May 2016 – Bluegrass Ceili Academy

May252016 by Megan MNo Comments

Riverdance in Lexington: Finding inspiration where you can

Local Events

[caption id="attachment_386" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Riverdance performed in Lexington on Wednesday, May 25, as part of One: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Photo via Twitter (@AlltechLA).[/caption] It's not every day that you get to see Riverdance in Lexington. So the last two days have been extra special with the chance to watch a rehearsal and a private performance at One: The Alltech Ideas Conference. On Tuesday, local Irish dancers, including students from Artworks at the Carver School, where Bluegrass Ceili Academy will be teaching beginning this fall, were invited to attend a dress rehearsal by the cast. While many of the Artworks dancers have studied ballet, jazz or tap, this was their first experience with Irish dance. Seeing Riverdance in Lexington [caption id="attachment_387" align="alignright" width="300"] Local Irish dancers, including some future Bluegrass Ceili…

May252016 by Megan MNo Comments

Take a free Irish dance class in Lexington

Irish Dance Classes in Lexington

Show up for the steps, then stay for a pint! Join Bluegrass Ceili Academy for a FREE Irish dance class in Lexington* at the Spiders Well at McCarthy’s Irish Bar. Never danced before? New to Irish dance? Not a problem! We’ll start with the basics. Irish ceili (pronounced kay-lee) dancing is the traditional group dancing native to Ireland. The dances we teach — and the dances you’ll learn — are those generations-old dances handed down through the years. We're returning to offer this free Irish dance class in Lexington at the Spider's Well on Wednesday, June 8 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. McCarthy’s is located downtown at 171 South Upper Street, Lexington. The Spiders Well is through the door along the right wall towards the back of the bar. Want to take another Irish dance class…

May182016 by Megan MNo Comments

Donate your shoes to Lexington Irish dance community-based program

Instruction

When Bluegrass Ceili Academy classes begin this fall at Artworks at the Carver School, it will be the first time our community-based Lexington Irish dance program welcomes students. It will also be the first time in a number of years that Irish dance has been offered through Lexington Parks and Recreation. We're excited to get started, but we need your help to do so! Since we're new to the Lexington irish dance community, with no previous dancers around, there's no "used shoe bin" for our students. To get our new students dancing, Bluegrass Ceili Academy is seeking donations of all sizes of lightly used and outgrown Irish dance shoes. Currently, none of the dance supply stores in Lexington stock ghillies or hard shoes, and local competitions where vendors may be…

May132016 by Megan MNo Comments

Learning traditional Irish dance in Lexington

Instruction

[caption id="attachment_351" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Dancers perform a slip jig choreography. Photo by K. Wilson.[/caption] The beauty, rhythm, grace and tradition of Irish dance are some of the reasons so many dancers are drawn to it. If you're interested in learning traditional Irish Dance in Lexington, Kentucky, Bluegrass Ceili Academy will be starting new classes this fall with an emphasis on team dance, performance and competition. Exploring the traditional roots of Irish dance is something Academy director Megan Moloney has done before by reviving nearly century old dances and giving new interpretations to them. You can watch videos of traditional Irish ceili dancing in action on our website. Another beautiful example of one style of traditional Irish dance not typically seen in most dance schools was shared this week by current Riverdance cast…