Ireland: My Year in Reviewby Catherine Sherer
I was delighted when I was asked to write an
article about my time in Ireland. I feel so
blessed to have had the opportunity to have my own
one and half year adventure in Ireland, and to
have these wonderful experiences that I can now
write about. This article will probably be
therapeutic for me.
The impetus
of my trip was the fact that I received a
Fulbright grant to follow a Master's programme
at the University of Limerick (UL). And I
did just that: I earned a M.A. in
Ethnochoreology (which is, basically, the
anthropology of dance), with an emphasis in
traditional Irish dance. In many ways, the
programme was a means to an end for me.
Since I already had a M.F.A. in dance, the degree
from UL was an additional masterÃs
that I didn't necessarily
need. What it did, however, was afford
me the opportunity to have an extended stay in
Ireland, where I could focus extensively on both
the performance and historical aspects of Irish
dance. I swore I was going to make the most
of my time in Ireland, especially in relation to
improving my dancing and knowledge of the dance
itself.
For starters,
being at ULÃs Irish World Music Center
(IWMC) every day means youÃre
ëright in the middle of
thingsà when it comes to Irish music
and dance artists.†There are
well-known artists in and out of there every week,
giving master classes, workshops, lectures,
seminars, and tutorials.†These
artists would also give lunchtime concerts that
were free to attend.†In
addition, the IWMC sponsored several festivals
that brought artists in as
well.†And then the UL Concert
Hall hosted lots of great concerts, to which
students got reduced admission.â€
Some well-known artists I saw during my tenure in
Limerick include Kevin Crawford, Karen Casey,
Eamonn & Geraldine Cotter, Cran, Flook, Matt
Crannitch, Sliabh Notes, Johnny
OÃLeary, Frank Harte, Sharon Shannon,
Colin Dunne, and Rag˙s.
In the realm of step dancing, I had a lot of
interesting experiences.†I was
the only person in my programme to include
performance as a part of my thesis, which was a
comparison of the style of dance between the first
and second largest competitive Irish dancing
organizations: An Coimisi˙n and An
Comhdhail.†To do the
comparison, I took classes from a school in each
organization: I traveled weekly to Cork to take
lessons from the Keniry School (Comhdhail), and
for the Coimisi˙n School, it was Scoil
Rince UÌ Rourke in
Limerick.†The
OÃRourke School is the oldest school
of Irish dance still in existence in Ireland, so
they are steeped in the
tradition.†They also helped me
to prepare for my TCRG (Irish dance teacher
certification), which I passed. (I sat the exam on
Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday of 2003 in
Dublin, so while yÃall were enjoying
your turkey, I was sweatinà it
out!)†They taught me so much
while I was in Ireland; I tried to return the
favor, at least in part, by teaching for them
every chance I could.†We remain
good colleagues and friends, with a working
relationship that will be long and fruitful for
both of us.
I attended feiseanna,
organized dancing competitions, for both
organizations, which included class feiseanna,
local feiseanna, The Munster Championships, the
All-Ireland Championships, and the World
Championships.†I also attended
a sean-nÛs (old-style) competition
in Ros Muc, Co. Galway, which is in the heart of
the Connemara Gaeltacht.†As I
had attended the workshop earlier in the day, I
got pressurized into entering the competition,
because they needed more
competitors.†And
IÃm proud to say I was the only
contestant who was brave enough (or stupid enough)
to dance on the barrel beside the
stage!†Ironically, as a result
of my attendance and participation in that
festival in Connemara, I developed a working
relationship with the festivalÃs
organizer, and was invited to be a teacher at this
yearÃs event (Jan 2004).
I suppose most of the performing I
did, besides casual situations, was with Planxty
OÃRourke, a group of dancers and
musicians affiliated with the OÃRourke
School.†The most notable
experience was dancing on tour with the Irish Harp
Orchestra for two weeks in Germany, just before I
returned to the States.†I was
lead dancer and dance captain, and I did some of
the choreography for the show.
