The Starry Plough Pub
3101 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705

Mondays: dance class
from 7-9 p.m., live
Irish music & dancing
from 9-11 p.m.!
About the Teachers:

John Slaymaker has danced at the Starry Plough since 1989 and has taught the beginning class
every Monday night for the past nine years, with the occasional wedding dance, church
social, and elementary school dance workshop thrown in.  When his schedule permits he
takes step dancing classes from Annie McBride, where he stubbornly insists that he just
“taps around in circles like a bumblebee”.  Lately he has also begun taking set dancing classes
in San Francisco and is making some small progress at not being too bouncy about it.  After a
number of years of hiding his true colors, he is finally revealing himself to be the delightfully
stodgy traditionalist that he really is.


Gretchen Holm started Scottish Country Dancing when she was 12, and soon thereafter
moved on to Irish ceili dancing.  After some encouragement from John, she began taking step
dancing from Annie McBride, and has participated in a number of competitions.  Currently,
she is enjoying being a complete and utter beginner at set dancing in San Francisco.  Gretchen
has been diagnosed with the affliction of recognizing that there are, indeed, correct ways of
doing Irish dancing.  While she is for the most part successful in managing this condition, it
occasionally manifests itself in the form of useful pointers and advice to students in the
dancing classes.  She apologizes (a little bit, anyway) if this interferes with the party
atmosphere …


Michael Riemer has been Irish dancing for about ten years, including step (with the Celtic
Dance Ensemble) and set dancing (with Comhaltas).  He’s been teaching the sets for about
five years, and (as a flute player) likes to emphasize the connection between the rhythmic
footwork and the music.  Despite the risk of being perceived as a “boring old coot”, he will
occasionally admit that he prefers the smooth and graceful style in which the sets were
traditionally danced, with room for battering and individual flair, in a relaxed spirit of
collaboration with the musicians.  He hopes to convert -- that is, convince at least some of
the ceili dancing enthusiasts that there can be plenty of life, energy (and fun!) without excess
elevation …


Bios written by Ferdinand 'Heels' Happyfeet and Cliodhna 'Buster' Taggart
About the Teachers