A dynamic duo of Irish dancers, Shannon Dunne and Kieran Jordan, will perform Sean- n?s dancing (an old style traditional form of Irish dance) at the Great Falls Grange, in Great Falls, Va.Accompanying the dancers will be Sp?rt, a stunning Baltimore/DC based band, consisting of Brendan Bell (flute), Patrick Cavanagh (banjo), Josh Dukes(guitar, flute, bodran), Sean McComisky (accordion), and Danny Novak (fiddle).Shannon Dunne has performed and taught at festivals all over the East Coast, Midwest, and in Ireland. She is a 2008 Dance Fellow and a five time recipient of a Folk Arts Grant from the DCCAH and the NEA, and was a recipient of a performer grant from the UWM Department of Irish Studies. Shannon has studied Sean-n?s dance in West Clare and Connemara, with Mick Mulkerrin, Mairead Casey, Roisin Ni Mhainin, and Aidan Vaughn. In the US, she has studied and performed with Maldon Meehan and Kieran Jordan. She tours nationally with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, and her recent brainchild, the SlanAbhaile Project, is dedicated to teaching dance styles that encourage freedom of personal style, and creating class situations in which students of all ages can dance together.Kieran Jordan lives in Boston where she works as a performer, teacher, and choreographer of Irish dance. With more than 25 years of dance experience, her unique approach to the dance marries deep-rooted traditions with contemporary innovations. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Kieran has a BA in English/Irish Studies from Boston College; an MA in Contemporary Dance Performance from the University of Limerick, Ireland; and the TCRG certificate for teaching Irish dance. Kieran has studied sean-n?s dance styles from Connemara and West Clare, with a particular focus on the dancing of Aidan Vaughan. She produced ?American Women In Sean-n?s Dance,? a two-day sean-n?s dance event at the ICONS Festival in New England in 2007. Kieran is the Dance Director for the WGBH production of ?A Christmas Celtic Sojourn,? now in its sixth season. Her dancing is featured in the show?s 2007 DVD release ? ?A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, Live? ? on Rounder Records. As a teacher, Kieran has established a non-competitive Irish dance community in the Boston area, where she offers weekly classes. She also teaches Irish dance at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She has served on the dance faculty at the Catskills Irish Arts Week (New York) and the Bl?s Summer School (Limerick), and has taught her own ?Beyond the Feis?? Workshop nation-wide.Sp?rt Taking its name from the Irish Gaelic word for fun, Sp?rt brings audiences a dynamic performance that interweaves old-style Sean-n?s dancing and traditional music. Sp?rt invites audiences into an intimate tradition of music and dance that flourishes at house parties, dances, and sessions throughout western Ireland. By keeping true to this tradition, Sp?rt gives a performance filled with driving rhythms, pounding feet, heartfelt song, and a feeling that it is all just about having fun. Brendan Bell (flute):Brendan is known for his flowing style of playing, which is deeply rooted in the flute playing traditions of South Sligo, East Galway, and the fiddle tradition of Co. Clare. He has been fortunate enough to learn from flute players such as Damien Stenson, Kevin Crawford, Harry Bradley, Laura MacKenzie, and many other local musicians. A former Scottish highland bagpiper, Brendan finally made the smart choice to play an indoor instrument. Brendan has performed at the Temple Bar Trad Festival in Dublin, the Kennedy Center, and many other festivals and venues across the United States. Patrick Cavanagh (tenor banjo):Patrick Cavanagh's earliest exposure to Irish music was from tapes of the bands Celtic Thunder and The Irish Tradition which were played at home throughout his childhood. Despite coming from a musical family, Patrick came late to the music, picking up the tin whistle in high school and then slowly gravitating towards the banjo in his college years. Through the patient guidance of the local Irish music community he continually expands his understanding of Ireland's musical tradition. Patrick plays with a number of groups in the Washington, DC area as well as co-hosting a weekly session in Silver Spring. Though he enjoys playing in sessions and in performance, he