In
regard to cÈilÌ
dancing, well, there isnÃt a whole lot
of that in Ireland.†Mostly when
you attend a cÈilÌ,
itÃs set dancing, although
cÈilÌ dancing seems to
be more prevalent in the North.â€
There is a group, however, thatÃs
trying to change those stats:â€
Cairde Rince CÈilÌ na
h…ireann.†â€
This group is based in the North and is certifying
teachers to teach cÈilÌ
dancing to, mostly,
schoolchildren.†Not having a
presence in Limerick at all, they were glad to
have me on board.†Since I
already had a TMRF
(cÈilÌ dance teacher
certification), I didnÃt have to go
through their certifying process, although I chose
to for the experience and to ëkeep
up my chops.ÆIt
was during this process that I began to learn a
little Irish, primarily dancing terminology.
The other opportunity I had to learn
Irish was teaching at the Gael Scoil (Irish
speaking school) in Limerick with Maureen
NÌ Rourke Tuathaigh (again, of the
OÃRourke School).â€
Normally, the school only allows teaching in
Irish, but they made an exception for me, as I was
trying to prepare for the TCRG
exam.†As a result, I began to
learn quite a bit of Irish and was inspired to sit
the oral Irish portion of the TCRG (which you
arenÃt required to do, unless you will
be teaching in Ireland).â€
Although IÃm not fluent by any
stretch, I learned enough Irish to pass that
portion of the exam, which makes me certified to
teach Irish dancing in Ireland.
I
also did some teaching and lecturing at
UL.†I taught for Blas, the
IWMCÃs summer school of traditional
Irish music and dance and lectured to
undergraduate and post-graduate
students.†Subjects included
Labanotation, History of Irish Dance,
bodhr·n practicals, and Irish dance
practicals.†I also served as
the Local Arrangements Coordinator for the Society
of Dance History Scholarsà 26th annual
conference, which was held, for the first time
outside of North America, at UL in June
Ã03.†Finally, I
helped my course director to develop and organize
an Irish Dance Research Forum, as a project to
coincide with the Fulbright extension that was
granted to me.
I have yet to
speak of set dancing, which I did every chance I
got!†Attending
cÈilithe was loads of fun, and the
music produced by an energetic
cÈilÌ band is
unbeatable.†There are set
dancing workshops, classes, cÈilithe,
and festival weekends happening all the time, all
over the country.†Probably my
favourite set dancing experience in Ireland was at
VaughanÃs in Kilfenora, Co.
Clare.†(Although the
cÈilÌ I attended in Co.
Dublin on my return trip in January, called by
Donncha OÃMuineachain with music by
the SwallowÃs Tail
CÈilÌ Band, was pretty
darn good too.†To my surprise
and delight, he called both set and
cÈilÌ
dancing!).â€
VaughanÃs has set dancing every
Thursday and Sunday nights, in a converted barn
that sits at the back of the
pub.†Music is usually by the
Four Courts CÈilÌ
Band.†I highly recommend going,
if ever you have the
opportunity.†And the Willie
Clancy Festival in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare is
always a good option, with cÈilithe
held twice a day in three different locations for
an entire week in July.
†I also traveled to another
festival, Le Grand Bal de lÃEurope,
with a group of Irish dancers and musicians last
summer.†The festival is held in
south central France, near Moulin, and is a
celebration of dances from all over
Europe.†We taught workshops,
called cÈilithe, and performed at the
Spectacle - all over the course of about ten
days.
I also attended the All
Ireland Fleadh in Clonmel, Co. Tipperay, the Ennis
Trad Festival, the Pan Celtic Festival in
Kilkenny, and the list goes on and
on.†I could go on forever, I
imagine, but I only have so much space to
write.†I guess the most
important thing is that IÃve finally
returned.†And IÃm
delighted to be able to share with my community,
who supported my journey so many ways, all that I
learned and experienced while I was in
Ireland.†My sincere thanks to
all who helped to make this journey possible for
me ñ and especially to the
Fulbright U.S. Student Program, without whom the
opportunity wouldÃve never existed in
the first place.
|
