Monday 22nd – Friday 26th July 2024 | 10am – 1pm | Ulster University, York Street, BT15 1ED

Traditional sean nós step dances from the north: Mary McGuiggan will teach a selection of Jigs, Reels, Slip Jigs, Hornpipes, Set Dances, Maggie Pickens and dances such as the Highland, Stacks of Barley, Mazurka & Clap Dance.

Mary McGuiggan comes from Bellaghy in south Derry. She has been dancing since she was four years old, learning her dance steps from May Allen. Having danced successfully in competition at local, Ulster and All Ireland levels, she qualified as a dance teacher and taught competitively for several years. Her greatest passion is to dance and teach for fun, teaching céilé and stepdance classes and workshops locally and nationally.

Mary also performs with her brother Joe, a well-known dancer and researcher of old-style stepping.

No experience necessary.

The Summer School’s team of tutors is made up of internationally renowned performers with proven track records as teachers and educationalists. The primary means of teaching and learning will be ‘by ear’ with an emphasis in the less experienced classes of assisting pupils to develop oral/aural skills in addition to instrumental competency and developing core repertoire. All classes are designed for intermediate to advanced (minimum 2 years instrument experience) adults and children over 6 years of age except bodhrán, set dancing, sean nós dancing, traditional singing & sean nós singing which are suitable for beginners.