BSS News 30. 8. 2013

Bernard’s Summer School 2013 day by day

Saturday 17 August 2013

In the morning, the realization team composed of Markéta Utišilová, Martin Mitas and myself meet at Botičská school for preparatory works and in collaboration with the school caretaker Tomáš Chavalka, also a future participant of the summer school, we are preparing the school building and adjacent areas for the 13th edition of BSS. The first tutor Roman Kozák has already arrived. We assign various rooms, Martin creates labels and we deliver all the necessary equipment which the summer school can’t do without: contents of the bulletin boards, promotional materials, dance shoes, CDs and DVDs for sale, audio equipment to other gyms, toilet paper, coffee, milk and sugar and many other things. We have also brought 30 barrels of drinking water and three heating and cooling water dispensers. While Markéta installs an exhibition of photographs by Katka Samková, I leave for the airport to pick up the first tutors who arrive from Ireland: Máire Bríd Ní Mhaoilchiaráin, Tereza Bernardová, Ronan McCormack and Gerard Butler. After their accommodation we again return to the airport with Tereza to bring Michel Sikiotakis who flew in from Paris. In the course of the day, the first Summer School participants who plan to take advantage of the lodging in the school arrive, and Markéta takes care of their accommodation. We have 8 classrooms available for that, but we have only used six of them, all on the second floor. The opening night takes place in the larger gym. At the beginning, I teach the Newbury Reel (a country dance), followed by two Scottish dances (Gay Gordons, Canadian Barn Dance), continuing with the Two-Hand Country Dance and 6th figure of the Williamstown Set in polka rhythm. Finally, we learn the Waltz Country Dance (Pat Murphy version). At the end of the evening I still set off to the airport with Tereza for the third time, because our fiddle tutor Ruadh Duggan lands at 11 pm.

Sunday 18 August 2013

The first day of classes begins as usual with step dancing classes. One school gym is filled by intermediate / open dancers with Ronan McCormack. Beginner and primary dancers go with their teachers to the gym of the Industrial School in Podskalská street and complete beginners follow Markéta to the little house near the school’s sports ground. At the same time, fiddle lessons under the guidance of Ruadh Duggan begin in one of the classrooms.

After 3 hours, participants arrive for the ceilí dancing lessons taught by Anna Ward and Katka Báňová, sean nós singing led by Máire Bríd and harp lessons taught by Václava van der Meijs. According to the schedule, sean nós dancing lessons with Gerard Butler, music lessons of uilleann pipes (Michel Sikiotakis), whistle (Michel Sikiotakis and Anka Šůrová), flute and Irish (Radvan Markus), banjo (Mark Zienert) and set dances (Gerard Butler) begin in the afternoon.

Ceilí dancers learned the 2 Hands Country Dance, Siege of Carrick, Walls of Limerick and An Rince Mór today. Set dancers’ practice started with the Connemara Reel set and Rinkinstown set. A 8 p.m. participants meet in the gym for the quiz.

Teams of ca. ten people compete in quiz questions related to four themes: Irish dance, Irish music, Ireland and BSS. Markéta Team ultimately won, before The Diggers team, followed by The Incredibles, No Musicians, Funky Monkey and finally Piggy Legs. The latter ones could not help themselves even when they tried to smuggle the word „Bernard“ into a large number of replies, such as a response to the question “Who is the most famous Irish male dancer in the world?” 😉

The quiz was prepared and led by Tereza Bernardová with support from the family team and it seems that it was a fun and interesting evening for the participants.

Monday 19 August 2013

From Monday onwards we also start using another gym in Botičská Secondary School, where Tereza Bernardová leads her lessons. Classes take place according to the specified schedule during the day.

In the afternoon we pick up our summer school guest John Cullinane at the airport, who came on our invitation with the plan that after BSS we will follow the footsteps of the first Irish folklore expedition that visited former Czechoslovakia in 1967. In the course of the day, Roman Táborský is looking for a place for the evening session. Eventually, he managed to secure the “U tří bojovníků” restaurant near the school. The ceilí class learned Rince Fada, Haymaker’s Jig and Rakes of Mallow with Katka and Anna. Set dancers continue to practice the Rinkinstown set with Gerard.

The evening session was very well attended, the staff hardly managed to serve everyone. The musicians sat in the lounge area, the rest of the restaurant was full of sitting or dancing participants. We introduced John to Katka and Anna as he will teach the 16 Hand Reel and maybe even some more dances in their ceilí class.

Some time ago John mentioned that he even had to procure an An Coimisiún permit for this class, following the rules. I admit that with regard to John and his position in CLRG now and in the past I found it a bit exaggerated, if not downright bureaucratic.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

The programme ran according to schedule without any problems. The ceilí lesson included the Morris Reel and Glencar Reel. Set dancers started to practice the Mazurka set.
The evening was dedicated to screening a DVD titled Come West Along The Road. It was the 4th part of historical videos from the RTÉ archives. There were more than 60 entries from concerts and performances by dancers and musicians, as recorded and broadcast in a popular television show. The school has very well-equipped classrooms for DVD presentation and so for the first time we have an opportunity to show films on a big screen with high quality sound. Some participants also used the time to attend a Keltieg concert in the former HZK pub.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

The summer school comes into its second half. Lessons take place the usual way. The ceilí class is visited by John Cullinane who teaches the 16-Hand Reel. He also added a Two Hand Reel, Stack of Barley (hornpipe) and a Four Hand Reel which was published as one of several dances in the Handbook of Irish Dances by J.C. O’Keeffe and A. O’Brien in 1902, it is called the Castlebridge Four Hand Reel.

