Irish Set and 2-hand Dance with Stevie

Come along to a queer-friendly Irish Set + Ceili Dancing class with Stevie (they/them).

This is a relaxed, friendly class teaching Irish set and 2-hand ceili dancing. Set and Ceili dances are sometimes danced in competition, but this class teaches the social "pub" style of dances done on every night of the week in Ireland (a.k.a. not River dance!). It’s perfect for beginners and open to everyone. No dance skills needed - expect some laughs, learning a few new dance moves and a chance to meet new people.

What will we cover?Learn basic steps for Irish folk dances including set dance and 2-hand ceili dancing. Dances will be done in groups of 2, 4 and 8 and dance positions are taught gender-free (i.e., Lark + Raven)

the shape of Irish sets and basic reel/jig/polka steps a range of holds like "waltz" "open waltz" and "ceili" common shapes in set dancing such as "house" and "home"

We'll go over comfortable hand and arm holds, adjustments, non-verbal communication and strategies increase comfort on the dance floor

What to bring?Wear something comfortable. Any shoes are good, but smooth/leather soles are best. We recommend avoiding heels (our classroom has carpet). A water bottle is handy, and low-perfume deodorant is best. AccessibilityWheelchair Accessible Venue Gender Neutral Bathrooms Quiet Spaces Free Tickets for First Nation Attendees

Who will be teaching? Stevie Bee (they/them) is a dancer, teacher, academic and poet. Their work focuses on social justice, inclusive classrooms, trauma and harm prevention. Dance has been a salve – and Stevie wants to spread this joy and provide opportunities to ‘exhale’ from the daily challenges of living on this little blue dot. Stevie is the co-founder of Queer the Set who celebrated 60 Years of Queer at the National Folk Festival in 2024. This group sought to make Irish set dancing more inclusive, including advocating for gender-neutral dance classes - now a standard in Melbourne. Stevie is a queer human and has danced professionally in Australia, Ireland, and France – they deliver weekly folk dance classes in Fairfield. They’re passionate about queering traditional folk dance spaces and creating opportunities to get more people dancing more often.

You can find out more about Stevie’s classes on Instagram and Facebook @melbourne.balfolk , or visit our website.

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Photo by teacher Any other questions or accessibility requests we can help you with? Just shoot us an email at melbourne@lanewaylearning.com.