This afternoon at Lookout Primary School had its highs and low. The drumming class started off well, and the students seemed to be enjoying the rhythms, and they even started spontaneously singing along while they played! Unfortunately, their behavior got a little out of hand and we had to end the class early. Discipline and respect are an important part of the class, so they’ll have another chance next week to prove that they can focus and follow instructions.

The dancers, however, were wonderful today! When class started, they asked if they could show me a céili dance that they created themselves over the past week. Can you believe it? Just a few weeks, and they’re already choreographers! They took figures that we’ve done in class before and combined them in their own unique way, even adapting the figures for larger numbers of dancers to fit just four people.

This spark of creativity was so thrilling that I was inspired to add on some more difficult movements. We added some complicated arm movements that are common in “2 hand” or “3 hand” Irish dances. We also incorporated the “do-si-do” from American contra dancing or square dancing, and I gave them the option of spinning while do-si-do-ing, so they were introduced to “spotting” to avoid getting dizzy.

One girl was doing a sort of Charleston step during breaks, so we threw that into the mix as well. We’re getting quite eclectic up in Lookout!

At the end of class, I had to take a minute to thank the girls for their attention and creativity. I don’t take it for granted that they have been showing such initiative and interest, and I am truly appreciative. This is very promising for St. Patrick’s Day coming up in a few weeks!

Today we were outside again with St. Augustine School at Little Bay Field. It was a beautiful sunny day, so the drummers set themselves up in the shade, but the dancers had to deal with the hot sun. Luckily there was a sprinkler nearby so we could cool off every once and a while!

We made use of the the track lines this time and had some races across the field doing “skip 23s” (straighten out those legs!) and “over 23s” (jump high and kick your butt!). The “over 23s” were new this week because we’ve never had enough to space to work on them properly. They’re difficult to get the hang of, but lots of fun to fly through the air.

In Irish dance, there is a dance called “Kilkenny Races,” so I’m calling today’s exercise “Little Bay Races” 🙂

The dancers also worked on another céili dance, incorporating the bridge from last week, as well as the salsa step. But this time, we first did the “Irish” version of the step (with straight hips), and then we spiced it up to do the “salsa” version (with hips).

At the end of class, the girls wanted to do “real” bridges, so we worked on some back flexibility. Shay-Reese here has a great bridge, and she was even able to kick over with some help!

The drummers reviewed the assiko rhythms and other breaks from previous weeks. At this point, we’re trying not to add too much because the performances are coming up soon. St. Patrick’s Day is one month from today, so it’s time to start polishing things up!

Our hands got a workout on the drums as we reviewed the sounou rhythm from last week and then put together a long string of patterns from the kassa rhythm family. A real test of memory! It requires careful listening to the breaks and attention to the subtleties of the rhythm. I know my palms were burning and my wrists were getting tired, but that can only mean progress, right?

Then we gave our hands a rest and focused on our feet in Irish dance class. We reviewed the basic step from sean-nós and then learned a new step with lots of heels and lots of toes. After a short water break, we introduced a new Irish dance style: set dancing, which is a social dance similar to square dancing or quadrilles. We had five couples instead of four, so we adapted a combination of set dance figures to make the dance work with any number of couples.

This was the first time we really got to swing a lot, and I made sure everyone had a chance to feel the momentum by swinging with each student one at a time. At first it can make you really dizzy, but once you master the control (and remember to breathe!), it’s so much fun! Eventually we’ll incorporate this sense of speed and momentum into the “Christmas” figure, when we get into a tight circle and spin around as fast as possible.

After class yesterday, one of our students told us that she always feels happy after drumming and dancing, and that the feeling lasts her the rest of the week. We love that kind of feedback! We’re so happy that people are enjoying the workshops as much as we are 🙂

Today we continued with some assiko rhythms in drumming class, and there were fewer students now that the Brades kids are back in their usual location (we’re coming to you on Friday!) so everyone was able to focus more. We even had to play the rhythm one at a time! The kids did a great job echoing the rhythm back.

The Irish dance class also worked better with fewer students, and we were able to get through a céili dance with advance/retire, switching places with 7s and 3s, right and left hand turns, and the always difficult “waves” from the Waves of Tory dance. There were some collisions (as expected), but we finally got it!

The important thing to remember is that social dancing is a team activity, so even if someone messes up, we have to keep going and we can fix any problems the next time. There’s no time or space for doing your own individual thing, so it’s important to be considerate of others at all times. And be patient with each other!

Today was “sports day” for St. Augustine School, so we met the students at Little Bay field instead of at the school.

Luckily the rain held off and it was a beautiful afternoon! This was the first time that we had the drumming circle right next to the dancing circle, so it was a good opportunity to try “blending” the rhythms. While the drummers played, the dancers inched closer and closer so they could hear the rhythm better. It wasn’t easy, especially when the drumming sped up–it required some fast feet! We have a few weeks to practice before we start blending the classes for real.

Talent in both groups is really starting to shine, and now at St. Augustine we are also getting a few “cross over” students who are participating in both dancing and drumming.

Today Kate also explained her Irish claddagh ring to some of the girls: the hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty, and the heart represents love. Friendship, loyalty, and love!