Madison Irish Dance News

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:11:00 GMT

Hello Madison-area Irish dancers,

A couple upcoming opportunities for you:

Irish set dancing is finally starting up again in Madison! Starting this coming Monday evening, Sept. 28, you are all invited to come dance traditional sets at the Brocach. The schedule will be 2nd and 4th Mondays at 7:00, upstairs at The Brocach on the Capitol Square. If you would like to get regular reminders of set dancing opportunities, you can join the specific mailing list for set dancers:
http://www.alan-ng.net/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/madsets/
You can also simply browse the latest broadcasts at that Web page without having to join.

Local Irish dance maven Heidi Hakseth is launching a Fall class through MSCR starting next Tuesday, Sept. 29. Learn Ceili, Group Set and Solo Step styles in a weekly class. See details and - as always - stay up-to-date with other Irish dance opportunities on the celticmadison online calendar:
http://www.celticmadison.org/events/calendar.php

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Madison Irish Dance News

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:57:00 GMT

Hello Madison-area Irish dancers,

Just in time for the annual run-up to the St. Pat's frenzy, here's a handy overview of upcoming dance opportunities (and other Celtophile events), in Heidi Hakseth's latest broadcast to her Irish dance followers. You can contact Heidi at hahakseth@gmail.com.

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Here are some Irish dance and music events for you to add to your calendar. I hope you'll be able to make it out for some dancin'! Also, a few of you have expressed interest in going to Milwaukee for various events. If you like, let me know when and maybe we can all arrange some sort of carpooling. No sense having everyone use their gas to go to the same place.

Best,
Heidi

Thursdays ongoing
Irish Drop in Class
$12
7:15-8:15pm
212 N Henry Street
http://www.dancefabulousmadison.com
**If you go to the website you can get a coupon "Buy a Class, Get a Class the Same Day Free." You have to take both classes the same day, but it can be any two classes. Come for African and stay for Irish. Take Irish and stay for Bollywood. Check out Dance Fabulous' website for the full schedule and to get the coupon. You MUST present coupon to cash in on the deal. Coupon is valid through 2/14.

Friday 2/13
International Dance Sampler
Free
3:30-4:30pm
Lathrop Hall on UW-Madison Campus
Dance teachers from UW Continuing Studies will each make brief performance presentations as part of the Friday Forum series in the Dance Dept. If you are free, come check it out. I'll be dancing. So will the Bellydance, tap, Latin, Modern and African teachers.

Saturday-Sunday 2/14-2/15
Celtic Film Festival
FREE!
11:00am-7:00pm
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (in the Overture Center)
http://www.celticmadison.org/events/film-festival.htm
Many award winning films will be shown throughout the day. Come for the films that appeal to you, leave and come back as you please. The full schedule and summaries of each film are on the website. This is going to be awesome!

Saturday 2/21
Irish Ceili Dance
$8.00
7:30-10:00pm or so (band starts at 8:00pm)
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center in Milwaukee
http://www.ichc.net/
The Milwaukee crowd is very friendly. Ceili dancing is very repetitive, so easy to catch on. Always lots of fun!

Friday 2/28
Dervish in Concert with Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill
Price varies
8:00pm
http://uniontheater.wisc.edu/season/dervish.html
Great players. This should be an excellent concert.

Friday-Sunday 2/28 - 3/1
Set Dance Weekend
Cost depends on Events Attended
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center in Milwaukee
http://setmke.org
Go to the website and download the brochure for the whole schedule and costs to attend (you can attend all events or just those that appeal to you, and that affects price).
Friday there is a set dance, Saturday there are workshops all day and a dance at night, Sunday there are workshops and an afternoon dance.
Tony Ryan will be teaching. He is a master teacher from Galway. Music will be provided for Friday and Saturday dances by John Whelan-amazing musician and great for dancing. For the Sunday dance, our own Alan Ng, Chelcy Bowles and Bryan Whiting will be playing away for your dancing pleasure as the new Capitol Ceili Band. If you are available, this event will be well worth the trip to Milwaukee.

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Madison Irish Dance News Message

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:19:00 GMT

Dear Madison-area Irish dancers,

I'm forwarding the latest newsletter from local Irish dance queen Heidi Hakseth ...

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Hello Dancers!
Here's the latest and greatest Irish dance news...as far as I know.
All classes/events listed below are for adults. Please pass this on
to anyone who might be interested.
See you dancing!
Heidi

STEP DANCING

Every Wednesday now through the end of August*
5:15pm - 6:15pm
$12 drop in / $10 advance
212 N Henry St @ Dance Fabulous
http://www.dancefabulousmadison.com

Wednesdays 9/10/08 - 12/10/08
7:30pm - 8:30pm
$106 register before 9/3/08
122 State St Studio @ UW Continuing Studies
http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/classes/dance.htm

CEILI DANCING

Heidi calls a Ceili with the Kilfenora Ceili Band!
August 16th @ 9:00pm
In the Dance Pavilion
Irish Fest on the Summerfest Grounds in Milwaukee
http://www.irishfest.com

Other people call Ceilis with various bands
August 14 -17, all day and all night every day!!
Irish Fest in Milwaukee
http://www.irishfest.com

SET DANCING

August 14 - 17, all day and night every day!!
Irish Fest in Milwaukee
http://www.irishfest.com

MIXED BAG

In September the Wednesday Dance Fabulous Class will most likely be
changing to Thursdays at 7:15pm. Coincidentally, MSCR is not going to
run Thursday Irish Dance in the fall as they don't have available
space for it. Would anyone be up for an MSCR-style class (mixture of
step, set and ceili) at Dance Fabulous? It could be a pre-registered
thing and run just like MSCR except we'd have a wood floor, mirrors
and a stereo we can actually hear. Please GIVE ME YOUR OPINIONS!