The organizers make another trip to the airport, where Irish musicians Enda Seery, John Byrne and Mark Swayne arrive. They are invited as guests on the final evening, but by mutual agreement we will use their accompaniment also at the ceilí in KC Novodvorská. The set dancers learn the Ballyvourney Jig Set and South Sligo Lancers Set.

In the evening, almost all the participants move to KC Novodvorská. Here, accompanied by the Irish musicians, we dance the Two-Hand Country Dance and Walls of Limerick. Then I include a ‘new’ dance from Elizabeth Burchenal’s collection, the Stack of Barley in reel rhythm. Tereza adds An Palais Glide according to a DVD from Donegal.

In the meantime, when we provided the band with some time to relax, we danced a country dance known under the name The Twisted Chain. We have also asked John Cullinane to teach and the participants learned a Two Hand Reel and Stack of Barley in hornpipe rhythm.

Gerard Butler added the 2nd and 5th figures from the Clare Lancers and Katka and Anna taught Rince Fada. We concluded the evening with a new waltz – the Waltz of the Bells.

Thursday 22 August 2013

The morning ceilí lesson is again visited by John Cullinane and together with Anna and Katka they polish the 16 Hand Reel and the ‘new’ Castlebridge Four Hand Reel and prepare it for tomorrow’s performance at the Final Evening. It is the last day when all lessons take place according to the usual schedule.

In the evening, a seminar with John Cullinane is planned in the gym of the primary school. John comes prepared and equipped. He brings a folder with archive materials relating to the visit of Irish musicians and dancers to Czechoslovakia in 1967 which he led.

He also has his collection of books focusing on the history of Irish dancing. And he also brought with him a new DVD, which showcases traditional sets, called Traditional Cork Steps and Sets. It is a two-hour historical record of sets and steps from the Cork region in a traditional rendition. For more than two hours, John talks and at the same time he shows some steps and it is an amazing experience for those present. John will be 74 in the autumn, but his step demonstrations are absolutely perfect.

Friday 23 August 2013

Friday’s schedule is traditionally shortened with regard to the Final Evening at Ponec Theatre. Only set dancing lessons have already finished yesterday. Evening performances are being fine-tuned. In the afternoon, musicians have a rehearsal in the school and dancers have space rehearsals at the theatre according to a planned schedule. Most of the programme is performed to live music and the musicians from Ireland play a strong role in it.

All is relatively well prepared, so we are ready to start on time. After the tutors’ opening accompanied by Michel, Katka and myself welcome the audience and after that, one number follows another. The whole programme of the Final Evening is the subject of a separate article.
After the Final Evening, some participants continue with a session in the school gym. This has probably stretched into the early hours of the following day.

Saturday 24 August 2013

In the course of the morning, participants gradually leave the school after prior cleanup. At noon I was able to ‘hand over’ the school to Tomáš Chavalka and set off to take the Irish participants of the Summer School to the airport.
After returning from the airport we pick up John Cullinane and leave for the Highland Games at Sychrov. Here we are able to see some interesting musical and dance performances, including teaching by Ron Wallace, accompanied by Muriel Zobel (Johnson).

They are in the Czech Republic at the invitation of the Dvorana dance school. This will be mentioned in the September Revue.

Sunday 25 August and Monday 26 August 2013

We set off to Ostrava to spend these two days with John Cullinane in the footsteps of the first Irish musicians and dancers from 1967, we meet there with the local witness of the visit Mrs. Svatava Bohušová from Opavica dance group.

In the afternoon we visit the Gong concert hall in the former Vítkovice Ironworks, which was rebuilt from a gasometer. We continue into the city centre to the observation tower of the Town Hall.

On Monday we go to the Ostrava Culture House where John Cullinane performed with his ensemble in 1967.

We are accompanied by the Culture House director Stanislava Gojová. After the tour we say goodbye to Mrs. Svatava and set off back to Prague.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

John Cullinane departs for Ireland in the afternoon. Before the airport we still manage a visit to the national memorial in Lidice, which is also connected with the visit of Irish musicians and dancers in 1967.

John recalled the visit as a very emotional experience for all involved.
The departure of the last visitor – a guest of this year’s summer school concludes one chapter relating to this event, but we still do not say good bye to BSS 2013: Now we will deal with all those things we missed during the past week, including billing and invoices, publishing information on the website and preparing the DVD. We would also like to ask the participants and tutors of this year’s summer school for feedback in the form of answering a few questions. But that will be one of our next steps.

VB

Václav Bernard