March 9, 2005
Ceilidh foot stomping fun
Community Ceilidh celebrates Celtic culture with lively music and traditional dance moves
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
How do you spell fun? C-E-I-L-I-D-H!
More than 200 people danced and twirled, jigged and reeled Saturday night at the 2nd Annual Scottish and Irish Dance, a Celtic Dance Ceilidh. Held at the Grand Traverse Academy gym, the dance featured the music of Tanglemere as well as many classic dances from these cultures.
Co-hosted by Celtic Fire Highland Dancers, led by Lee Gwyn, and Karen McCarthy, an Irish dance teacher at Dance Arts Academy, the event was the second joint effort to bring the sounds, steps and fun of Celtic culture to Traverse City.
For hours, the high-energy crowd wove patterns on the dance floor, many learning new dances and steps throughout the evening.
"It's hard but it's fun, some of the steps and how fast they go," said Mikayla Leishman, 9, of Kingsley, who along with younger sister, McKenzie, 7, is a student of McCarthy
The evening began with a circle mixer called Every Man's Chance which callers modified to a more modern Every Person's Chance. Gwyn led attendees through the steps of Tollbooth Tussle, Gay Gordons and the Flying Scotsman.
Alternating numbers with Gwyn, McCarthy called Waves of Tori, The Siege of Ennis and a 16-hand reel. Students of both callers demonstrated dances throughout the evening, including a hardshoe dance, a traditional Irish slip jig, the Sailor's Hornpipe and sword dances. Renown storyteller Jill Bert contributed a Celtic tale for the children and Ron Wilson, a bagpiper from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, played during Scottish dance demonstrations.
Event organizers stressed that the ceilidh was a family event and were pleased that dancers ranged from young children up through grandparents.
"They are a dance party, usually just like what we had: dancing, food and storytelling," said McCarthy, who previously organized a community Ceili focusing on Irish dancing for five years. "That's what we've tried to recreate, that kind of family feel where all ages come and participate."
"I think combining the Scottish Community and the Irish Community together into a Celtic event has helped grow the event," she added enthusiastically.
Gwyn agreed that the bringing the two traditions together into one event was a great way to spread the word about Celtic culture and dancing. An organizer by nature, Gwyn also had culturally appropriate snacks for sale - including Scottish shortbread, butter tarts, currant squares and Empire biscuits - as well as pizza and pop. Any proceeds from the event will benefit each dance group.
"Last year, my group did it and I invited Karen to teach," she said. "This year we decided that both groups would do it and share the responsibility and profits, if any."
While similar, Scottish and Irish dancing have distinct movements. Scottish dancers move their feet from side to side while Irish dancers tend to cross their feet during moves. Scottish tradition has dancers sometimes putting their arms above their head, which McCarthy said symbolizes deer antlers, while the Irish dancers rarely use their arms at all.
"In both the Scottish and Irish tradition there is solo dancing and partner dancing and some of the Scottish and Irish dances are very similar to each other," McCarthy added about some similarities.
Susan Middleton of Central Lake attended the event with Maria Cichowski, 10, and her sister Catherine, 9, of Mancelona. As the trio took a needed breather from the aerobic activity on the dance floor, Middleton reflected the evening's Celtic atmosphere.
"It's really enchanting," she noted. "And when the girls in their outfits get up there and demonstrate a dance, they look like little fairies, too."
"We thought this would be a dance class, cut and dried, I had no idea it was a party," she added.