Sean-nós dance

Old Style Dancing (Damhsa ar an sean nós) is an older style of traditional solo Irish dance. It is a casual dance form, as opposed to the more formal competition-oriented form, of Irish stepdance.

Sean nós in Irish Gaelic means "old style", and is applied to the dance form as well as sean-nós song. These now less-common forms of Irish dance and traditional Irish singing have been documented in Irish history and by ethnomusicologists, but are still alive in parts of the Irish music scene.

The most widely known form of traditional Irish dance is competition-oriented stepdance. Other popular forms of Irish dancing are for couples and groups – social dancing, such as set dance and the casual dancing at a gathering called a céili. A specialised form of dance is the brush dance or broom dance. Less known is the traditional freeform solo type called Sean Nós or "old style" dance.

Sean-nós dance is characterised by its "low to the ground" footwork, improvised steps, free movement of the arms, and an emphasis upon a "battering step" (which sounds out more loudly the accented beat of the music). By its nature, it follows the music closely. It is traditionally a solo dance form. Because sean-nós dancing is improvisational, it is not necessary for a pre-arranged routine or choreography to be decided upon by the dancer. Spontaneous expression is highly valued. Therefore, it is less common to see groups performing synchronised sean-nós dance (which requires choreography in advance). Instead, the dancers may dance in turns, playing off the energy of the other.

Sean-nós dancing is similar to the more formal, competition oriented stepdance, but is more freeform in its expression. Stepdancing is recognisable by its stylised dance clothing, high kicks, and arms kept rigidly to the side. In comparison, the sean-nós dancers generally wear street clothing and their arms usually move with the natural rhythm of the dance or are kept loosely at their side. Some dancers incorporate large arm movements in their dance. Personal style is highly valued in sean-nós dancing.

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