Frequently Asked Questions

Irish Céilí dancing is a very social and fun form of native Irish dancing, mainly danced to reel and jig tempo traditional Irish music.

Irish Set dancing is done in a circle of four couples dancing together for a suite of figures. These can be of similar or different tempos, including polkas, slides, reels, jigs & hornpipes, with regional style variations.

– The classes are all about having fun, meeting new people, getting fit and learning at the same time. It is suitable for males and females, no matter the age or ability.
– In the Adult classes – We start with some warm up Céilí dances. Then we go over set dances that were taught in the previous classes. Every 3-4 weeks we walk through a new dance. The dance tutor will be on the floor with you, to help you enjoy “the Craic” (Irish for Fun!).
– In our interactive workshop we give you an authentic Irish cultural experience. We get you on the dance floor and teach you the basic Céilí steps and moves, which are easy to pick up. The dances we walk you through use mostly the same moves in a different order and sequence. Then we dance to pre-recorded timed Traditional Irish Céilí music.

No dance partner or dance experience is required. People are partnered up in the class and moving to different partners for each dance.
For the Adult classes – If you are lucky enough to have a dance partner, please feel free to bring them with you.

It is important that you are comfortable and not overheating, as you will be moving constantly.
Wear comfortable footwear (a slippy sole will help your foot to slide along the floor when doing the steps).

– Cork City Dance Class is on every Tuesday night from 8.00pm to 10.00pm. (September to May)
Cork City Venue is St. Aloysius School, 9 Sharman Crawford St., Cork, T12 RK03

– North Cork Dance Class is on every Wednesday night from 8.30pm to 10.30pm. (September to May)
North Cork Venue is The Rathcormac Inn, Rathcormac, Co. Cork, P61 R899

– For the interactive group workshops, you may have a suitable venue or we can help provide one. Click here to check for availability and get a quote

“The dancing was brilliant, the highlight of my trip to Ireland.” Eleanora, Austria
“I really enjoyed learning the dances with my friends. It was great fun.” Alex, Canada

– The Céilí Experience is a great social night out and you get to meet other like-minded people, from all walks of life, there to enjoy themselves.
– People are partnered up in the class and moving to different partners for each dance.
– Having lots of fun in class lifts your mood, releasing serotonin, which may also help with weight-loss.
– Great Cardio Workout – heart rate and blood flow increases, which burns off fat and improves your cardiovascular health.
– Increased strength & flexibility, working different muscle groups repetitively.
– Ceili Dancing teaches different muscle groups to work together, specifically ones we don’t always use in everyday activities, which leads to better co-ordination.
– Set Dancing relieves tension and stress, improves your mood and serves as an outlet for your creativity.
– Whether you are a total beginner, just new to the adult set dancing class or come regularly, we all help each other along.

The dance tutor, Fionán Cogan, lets everyone know where the public dances with live Céilí bands are on each week. You can go here to practice the moves you have learned in class. Some of the dancers often organise a car pool for travelling to the Céilís at the weekends.

Fionán Cogan, a qualified Céilí dance teacher (T.M.R.C.) from Carrigaline, Co. Cork, has been dancing since he was 5, performing across the world since 1988 and teaching formally since 1994. He has shared the stage with Michael Flatley, Frances Black and the late Dr Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin.
If you want to learn how to Irish Céilí dance, then there is no better person to go to. Lessons can be taught through English, Irish or French. Fionán teaches beginners with no experience, right up to performance dancers.
You can contact him on +353 87 818 5111 or by email on info@TheCeiliExperience.com