Sean nós dancing is currently enjoying a great revival amongst a new generation of Irish dancers. This form of Irish SET Dancing (different to Step Dancing) is a more relaxed free-form of dancing where most of the work is done by the feet being kept close to the ground and where the arms move freely and the body is encouraged to relax.
A near extinct style, it was revived in Connemara in the mid 70′s and soon the younger generation in the form of Roisin Ni Mhainin and later Seosamh O Neachtain took up the style and popularised it among a wider and younger audience.
Sean Nós dancing is characterised by its ‘battering’ style of dancing, commonly danced in hard-sole shoes and where dancers create intricate rhythms but avoid high kicks, leaps and toe walks. Sean Nós Irish dancing hard shoes therefore need to have heavy leather soles so that on a wooden floor they give the best sound and match well with the acoustic instruments. They must not have a sharp or metallic tip so that the shoe is audible while not demanding they be the centre of attention.
INISHFREE’s traditional SET10 Irish dancing hard shoe continues to be very popular among female dancers who need a little height on the heel but who require a flat, sharp and crisp leather outsole. We have just launched a new Men’s style called MAKEM which features a traditional Gibson shoe and NEW discreet ‘Phenolic’ toe and heel tips for a richer sound.
All INISHFREE products are manufactured to a very high standard from our factory in Cootehill, Ireland and are a Guaranteed Irish product.
