ABSTRACT
In 1983, the author met the Molyneaux step dancers for the first time. However, his research interest gradually expanded to include their cultural knowledge of step dancing and the place of step dancing in their lives in North Kerry. When learning from the Molyneaux step dancers, he used his own body as a methodological research tool to embody, sense and store their dance knowledge. The style and quality of performing these step dances were dependent on the personalities, musicality and dance competence of individual step dancers. Each step dancer had a particular repertoire of Treble Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes and possibly solo set dances; much of this repertoire overlapped with other Molyneaux step dancers. Steps choreographed by Molyneaux were generally regarded as strong and masculine, particularly his more advanced steps, which included a lot of rhythmic and percussive detail consisting of drums, stamps, rolls and toe-fences. Feiseanna were other contexts at which the Molyneaux step dancers performed.