BRIGHT IDEAS?
Are there any Irish Dance related classes or workshops you'd like to
see offered in Madison? Speak up!

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Madison Irish Dance News

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:23:00 GMT

Dear Madison-area Irish dancers,

Local Irish dance teacher Heidi Hakseth just put together a summary of news about our local Irish dance scene (thanks, Heidi!), which seems appropriate to re-broadcast to you:

There are now several options* in Madison for adults who want to try
their hand (feet?) at Irish Dance. Here's the low-down:

Irish Set Dancing
2nd & 4th Thursdays every month
7:00pm - 9:00 or 9:30pm
No partner or experience required
Free, Live Music
Froth House - 11 N. Allen St. (just off Regent, near West High School)
Contact Bryan (258-9732) or Alan (alan@alan-ng.net) for info

Irish Dance Survey
Thursdays 1/17 - 3/13
6:00pm - 7:00pm
No partner or experience required
Shorewood Hills Elementary School Gymnasium (just off University, near
Atlanta Bread)
$32.00 - www.mscr.org to register

Irish Dance Drop In
Wednesdays ongoing
5:30pm - 6:30pm
No partner or experience required
Dance Fabulous Studio - 212 N. Henry St. (Just off State St., behind
Overture Center)
$12.00 drop in / $10.00 with pre-paid 10-Class Pass

Irish Step Dance
Wednesdays 1/30 - 5/7
7:30pm - 8:30pm
No partner or experience required
122 State St., 3rd Floor Studio (on State St., near the capitol &
Michelangelo's Coffee)
$106.00 - www.dcs.wisc.edu/classes/dance.htm to register

For ALL Irish dance classes, dressing comfortably and bringing smooth
soled shoes is recommended. Bringing a water bottle is also not a bad
idea.

Hope to see you dancing!
Heidi

*Options:
Set Dance - Social dancing to up-tempo Irish music (yes, there is such
a thing as Irish polka!). Done in groups of 8. Looks a bit like
American Square Dancing to outsiders, but is much cooler than that.
Lots of fun with very friendly and knowledgeable instructors.

Irish Dance Survey - A little taste of everything Irish: solo step
dance, a bit of set dance and a few larger group (ceili) dances.
Class will keep building each week, starting very simple and getting
more complex as the session goes on. But emphasis is always on fun.

Irish Dance Drop In - Ceili and step dance basics. Fresh class each
week. Guaranteed good time and good workout. Ideal for those with
busy schedules who want to move to Irish music, but can't commit to an
ongoing class.

Irish Step Dance - Class learns a jig, a reel and a hornpipe (two soft
shoe, one hard shoe solo respectively). Exposure to both modern and
old style step dancing. Geared toward beginners-no prior experience
assumed, but students who have taken the class before are always
welcome to join again.

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Irish set dancing returns to Madison this Thursday

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:23:00 GMT

Dear Madison-area Irish dancers,

Irish set dancing is about to return to Madison on a regular basis! Starting this Thursday, Oct. 11, there will be bi-monthly dances. Event details are at the end of this message.

You are receiving this alert because you are on the general Irish-dance news list for the Madison area (there is a separate list for people specifically interested in Irish set dancing).

You are all welcome to come and learn more about Irish set dancing, which is the adult social dance form commonly seen in modern Ireland, dating back to the 19th century. It combined the traditions of older Irish dances and music with French quadrilles (four couples dancing in a small square of space), and its very much alive and well among Irish people today, and with a worldwide following, too.

If you are interested in getting regular notices about these dances, please subscribe yourself to the separate Irish set-dancing e-mail list here:
http://www.alan-ng.net/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/madsets/

You can also learn more about the background of Irish set dancing - and the extent of its worldwide activity - here:
http://www.setdancingnews.net/

Details

Mark your calendars for the 2nd and 4th Thursdays every month, at 7:00 pm, at the Froth House. Thanks to the efforts of Bryan Whiting and the strong interest of the operators of the Froth House, we are all invited, starting on October 11, to show up at The Froth House twice a month for Irish set dancing with a wood floor, live traditional dance music (except for recorded music during the instruction phase), a full bar and cafe menu, and comfy seating in the same room. The management normally closes up at 8 pm, but they have agreed to stay open for this event at least until 9 pm, and maybe even as late as 9:30 pm.

There will be instruction for the first hour or so every time. This, plus, the new bimonthly schedule, should really help keep things going long-term more than the old way did. For the initial Oct. 11 dance, Bryan Whiting will lead all beginners through the basics of Irish set dancing. As we go along, there are plans afoot to set up a rotating crew of instructors at these dances, including Jo Dupuis from Milwaukee this fall!

The Froth House is at 11 N. Allen St., just off of Regent St. More details about the Froth House are here:
http://www.thedailypage.com/theguide/venue.php?venue=2727

Bryan wonders whether Thursday is a good night for people - if there will be a future change in the date formula, I will post an update to this list, too.

Bryan can be reached at 258-9732. And relevant links and dance info are always available at:

http://www.celticmadison.org/dance/

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