Get comfortable with the rhythm and pace of the music. You'll be responding to a musical beat of 6/8. It's fast enough to make hopping a challenge. Keep your movements low-key at first and speed up as you gain confidence.
Begin to learn the Riverdance combination of moves. Extend your left foot in front of you and point your toe. Put all of your weight on that toe before placing your right foot on the floor behind you. Your weight should now be on your right foot.
Pull up your left foot in the direction of your right knee and hop once. Shift the position of your left leg so your knee is pointing in front of your body; do this by executing a second hop in the series.
Place your left foot on the ground behind you and take four steps back in this order: left, right, left, right. Your weight should wind up being on your right foot.
Point your left foot out in front of you and point your toe. This brings you back into position to repeat all of these steps again.
Repeat these moves without music to get familiar with the combination of hops and toe points. Avoid using the ball of your foot, as this dance is performed almost entirely on the toes of the dancer.
Finish up on your right foot with each combination of sets. Once you're comfortable with the order of the moves, "hop, heeltap front, hop, toe tap, hop followed by three steps," add music. Use the Irish jig count, which is literally "and one and two and three and four."