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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 or six 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--even many--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 | FOUR-HAND REEL | MAYFAIR QUICKSTEP | SLOW FOXTROT |
| AN LASAIR'S REEL | GAY GORDONS (b) | MACLEOD'S FANCY | SOUTHERN ROSE WALTZ |
| AN RINCE MOR | GATES OF DERRY | MAZURKA | SOUTHERN TWO-STEP |
| ANNIVERSARY TWO-STEP | GERMAN | MELODY FOXTROT | SPANISH JIVE
|
| ANTRIM REEL | GLASSDROMMOND REEL | MILITARY TWO STEP (b) | SQUARE TANGO |
| AOIFE THREE STEP (a) | GLASGOW HIGHLANDERS | MILITARY TWO STEP-2 (b) | STACK OF BARLEY (b) |
| AUXUM REEL | GLENCAR REEL | MILLENNIUM BARN DANCE | STAICIN EORNA (b) |
| BACK TO BACK HORNPIPE | GLYN GARY SWING (SWAING) | MILLENNIUM HORNPIPE | STAICIN EORNA-2 (b) |
| BALLYVOURNEY FLING (a) | GUIDMAN OF BALANGIGH | MISS FLORENCE ADAMS | STERN POLKA |
| BALMORAL BLUES | GYPSY TAP | MISSISSIPPI DIP | STOPOVER STEPPING |
| BARN DANCE (b) | GYPSY THREAD | MODERN WALTZ | STOW BARN DANCE (b) |
| BERKSHIRE FOOL | HARRY LIME FOXTROT | MORRIS REEL | STRIP THE WILLOW (ORCADIAN) |
| BIRTHDAY WALTZ | HARVEST TIME JIG | MR. ROBERT H. MACKAY | STRIP THE WILLOW (SQUARE) |
| BLACKHAWK WALTZ | HASTE TO THE WEDDING | MRS. BYRNE'S FANCY | ST. BERNARD WALTZ (b) |
| BLACK MOUNTAIN REEL | HAYMAKERS JIG | MRS. STEWART OF FASNACLOICH | ST. MARGARET WALTZ |
| BLUEBELL POLKA | HEEL TOE (a) | MRS. MILLIGAN'S STRATHSPEY | ST. PATRICK’S DAY |
| BLUE BONNETS | HEBRIDEAN WEAVING LILT | MULLABAWN REEL | SUMMER ASSEMBLY |
| BLUE DANUBE WALTZ | HESITATION WALTZ | MUSIC MAKERS | SWEDISH MASQUERADE |
| BONFIRE DANCE | HESITATION WALTZ (NEW) | NEW KILARNEY WALTZ | SWEETS OF MAY |
| BOSTON TWO-STEP | HIGH CAULED CAP | NOTTINGHAM LACE | SWEETHEART WALTZ |
| BREAKAWAY BLUES | HIGHLAND (a) | ODD ONE OUT | TANGO SERIDA |
| BRIDGE OF ATHLONE | HIGHLAND FAIR | OLD LANCERS | TEMPLE HOUSE |
| BRITANNIA PROGRESSIVE | HIGHLAND FLING (a) | ON LEAVE FOXTROT | THREE-STEP (a) |
| BRITANNIA TWO-STEP (b) | HIGHLAND SCOTTISCHE | OVER THE TOP | THREE TUNES |
| CALL OF THE PIPES | HONEYMOON PARADE | OWEN & CATERINE HARRISON'S WALTZ | THERE'S NAE LUCK ABOOT THE HOOSE |
| CANADIAN BARN DANCE (a) (b) | HOOKS AND EYES | PAT-A-CAKE POLKA | TRIP TO THE COTTAGE |
| CANADIAN BARN DANCE-2 (b) | HUMOURS OF BANDON | PAUL'S FANCY | TRIUMPH |
| CERCHIO SICILIANO (a) | HURRY THE JUG | PEELER AND THE GOAT | TWELVE COATES CRESCENT |
| CHARLESTON | IDEAL SCHOTTISCHE | PELORUS JACK | TWO-HAND COUNTRY DANCE |
