BSS News 24. 9. 2013

BSS 2013 Final Evening show

The evening is opened with a flute solo by Michel Sikiotakis. His music is gradually gathering pace and rhythm and he is joined by summer school dance teachers in jig rhythm.

Dancing tutors – from left Ronan McCormack, Tereza Loužecká Bachová, Andrej Mikulka a Tereza Bernardová

After welcoming the present audience, helped substantially in English translation by Katka Báňová, beginner / primary dancers who were taught under the direction of Andrej Mikulka during the summer school take the stage. Their choreography is presented in soft shoes.

Absolute beginners – tutor Markéta Utišilová

Right after that they are followed by complete beginners who explored the mysteries of Irish dance under the direction of Markéta Utišilová. Their ability to perform a rehearsed choreography is a testament to their diligence and the care of their tutor. They are rewarded with a well-deserved applause. Ceilí class dancers who attended the lessons led by Katka Báňová and Anna Ward arrive after that.

 
16-hand reel – ceilí class

They perform a dance that they learned from our guest John Cullinane, one that is not so often seen with regard to the number of dancers: 16-Hand Reel. Musical accompaniment is taken care of by our guests from Ireland, Enda Seery, John Byrne and Mark Swayne. Andrej Mikulka prepared an additional choreography with his dancers for tonight – this time in hard shoes. It is a choreography where Andrej showed a not quite traditional combination of music and tap dance, which is quite symptomatic for him.

Beginners/primary level – tutor Andrej Mikulka

Even relatively mediocre dancers – of the beginners / primary level – do not bore the audience in his choreographies. After this programme number, spectators can take a relatively short break from the dancing, because the stage is taken over by those who were led by Radvan Markus in getting acquainted with the Irish language in an entertaining way.

Irish – tutor Radvan Markus

They sing a song in Irish and in their own words, they switched their roles a little. The rest of us have no choice but to believe them, because we do not understand Irish. Besides singing, they present this song through pantomime. The next beginner / primary group, which was taught by Tereza Loužecká Bachová during the summer school, performed a „city traffic“ choreography without musical accompaniment. The dancers formed a tram and rode it through various stops.

Tram choreography by Tereza Loužecká Bachová

The tram was „opening“ its doors and even „announcing“ the stops. The second presentation selected by the ceilí dance participants was a historical Castlebridge Four Hand Reel, which came from one of the oldest books describing Irish dance, published in 1902. After the collection of Thirty Ceilí Dances codified the Four-Hand Reel as the only 4-hand dance, the Castlebridge Four Hand Reel was never danced again.

Castlebridge 4-hand Reel by John Cullinane

Ceilí tutors (Anna Ward and Katka Báňová) with John Cullinane

Ceilí dancers accompanied it with a period backdrop which hinted at how dancing at home took place. The third and final group of beginner / primary dancers, led by Tereza Bernardová, presented the jig Jockey to the Fair with a transition to a reel, accompanied by the Irish musicians.

Tereza Bernardova‘ dancers

They also used the following time which they filled with two sets of Irish tunes. The final number before the interval was a performance by the sean nós dancing class of Gerard Butler, who showed not only a number of sean nós steps, but also added a choreographed performance with brooms (brush dance).

Sean-nós dancing – tutor Gerard Butler

Traditionally, the first number after the break is a performance of all music classes. This is due to the fact that the stage needs to be equipped with chairs for musicians. The bodhrán class of Roman Kozák begins and it is certainly not some mindless beating into the drum. Roman even summons the help of the audience with expressive gestures and people willingly participate.

Musicians from music classes

Bodhráns are followed by harpers led by Vendy van der Meijs and after a year’s break they again convince the audience that the harp is a wonderful instrument. They are then joined by other instruments – fiddles, flutes, whistles, bagpipes and finally banjos.

Although there was not much time for the formation of a well-coordinated orchestra and this concert, the end result is very impressive. The break connected with the removal of chairs is used to invite the deputy ambassador of Ireland Mr. Thomas Bellew to the stage.

Thomas Bellew from Irish Embassy Prague

We receive praise and recognition through his words. After that the dancers again return to the stage – this time the most advanced class, led by Ronan McCormack. Ronan perfectly composed an opening acapella piece and its transformation into a reel is accompanied by our musical guests.

Ronan McCormack‘ dancers

The choreography shows that it is performed by the best ones who came to the summer school and Ronan again did not disappoint as a choreographer. After this dance treat, sean nós singers take the floor, having practiced under the direction of Máire Bríd Ní Mhaoilchiaráin. We did not understand the content of the sung text, but we enjoyed the beauty of the voices of those whom we were meeting during the summer school as dancers or musicians.

Sean nós singing class

After the singers we invited our next guest John Cullinane and Ronan McCormack to the dance floor. John showed us examples of Irish dancing from the time of his youth and put it in context with how dancing has developed lately, which was in turn performed by Ronan McCormack. However, John at his age of 74 presented steps many much younger dancers could envy.

Set dancing class 

After the „duel“ of dance generations, the set dancers whose lessons were led by Gerard Butler took over the stage and presented the 3rd and 5th figures of the Ballyvourney Jig Set and 2nd figure of the Rinkinstown Set with live accompaniment.

Máire Bríd Ní Mhaoilchiaráin, tutor of sean-nos singing class

After the dancers, the stage was once again inhabited by sean nós singers and then our musical guests from Ireland played a musical set. Before the last number, Máire Bríd Ní Mhaoilchiaráin sang to a totally hushed room. The conclusion belonged to the dance teachers who began their dance with a slip jig and then smoothly switched to a reel with the accompanying musicians.

Final performance of teachers

The audience forced a repeat of the last part of their performance with their applause. And at the very end, all who were interested danced St. Bernard’s Waltz, which became the final piece of Bernard’s Summer School 2013.

St. Bernards Waltz

After that it was goodbyes, thanksgiving, exchanging contacts and a gradual dimming of the stage which led to its complete clearance.
VB

Václav Bernard