BRONX DANCERS TAKE IRISH STEPS
Published on June 11, 2006
Author(s): Michael Levenson, GLOBE STAFF

CANTON -- On a rainy afternoon inside the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, a guitarist, three fiddlers, a drummer, and a tin whistle player struck up a lively reel with an infectious melody and bouncing cadence. A dozen students from Public School 59 in the Bronx hit the stage, the hard soles of their dance shoes tapping out a clattering ruckus as they leapt up and down.
This was precisely the sort of moment, cross-cultural and enthusiastic, that organizers and the students themselves had hoped for when they made plans a year ago for this troupe of 29 children to come to the Irish Cultural Centre for this weekend's celebration of Irish arts, the Irish Connections Festival. All afternoon, the students, who were practicing for their big performance on a main stage, talked excitedly about Irish dance and honed their moves.
``We've always felt in the Irish community that Irish culture is rich enough and universal enough that it can be enjoyed by a number of people who aren't necessarily Irish, and I think that's the case here," said Michael P. Quinlin, marketing director of the festival.
The students seemed to be enjoying themselves, as well.
``I love it!" exulted Erica Freeman , 8, who was wearing a yellow T-shirt emblazoned with shamrocks and the name of her troupe, the Keltic Dream Irish Dancers. ``We practiced and we learned how to go like this," she said, clicking up her heels in rhythm -- ``one, two, three, like that. I love that I know how to do it. I'd like one day to teach a class about it."

The students' foray into Irish dance started four years ago, when their teacher, Dublin-born Caroline Duggan , 27, showed them a few moves on St. Patrick's Day.
``It was such a hit," Duggan said.
Pretty soon, children clamored to learn the moves and Duggan set up classes after school. The troupe was born. The students performed at hospitals, colleges, even Lincoln Center. But Canton was another matter. The cost of traveling-- about $$8,000 -- seemed out of reach. The students held bake sales and dances to raise $$1,000. A story in the Irish Voice newspaper raised more. Then Quinlin helped involve Stonehill College officials, who gave the children $$1,000 and bestowed upon them the ``Building Bridges Award."
On Friday, the children arrived by bus, for three days of Irish dance, music, and art.
``It wasn't something we expected would happen," said Emily Cabrera , a bespectacled 11-year-old. ``Then one day the teacher told us we were going."

Aaliyah Montanez , 9, added, ``We got really excited and were screaming and jumping."
The children had some jitters yesterday, as they prepared for their big show, alongside professionals such as Kieran Jordan , who has a degree in contemporary dance performance from the University of Limerick in Ireland.
``I heard there's going to be a lot of people there," said Kasandra Reyes , 10.
Diamond Walker, 11, put a finer point on it: ``Thousands. "
Once the trip is wrapped up, Duggan said, she has big plans for the Keltic Dream Irish Dancers. She wants to raise money to fly them to Ireland, to see the land where their dance was born.



``That would be amazing," Duggan said. ``And the kids really deserve it."
Story as of Jun 12th, 2006, at 03:46 EST.