not documented here. Though an embarrassment to the webmaster, typographical and content errors are sometimes posted also. Please share your proofreader corrections with the webmaster.
Only a few ALTERNATIVES for a pattern or an entire dance are shown in the notes below. Versions of dances not recorded below will be posted as they become available. Do you have dances or versions of dances to share here with the dance-community?
| ACHILL SCHOTTISCHE | EIGHT HAND REEL | LONG GERMAN | SLOSH |
| AN LASAIR'S REEL | EVA (EVE, EVENING) THREE STEP | MALLON'S REEL | SOUTHERN ROSE WALTZ |
| AN RINCE MOR | EVERY MAN'S CHANCE | MARGARET WALTZ | SPANISH JIVE |
| ANTRIM REEL | FAINNE ULADY (a) | MAUREEN'S WALTZ | STACK OF BARLEY (b) |
| AOIFE THREE STEP (a) | FAIRY REEL | MAYFAIR | STAICIN EORNA (b) |
| BACK TO BACK HORNPIPE | FIONA'S POLKA | MAZURKA | STAICIN EORNA-2 (b) |
| BALLYVOURNEY FLING (a) | FLIRTATION TWO STEP | MILITARY TWO STEP (b) | STOPOVER STEPPING |
| BARN DANCE
(b) |
FORGET-ME-NOT WALTZ | MILITARY TWO STEP-2 (b) | STOW BARN
DANCE (b) |
| BERKSHIRE FOOL | FOUR HAND JIG | MILLENNIUM BARN DANCE | ST. BERNARD WALTZ (b) |
| BLACKHAWK WALTZ | FOUR HAND REEL | MILLENNIUM HORNPIPE | ST. MARGARET WALTZ |
| BLUE DANUBE WALTZ | GAY GORDONS (b) | MISSISSIPPI DIP | ST. PATRICK’S DAY |
| BONFIRE DANCE | GATES OF DERRY | MORRIS REEL | SWEETS OF MAY |
| BOSTON TWO STEP | GLASSDROMMOND REEL | MULLABAWN REEL | SWEETHEART WALTZ |
| BREAKAWAY BLUES | GLENCAR REEL | ODD ONE OUT | THREE STEP (a) |
| BRIDGE OF ATHLONE | HARVEST TIME JIG | PAT-A-CAKE POLKA | THREE TUNES |
| BRITANNIA PROGRESSIVE | HASTE TO THE WEDDING | PEELER AND THE GOAT | TRIP TO THE COTTAGE |
| BRITANNIA TWO STEP (b) | HAYMAKERS JIG | POLLY (PALAIS) GLIDE (a) (b) | TWO-HAND COUNTRY DANCE |
| CALL OF THE PIPES | HEEL TOE (a) | PORT NA SIAMSA (a) | TWO-HAND HORNPIPE (a) |
| CANADIAN BARN DANCE (a) (b) | HIGH CAULED
CAP |
PRIDE OF ERIN (b) | TWO-HAND JIG (a) |
| CANADIAN BARN DANCE-2 (b) | HIGHLAND (a) | PRIDE OF ERIN-2 (b) | TWO-HAND POLKA |
| CERCHIO SICILIANO (a) | HIGHLAND FLING (a) | RING OF ULSTER (a) | TWO-HAND REEL (COR BEIRTE) |
| CHARLESTON | HOOKS AND EYES | ROYAL WINDSOR WALTZ | VELETA (VALETA, VALITA) WALTZ |
| CIRCLE WALTZ | HUMOURS OF BANDON | RUBY WALTZ | VARSOVIENNE (a) |
| CLONEEN JIG | HURRY THE
JUG |
SAN ANTONIO
POLKA |
WALLS OF LIMERICK |
| COR BEIRTE (TWO-HAND REEL) | IDEAL SCHOTTISCHE | SCHOTTISCHE (a) (b) | WALTZ COUNTRY DANCE (a) |
| CORN REEKS (or RICKS or RIGS) | IRISH HIGHLAND (a) | SHANLESS REEL | WALTZ MARGUERITE |
| COTTON
EYED JOE (b) |
JOHNNY SCHOTTISCHE (a) (b) | SHOE THE DONKEY (a) | WALTZ OF THE BELLS |
| COUNTRY HOUSE WALTZ (a) | JUBILEE JIG | SIAMSA BEIRTE | WAVES OF TORY |
| CROSS REEL | KEEL ROW | SIICILIAN CIRCLE (a) | WHITE HEATHER FOXTROT |
| CUCHULAINN JIG | KELVINGROVE TWO STEP | SIEGE OF CARRICK | YORKDALE PLAZA |
| DINKIE TWO STEP | KILLARNEY WALTZ | SIEGE OF ENNIS | |
| DOIRINN ALAIN JIG | KING'S HEAD | SIXTEEN HAND REEL | |
| DONEGAL MAZURKA | LANNIGAN’S BALL | SKY WALTZ | |
| DUKE REEL | |||
| EIGHT HAND JIG | |||
| SET DANCE DOCUMENTATION |
(a) known by other names (b) multiple versions exist
Crooked River Set DancersThe Crooked River Set Dancers are individuals of northeast Ohio who enjoy the grand fun and exercise of Irish dancing; there is no formal organization. The dancers attend ceilis, festivals, workshops and practice sessions in Ohio and elsewhere. See www.setdancingnews.net for a schedule of set dance opportunities throughout the world.
WEBMASTER: larryetaylor@hotmail.com
UPDATED: 08-03-2008 
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