Irish Dance: Learn the Brush Dance! (Ages 7-10)
In this 8 week class, students will create their own traditional brush dance!
Capital Irish Arts
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(25)
What's included
8 live meetings
7 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
This class is for children who have taken the Winter Break Camp or Intro to Sean-nós Reels. In this class, we will learn some new moves, strengthen footwork, and create a traditional "party piece"! Each week, children will: 1) Say hello to the teacher, and watch a video of a dancer(s) performing the brush dance. Each week will feature a different setting/age/performance type so that students get a sense of the different ways the dance can be performed. 2) Dance our signature warmup (that includes the basic moves of Irish dancing) to an Irish tune (played by the instructor on fiddle, accordion, concertina, or whistle). 3) Work with the basic warmup elements in improvisation to live music 4) Review the step from the intro class that will be used with the broom this week. 5) Learn the different brush dance elements: Week 1: "Tossing" the broom Week 2: Skipping over the broom Week 3: Lead Around (next to and holding broom handle) Week 4: Advance Retire (next to and holding the broom handle) Week 5: Out and Cross Week 6: Heel and Toe Week 7: Gallop Step Week 8: Creating our own steps, part I Week 9: Creating our own steps, part II Week 10: Setting the class choreography 6) Improvise a brush dance using the skills we have learned so far. About our learning environment: We are a Reggio Emilia inspired curriculum, and so all activities have joyful engagement as the primary goal. Our teachers are always listening to the "hundred languages of children" for opportunities to engage all members of the group. Children's confidence and interest will be strengthened through the teaching practice of meeting them at their level of understanding and interest, and giving them opportunities to express their ideas and understanding. Community development has been the aim of traditional arts for centuries, and so students will have opportunities to share and interact with the other children if they wish. If they would rather listen and be a "good audience member" that is fine with us. There will be many opportunities to engage, and we will check in with the children throughout the class so that they can engage at their comfort level. The goal is to develop their listening ear, engage them in the stories, and give them opportunities to explore the basic dance moves in an empowering way, rather than demanding exact replication. No special shoes/clothing required. Students may enjoy wearing "noisy shoes" (shoes that will make noise on the floor as they dance) but it is not required.
Learning Goals
Students will learn:
1) To develop fluency with the basic sean-nós elements (beats and shuffle)
2) To use an timeál (the timing) step, using the guiding phrase "dee dum", to continue to improvise rhythm to live music
3) The key elements in a traditional brush dance (around the broom, next to the broom, over the broom, and tossing the broom)
4) How to use Connemara steps with a broom: the basic, the out & cross, the heel & toe, the gallop step
5) How to create your own broom dance steps
6) How to choreograph and perform a broom dance
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Dance is a physical activity, and this style of dance is similar to tap dance, it is low to the ground and focused on rhythm and footwork. Though it is not as athletic as the "Riverdance" style of Irish dance, it is still a gross-motor, physical activity and children should have a dedicated open dance space, preferably 6x6 or larger. Obviously, any obstructions in the dance space could lead to collision and injury. The clearer and larger the space, the better.
For the safety of the learner, please make sure:
*No eating during class
*Clear, defined dance area
*Footwear that will support the foot when "battering" on the floor. (Something with a form- sneaker, leather shoe, boots. No jazz/ballet shoes)
Supply List
To bring/wear:
A broom ("Swiffer" sweeper is ok)
A water bottle
Comfortable clothing to move
It is recommended, but not necessary, that children wear "noisy" shoes, that is shoes that make noise when they strike the floor, of any kind: rubber, hard rubber, leather, taps, etc. This will help students to get audible rhythmic feedback.
Students who are interested in what shoes our dancers wear: Dance Class Clogging Oxfords, without taps. Split sole or full sole.
Dance is a physical activity, and this style of dance is similar to tap dance, it is low to the ground and focused on rhythm and footwork. Though it is not as athletic as the "Riverdance" style of Irish dance, it is still a gross-motor, physical activity and children should have a dedicated open dance space, preferably 6x6 or larger. Obviously, any obstructions in the dance space could lead to collision and injury. The clearer and larger the space, the better.External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
We will be showing students videos from this playlist as inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn6VDSKx6M6Gje3y0EQJJzO4G2dZl-Onq
Joined October, 2020
4.9
25reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
This curriculum has been written by renowned traditional Irish dancer/musician and teaching artist Shannon Dunne.
Her work with master dancers such as Róisín Ní Mhainín, Pádraig Ó hOibicín, Gearóid and Patrick Devane, among many others, has given her intimate access to the tight-knit Irish dance community in Ireland and the United States, and has afforded her a place among the top sean-nós dancers in North America. The Washington Post called her dancing, "Playful musicality! Spirited and fun!" She was a qualifier for the All Ireland Fleadh in 2017, as MidAtlantic Champion. Her multi-generational company, Shannon Dunne Dance has won many titles and commendations, including 2 All-Ireland medalists and 1 All-Ireland special commendation.
Shannon has received grants and fellowships from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. She has performed on stages across the globe, including the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Symphony Space in New York City, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in D.C., and been a featured soloist with groups such as the Mick Moloney's Celitc Appalachia and Green Fields of America, Kitchen Quartet, and represented Ireland in Christylez Bacon's Washington Sound Museum. Reviews
Live Group Class
$120
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
55 min
Completed by 5 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 7-10
4-8 learners per class
