March 20, 2003
Ceili celebrates old Ireland
Community dance brings together generations of families
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
You could solve the world's energy problems by harnessing the energy of an Irish Ceili Dance.
The traditional Irish community dance was held Sunday afternoon at the Knights of Columbus Hall, drawing more than 100 dancers for a high-stepping afternoon. Social dances such as the jigs, reels and line dances lured attendees onto the floor where they generated megawatts of fun.
"I've never been to a Ceili before but I like the energy and having all the children dancing," said Marsha Minervini of Traverse City, taking a breather from the fun. "The old of us sweat and the young ones smile. Irish music is happy music and on a beautiful day what better place to be?"
From toddlers to grandmothers, dancers spanned generations to make the Ceili a family event.
"There's a family energy here with the kids," said Steve Bye, a veteran contra and swing dancer attending his first Ceili. "I want to learn this style of dance, the steps are much different."
For the fifth year in a row, the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, the Irish-American Club of Traverse City and the Bayside Travellers organized the dance in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Tanglemere provided the music and Karen McCarthy, a local dance teacher and veteran Irish dancer, taught and called the dances. She led dances with historic names such as "The Siege of Ennis," "The Walls of Limerick" and "The Bonfire Dance." Caller Daniel Gorno spelled McCarthy during the afternoon.
"I learned Irish dancing as a child and it gets my heart pumping, partly because I love the music, it is so uplifting, joyful and spirited," said McCarthy, who teaches Irish dancing at Dance Arts Academy. "It is really a unique dance format in the world."
McCarthy has seen a steady interest in Irish dancing since Riverdance, the showcase of Irish music and moves. The contemporary spread of Irish dancing contrast with hundreds of years of oppression of Irish culture by the occupying English, who stamped out the Gaelic language as well as dancing, she said.
"Irish dancing was driven underground during the occupation and there were a few teachers who would go from town to town teaching children and keeping it alive," McCarthy noted. "They staged competitions and turned Irish dancing into a sport, which is what saved it."
McCarthy's father, Tom McCarthy, president of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, said the progress toward peace in Ireland made during the last decade has also helped fuel the revival of interest in Irish culture.
McCarthy said an Irish enclave in the Traverse City area has kept up interest in the Irish culture. There were Ceili dances in the 1970s and 80s, McCarthy noted, but the gathering lost steam until it was revived five years ago.
"The Irish helped settle northern Michigan years ago," said McCarthy, who has been active in the Hibernians since 1991. "There were the Welsh miners and the Irish fisherman, who settled Beaver Island. Irish were the laborers, the lumberjacks."
Joan Ursu of Traverse City found the Ceili a trip back in time to her years of competitive Irish dancing. The daughter of Irish immigrants, she and her sister traveled to feis - an Irish competition combining dancing, music and singing - throughout Ohio, Canada and New York during their youth.
"While I was dancing as a high schooler, several of the students in my school went to the all-Ireland competition to compete with dancers from all over the world," recalled Ursu, a native of Ferndale.
Since the fall, Ursu has been taking an advanced Irish dancing class with McCarthy and loves the social, cultural and aerobic benefits of the dance. She had her mother send her traditional Irish hornpipe shoes and dancing socks to help her dancing.
"I'm just rediscovering my roots this year," said Ursu, who kicked up her heels at the Ceili with daughter Olivia, 8. "Irish dancing is so cardio, so aerobic; I didn't realize that as a kid because when you are a kid you are cardio, all you do is jump around. Now as an old lady I feel it and it is a great workout."