Deciding on the line-up of dances for Irish set dancing can be torture for a dance/ céilí organiser- or not.

Debate has raged for some years now, particularly in Ireland, whether or not to continually expand the range of sets danced or to stick to the ones people know, especially the ones I call the “C” sets – Caledonian, Clare Plain, Cashel, Connemara, Corofin, etc. Learning new sets is great and it can be very disappointing if you never get to dance them at céilís.

On the other hand, céilís have their own internal pace and rhythm also that allows everything to keep moving, which can be seriously compromised when lots of detailed explanation before starting is required: boredom and impatience can set in.

My own method of deciding what sets will be danced is usually driven by whatever has been learned recently, either in classes or workshops, what I think most people in the audience will already be familiar with and also possibly what the band likes to play – reels, jigs, polkas, etc.

But I’d like to know what your favorite sets are. I’ve included a list below – it’s not exhaustive but you can add one extra one to your list – at the bottom.

PICK YOUR 5 –  Tick the 5 sets you love dancing the most–you can add one (1) additional set at the bottom if one of your favorites is not listed here.

This poll is open for 1 week until 18th-19th January 2015.

All comments are welcome. Happy dancing!
Nora Stewart
Irish Bliss