The Starry Plough

Jan 2008

RE: Dance without a partner classes

Another class that may be fun is at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. They have Irish Figure Dancing, and no partner is required, but you dance with partners. Most people come alone. Both classes are on Mondays at 7. Christy

April 2006

RE: Irish Flute Lessons

At the Irish Music session every Sunday (8.15) at the Starry Plough Pub on Shadduck in Berkeley there are a number of flute players, tin whistle players, and lots of other instrumentalists. It is an open session and musicians and singers at every skill level are invited, including children. They play medium to fast, but they welcome people bringing tape recorders with them to record and learn the tunes. The best recorders are the little dictaphone cassettes that allow you to play back at half speed, so you can hear the nuances, but any recording device works. Good luck, and have fun. ~ Shay

Jan 2003

RE: Scottish Dance

There used to be regular Monday night Scottish dancing lessons at the Piedmont Community Center. You might also pop by the Starry Plough on a Monday night and ask the Irish dancers if they know of scottish dancing nearby! Starry Plough is a bar on Shattuck at Prince. There are sometimes children at the informal Irish dancing lessons (starting ~7). Cynthia

Jan 2000

RE: Bagpipe Lessons

Another idea is to go down to the Starry Plough on Monday nights. This is a bar (so I'm not sure your son could go in!), where they hold Irish Dancing and Music every Monday night, starting around 7 and running till everyone is exhausted (usually between 11 and 12 mid). The local Celtic musicians show up to play, and one of them a) might play the uillean pipes (not sure of the spelling--it's pronounced illin, and means elbow pipes--the smaller, Irish pipes as opposed to the larger Scottish ones), or b) might know someone who plays or even gives lessons. The Starry Plough is located on Shattuck south of Ashby, at Prince, I think. Dawn