Irish dance basic steps (3): the side step

In previous posts we saw how to dance the skip and the rising step. The first allows us to move forward and backward, while the second step is made on the spot.
Now we will see how to go rightward and leftward, and with that we’ll have seen all the steps we need to dance the Siege of Ennis.

The starting position is always the same: the right foot is in front of the left, while the right heel touches the left foot, and the points are slightly spread.
Moving to right: bend the right leg rising the foot (= hop), move the right foot rightwards (= two), move the left foot behind the right foot (= three), still move the right foot to right (= four) and the left behind the right (= five), and repeat once again for a total of seven steps (= six, seven).

Moving to the left: bend the left leg backward (= hop), and move forward the left foot to the left (= two), move the right foot behind the left, closing (= three), move again the left foot to the left (= four) and the right foot behind the left (= five), left foot again moves laterally (= six), and the right follows, behind (= seven).