considers playing for dancers the highest calling of an Irish trad musician. Josh Dukes (guitar, bouzouki, bodhr?n, flute)Josh Dukes is a highly sought after accompanist in the D.C./Baltimore traditional Irish music scene. He is an extremely versatile multi-instrumentalist whose talents embrace the guitar, bouzouki, bodhran, flute and tin whistle. His musical sensitivity and melodic knowledge of dance tunes help Josh enhance the melody with dynamic chords and rhythm patterns. Josh learned the art of ancient rudimental drumming studying with Dominick Cuccia who is a widely respected instructor/performer in the fife and drum community. In 1997 he enlisted in the Army and has since earned the rank of Master Sergeant as well as being selected as one of three Drum Majors for the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps "The official escort to the President", the only military unit of its kind. As a musician in high demand, Josh continues to perform throughout the D.C. area with multiple traditional Irish groups. He has shared the stage with great musicians such as John Doyle, Patty Keenan, Billy McComiskey, Skip Healy, Zan McLeod, Myron Brethhotz, Philippe Varlet, and Matthew Bell. His influences include Paddy League, John Doyle, Arty McGlynn and Rob Greenway. Currently Josh can be heard playing bodhran accompanying Doc Botzer on his CD release "The House" which is one of the most beautifully original recordings of traditional Irish piano music. Shannon Dunne (Sean-n?s dance, vocals)With a strong background in tap and modern dance, Shannon Dunne's approach to Sean-n?s dance combines centuries old steps from Connemara and West Clare with modern rhythms and footwork. Shannon has studied Sean-n?s dance in West Clare and Connemara, and has performed and taught at festivals all over the East Coast, Midwest, and in Ireland. She is a two time recipient of a Folk Arts Grant from the DCCAH and the NEA, and was a recipient of a performer grant from the UWM Department of Irish Studies. Her recent brainchild, the Slan Abhaile Project, is dedicated to teaching dance styles that encourage freedom of personal style, and creating class situations in which students of all ages can dance together. Sean McComiskey (button accordion):As the son of the great Button Accordion player, Billy McComiskey, Sean has been surrounded by the sounds of Irish music, especially Irish accordion music, his entire life. Before picking up "the box," Sean tried various other instruments, including the piano and the fiddle, but none of which seemed to fit him. It wasn't until the summer of 1998 when he learned his first tune on the button accordion. Since then he's been hooked. Sean has performed at a variety of concerts and festivals ? the Washington Irish Festival, the Kennedy Center Millennium stage, the White House St. Patrick's Day Celebration and the Governor's St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Sean graduated from Towson University in May 2007. He is regular at J. Patrick's Pub, in Locust Point. Wednesday nights he leads a regular session, at The Cafe Hon in Hampden, on 36th Street with Dan Isaacson and Jim Eagan. Sean can also be seen performing at c?il?s, sessions and concerts up and down the east coast. Danny Noveck (fiddle, guitar):Danny Noveck plays traditional Irish music on fiddle, guitar, and tenor banjo. He has performed and recorded with an eclectic mix of artists, from the genre-busting American Cafe Orchestra and contradance bands like Fresh Fish and Wild Asparagus, to well known Irish musicians such as John Whelan, Liz Carroll, and Randal Bays.He is also a noted composer whose tunes have been played and recorded in both Ireland and the United States. He appears most recently on releases by Boston fiddler Eric Merrill, banjoist Sam Bartlett, and New York flute player and piper Christopher Layer.This event is funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. On May 10, FSGW will also sponsor this group in a series of workshops! Learn to dance Sean-n?s yourself. Or learn about Irish music.Workshops: St. James Episcopal Church, Upper Parish Hall, 222 8th Street NE, Washington, DC (on Capitol Hill)
2pm - 4pm, Saturday, May 10
"Sean-nos Dancing" with Kieran Jordan
"Flute and Whistle" with Laura Eagan
"Accompaniment for Irish Music" with Josh Dukes and
"Irish Fiddle" with Danny Noveck.Workshops $30 per person.
