Ready, Sets, Dance!

Anna Costanzo can't stand jogging. But she'll sweat through a couple hours of Sets lessons each week. Sets are the Irish version of square dancing, and Costanzo says anyone can shed a few pounds doing the jigs. "It's an aerobic workout," she says. "It's like running a treadmill: You sit down and take a break, then you get up and do it all over again."The class meets every Tuesday night in North Olmsted to cut a rug to prerecorded Celtic folk tunes. Local band Turn the Corner performs live music on the second Friday of every month. "But this is not Riverdance," says Costanzo. "If you watch people in Ireland do it, they have a lot of fancy footwork. We don't do anything like that. This is more for fun rather than show."Sets date back to the mid-19th century, when the British army returned from Paris and taught French dances to the Irish, who adapted the moves to their native music. Today, there are more than 60 different dance steps that keep hundreds of thousands of people busting moves across the U.S. "All of us were beginners at some point," says Costanzo. "But as you keep coming back, you get better at it." Sets lessons start at 8 p.m. at Saint Clarence Church, 30106 Lorain Road in North Olmsted. Fee is $5. Call 216-310-6239 for more information.
Tuesdays, 8 p.m., 2007