Cape Breton and Hebridean Step Dance

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Cape Breton style percussive step dance and Hebridean step dance

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig are delighted to introduce a different take on integrating percussive dance genres in a social dance environment on the Short Courses program this Summer with the very talented Mats Melin!

On this course you will be learning how to place percussive step dancing and Hebridean step dance contextually in a community social dance environment.

Learning step repertoire will be covered but one the main focus will be on integrating the steps into social dances, such as Square Sets and Reels as well as how to perform them in a social setting. An element of how to teach these dances contextually efficiently will also be covered as part of the course. There will also be a chance to test out your skills by linking in with the fiddle course.

Students should have some prior step dance experience as it is not designed to be a pure beginners course.

About Mats:

Swedish born traditional dancer, choreographer, and researcher Mats Melin has worked professionally with dance in Scotland since 1995 and in Ireland since 2005. He has been engaged in freelance work nationally and internationally as well as having been Traditional Dancer in Residence for four Scottish Local Authorities. Mats co-started the dynamic Scottish performance group ‘Dannsa’ in 1999. He is a former member of the Scottish Arts Council’s Dance Committee and Scottish Government Working Group on Traditional Arts, and currently an office bearer for Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland. Mats is a Lecturer in Dance and MA Course Leader in Irish Dance Studies and Ethnochoreology at the Irish World Academy, University of Limerick, Ireland. He authored “One with the Music: Cape Breton step dancing tradition and transmission” published by Cape Breton University Press in 2015 and A Story to Every Dance and Hebridean Step Dancing published by Lorg Press in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

For more info on Mats Melin please click here

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