Page 12 - fdo_5dec15

Swallowtail. Salamanca, Matt Cunningham, Annaly, Dartry, Mountain
Road, Glenside, and Brian Boru ceili bands. Dances were called Monday
to Friday, making it much easier for new dancers. While the Saturday
and Sunday dances were not called, dancers were quite amenable to
helping each other. Photo of room of dancers here. Maxine took the
photo.
In Toronto, our monthly ceilis may attract 40 dancers, and our yearly
weekend dance may get 100 dancers, but it is mind boggling to dance
with 200 to300, much less 400 dancers together. Actually, it gets too
crowded, but the atmosphere of joie de vivre is heady and invigorating.
Local people come to the ceilis to swell the numbers, adding in the real
flavor of set dancing that internationals come to drink up.
There was a three-hour dance lesson every morning for six days with
Pat Murphy, a well-known Irish set dancer who teaches internationally.
We learned both new and revived dances ( Corballa, Knocknaboule,
South Sligo Lancers, Ballycastle, Ballyheigue, Charlestown). Notable is
the Metal Bridge Lancers, a new dance choreographed by Pat last year.
He is the author of three books on Irish set dancing, with his latest book,
Tabhair dom do Lamh, shown in our group photo. .

Toronto dancers with Pat Murphy, front row, second from left.

Pat taught some battering steps (like tap dancing, without taps) at each
lesson, and there were optional Sean Nos (more intense battering)
classes most afternoons. Battering adds a special Irish personality to the
dance. We all battered a bit better at the end of the week, but really,
Folk Dancer Online — 12 R e t u r n t o Table o f Con tents www.ofda.ca