| CHAPELOISE CIRCLE | INVERNESS CIRCLE | PETRONELLA | TWO-HAND HORNPIPE (a) |
| CHICAGO SWING | IRISH HIGHLAND (a) | PINE WOODS TWO-STEP | TWO-HAND JIG (a) |
| CIRCASSIAN CIRCLE | IRISH ROVER | POLLY (PALAIS) GLIDE (a) (b) | TWO-HAND POLKA |
| CIRCLE WALTZ | IT'S JUST FOR FUN | PORT NA SIAMSA (a) | TWO-HAND REEL (COR BEIRTE) |
| CLONEEN JIG | JAZZ TWINKLE | POSTIE'S JIG | VELETA (VALETA, VALITA) WALTZ |
| COME UNDER MY PLAIDIE | JIMP WAIST | PRIDE OF ERIN (b) | VIENESE SWING |
| COR BEIRTE (TWO-HAND REEL) | JOE McDERMAIND'S JIG | PRIDE OF ERIN-2 (b) | VARSOVIENNE (a) |
| CORN REEKS (or RICKS or RIGS) | JOHNNY SCHOTTISCHE (a) (b) | RAGTIME SWING | VICTORY WALTZ |
| COTILLION (3-HAND) | JUBILEE JIG | RED HOUSE OF CARDIFF (a) | VIRGINIA REEL |
| COTTON EYED JOE (b) | KEEL ROW | RED ROSE SAUNTER | WALLS OF LIMERICK |
| COUNTRY HOUSE WALTZ (a) | KELVINGROVE TWO-STEP | REEL OF THE 51ST DIVISION | WALTZ CATHERINE |
| CROSS REEL | KILLARNEY WALTZ | RING OF ULSTER (a) | WALTZ COUNTRY DANCE (a) |
| CUCHULAINN JIG | KILLIAN'S DREAM (FOUR-HAND) | ROSE JIG | WALTZ MARGUERITE |
| CUCKOO WALTZ | KING'S HEAD | ROUND REEL OF EIGHT | WALTZ OF THE BELLS |
| DASHING WHITE SERGEANT | LADIES OF DUNSE | ROYAL EMPRESS TANGO | WATERFALL WALTZ |
| DINKIE TWO-STEP | LANCELOT TWO-STEP | ROYAL WINDSOR WALTZ | WAVES OF TORY |
| DOIRINN ALAIN JIG | LE MOULIN ROUGE | RUBY WALTZ | WHISPERING FOXTROT |
| DONEGAL MAZURKA | LA RINKA | RUMBA ROSALIE | WHITE HEATHER FOXTROT |
| DUKE OF PERTH | LA RUSSE | SALLY ANN CHA CHA | WINDSOR WALTZ |
| DUKE REEL | LA VA | SAN ANTONIO POLKA | YEARNING SAUNTER |
| EIGHTSOME REEL | LANCERS | SAUNTER TOGETHER | YORKDALE PLAZA |
| EIGHT-HAND JIG | LANNIGAN’S BALL | SCHOTTISCHE (a) (b) | |
| EIGHT-HAND REEL | LET'S MEET AGAIN | SHANLESS REEL | |
| EVA (EVE, EVENING) THREE-STEP | LILAC WALTZ | SHIFTIN' BOBBINS | |
| EVERY MAN'S CHANCE | LEVI JACKSON RAG | SHOE THE DONKEY (a) | |
| FAINNE ULADY (a) | LOMAND WALTZ | SIAMSA BEIRTE | |
| FAIRY REEL | LONG GERMAN | SIICILIAN CIRCLE (a) | |
| FATHER O'FLYNN | MALLON'S REEL | SIEGE OF CARRICK | |
| FESTIVAL GLIDE | MAGGIE PICKENS | SIEGE OF ENNIS | |
| FIONA'S POLKA | MAJOR IAN STEWART | SILVER WEDDING WALTZ | |
| FLIGHT OF THE EARLS | MARGARET WALTZ | SIXTEEN HAND REEL | |
| FLIRTATION TWO-STEP | MARINE FOUR-STEP | STEPS | |
| FLYING SCOTSMAN | MAUREEN'S WALTZ | SKY WALTZ | |
| FORGET-ME-NOT WALTZ | MAYFAIR | SLOSH | |
| FOUR-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: 02-23-2009 
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