Irish Dance Boys Win Equality

An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha ruled: Boys may wear beards!
In a statement, An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha said:
Nice red beards are the male equivalent to the bouncy wigs worn by so many girls. It will be refreshing to see the beards bouncing gaily while the boys dance the slip jig.... Oops, boys don't dance the slip jig, do they? well, anyway ,this ruling will most certianly encourage more boys to come to Irish dance, silly ole' slip jig or not. The beards will show that girls do not have the corner on traditional Irish beauty.

Taken a Break

It was my idea. I was inspired. And now a year and a half later I continue to love it. But right now, this very minute, I needed a break. Maybe I tried to advance a little too soon. My very expensive accordion awaits my return.
The jig, Irish Washer Woman, is giving me fits... My teacher mentioned we should go back to the book. Ok! I'm just finishing book two in a five lesson book series. Beside I never thought I would be playing for Irish dancers for a least five years. I guess I'm on track. Those Irish songs are so fast!
Alright, back to practice.........................

Lost Again or The Brain That Went to Chicago

As mentioned once before; one cold and blustery February morning in a restaurant speckled town on the outskirts of Toronto,Ontario, a boy stuffed two gold medals into his green Irish Dance bag embellished with his dance school's emblem on the top zippered flap. Oddly those two gold medals and two pair of dance shoes, one pair soft and one pair hard were the only bit of dance apparel that arrived home with the boy.

Less than four weeks passed when that very same boy,attired in newly purchased dance garb, performed for a gathering of boisterous Irish heritage devotees celebrating the high holy day of the patron saint of their homeland, St.Patrick.

As consistent as the swallows returning to Capistrano as the robin to Michigan in the spring or as the Irish dancers flock to the nearest feis, this same Irish lad left behind items of dance apparel. That's right! Only, this time it was just one left foot Capizio,with heal. That supple black leather one hundred dollar shoe jumped out of the above mentioned green embellished dance bag.

Oh, happy ending! The lost and lonesome hundred dollar shoe was discovered hiding and was given to the lad's dance teacher. This responsible TCRG has only asked for one thing: a reminder call to bring it with her to the school's practice feis this coming weekend.

Hmmm, I wonder if the judges would mark him down for dancing in socks. His heal clicks could smart a bit, though. It could be a funny sight!

St.Patrick's Day

Well, we can thank good ole' St Patrick for our first sunburn of the year. Sure now, wasn't it in the sixties and sunny for our Detroit St. Patrick's day parade? And wasn't it a brilliant day altogether?

(Please note the above sentences were a valiant attempt to speak just like a favorite character of mine, Nula Ann McGrail, from the Andrew Greeley Irish books. I don't speak like that, at all, at all.)

Our Irish dance school group was about ten groups or so from the end of the parade. We strolled, leaped and hop shuffled our way down Michigan Ave from historic CorkTown past the old Tiger Stadium and on past the reviewing stand placed in front of the Gaelic League. The dancers had a great time showing off for the huge,green crowd and avoiding the horse droppings from those who went before.

I have only been playing the accordion for a year and a half, now. But I'm thinking perhaps by next year's parade,I'll have learned enough reels and jigs to play live for our dancers. I'll be perched upon the bed of the truck showing off.

To see more pictures from our parade click here.

detroitirish.org

My Entries to a Limerick Contest

Respectfully submitted to the judging committee September 2005, I offer you my limericks:

The price of gas is too dear
it bites me in my rear
I sit and lament
on money just spent
instead of on whisky and beer



Patrick danced for first place
he hopped and jumped to an accordion's pace
when Murphy stepped in
with his law and a grin
Patrick fell smack on his face

No, they didn't win but they are darn fine limericks if I do say so.

First Feis of 2006 or What We Lost in Canada

How did it happen? There were only three of us in the changing room. Our dancer Anthony, his brother Joey and me, the feis addicted dad. All I can say at this point is we are certianly glad he does not wear an open dress.
It was two weeks after the Mary Windgate Feis. We we home in Royal Oak, Michigan . It was the night before Anthony was to dance in an Irish heritage show with other members of the Heinzman School of Irish Dance.

My loving wife set out to wash his dance outfit. But, it was no where to be found.

A quick search of the house came to naught. A discussion of those of us who were in the changing room revealed none of us remembered taking the clothes out of the changing room.

Thanking our lucky Irish stars Anthony is not a girl. As leaving a several hundred dollar dress behind is by far a less recoverable event that replacing his black slacks and white oxford shirt.

A quick trip to the local Wal-Marts is all it took to recover from the loss.