BSS News 11. 5. 2014

BSS2014 – Details are revealed

The dance lessons will include a replacement on the post of the teacher for the highest step dancing category. The long-time teacher of this group of participants Ronan McCormack will be replaced by a somewhat younger dancer from several Irish dance shows, Shaun Kelly. Shaun did not start Irish dancing at the age of 4 as Ronan for example, but a little later: at fourteen. That is a more likely start of an Irish dancing career similar to our neck of the woods. The participants of the summer school from among the dancers will have the opportunity to see that even a later entry at the starting line does not necessarily mean failure.

Ceilí dancing, where Anna and Katka earned their teaching place gets one programme improvement this year. Participants will be primarily becoming familiar with the dances of the second oldest collection by Irish dance masters O’Brien and O’Keeffe, „A Handbook of Irish Dances“, published in Dublin in 1902. And that’s a pretty good programme offer, right?

This year we have to resign on the Irish and sean nós singing lessons. Radvan is extending his family and his morale does not let him leave the care for the increased number of children just to his wife. It is quite fair. Máire Bríd can not come to Prague for work purposes this year. I admit that the reasons for not looking for their replacement were mainly economic. But I guess next year we will again return to the stable model involving Irish and also singing.

We have first 4 registered participants and I hope that it won’t stop just there. The first ‘filtering‘ application deadline will be on 01 June. After this date we will evaluate whether we will be able to finance the event with such interest and I do not rule out that some lessons may be cancelled. Those who have paid their deposit will have it returned in full. The remaining lessons (and I hope that some will remain) will be open to further applicants.

Václav Bernard