More Photos From Kitsilano Showboat

Fast Hornpipe

Tomas

Mckenna

Nora says "Put up your hand if you want to come up here and dance with us!"

Here are a few more shots from the Eire Born show last night at Kitsilano Showboat. I'll post a few more photos tomorrow from the finale, which involved some audience participation (including a few Eire Born parents and siblings).

Eire Born at Kitsilano Showboat

Eire Born at Kitsilano Showboat, August 3

Catalina

Yee Haw ! Cotton-Eyed Joe

A large group of Eire Born dancers performed on the outdoor stage at Kitsilano Showboat last night in front of a large appreciative audience. Thank you to Nora and the sound team (Pat, Vic and Diana), and to all the parents who braved the Kitsilano parking restrictions due to the fireworks! Check back tomorrow for some additional photos...

Dancers were Maria M, Mikaela P, Catalina G, Hanna S, Emma B, Emma H, Alannah C, Aishlin H, Mckenna L, Julia M, Olivia A, Jayne D, Catharine A, Esme M, Gemma K, Laurel S, Taigen G, Rhiannon M and Tomas M. 

Submit Your Summer Jump Photos!

Anna M jumping in Pisa Italy, July 2011 (photo by Jennifer R)

Let's see your best summer dance jump photos! (a "1-2-3" or other dance leap). Ask your parent or friend to snap a photo of you while you are on holidays this summer; whether it's at an exotic locale, your family cottage, or a nearby campground, lake, park, beach or pool. If you're not heading out of town on vacation this summer (or already did, but you didn't happen to take any jumping photos), that's ok too: just head to your local park, beach, local scenic attraction, or even your backyard and take some photos!

This is NOT a judged contest, but all submitted photos will be eligible for a random drawing of a small prize! Please submit your summer dance jump photos no later than the end of Labour Day weekend (Monday, September 5) and I will post them all later that week. Please e-mail your photos (high resolution if possible) to pickettlineblogAThotmail.com

Please make sure your submitted photos are...
- of NPIDA dancers only
- taken outdoors, summer 2011
- an Irish dance jump - show us your best technique!
- not from the Steveston dock shows or other Eire Born shows
- maximum submission of 2 photos per dancer

In keeping with the privacy policy of this blog, please try to NOT include other individuals in the background of your photos. (Possible exceptions would be photos taken at a crowded beach or tourist site, for example). Please contact me if you have any questions in this regard. Thanks; have fun and good luck!

Eire Born in Point Roberts * Updated: and the West Vancouver Harmony Arts Festival

Point Roberts Arts and Music Festival. Back row: Gemma, Tomas, Maria and Catalina (team captain). Front row: Mckenna, Sage and Leila

West Vancouver Harmony Arts Festival. Back row: Rhiannon, Esme and Maria (team captain). Front row: Tomas, Gemma, Julia and Alannah

Thank you to Melissa J (photo #1) and Irene M (photo #2) for submitting these 2 photos of our Eire Born dancers in Point Roberts and West Vancouver this weekened. The dancers performed at the annual Point Roberts Arts and Music Festival, and the West Vancouver Harmony Arts Festival.  Thanks to the dancers and parents for attending these 2 shows on the long weekend!

Nora in Switzerland/Memories of EXPO 2002 *Updated: 2 New Photos Added Saturday

Nora with Malia and Leila; Marcel, Christina, Barbara and Simon

Good times in Zurich Switzerland!

Nora and Swiss dancers in Zurich. Back row: Nora, Conny, Daria, Livia, David and Barbara. Front row: Susann, Eva, Sandra, Ladina, Jasmin and Petra

Greetings from Switzerland!

Nora and family have been vacationing in Switzerland for the past few weeks. She submitted the above photos, taken while she did a dance workshop in Zurich with some longtime Swiss friends. She wrote:

"I taught a workshop in Zurich last Saturday & Sunday that was incredibly fun!! It was like a huge 8-12 year reunion from all my past years of teaching! Lots of dancers attended from our Expo 2002 times too!  Christina M hosted the workshops; she still teaches recreational Irish dance classes in Zurich which is awesome! Lots of good times!"

Some background for those of you new to NPIDA:
Back in late September 2002, Nora and fellow TCRG Michelle K took 10 Canadian dancers to Switzerland to perform at EXPO 2002 in Neuchatel Switzerland. The dancers first trained and rehearsed intensely for a week in Basel Switzerland with a large group of Swiss dancers. After arriving at EXPO, the dancers performed a 45-minute show 3 times per day for 4 days. The 5 NPIDA dancers who performed in Switzerland were Natalie P, Kelly D, Coco R, Hanna S and Kali M.

Here are a couple of photos from the NPIDA archives :)

NPIDA dancers in Switzerland for EXPO 2002: Hanna (age 10), Kelly (age 13), Kali (age 14 ), Coco (age 14 ) and Natalie (age 12)

EXPO 2002 - Neuchatel, Switzerland

Chinese Children's Festival: July 24

Aishlin, Sarah, Olivia, Jadyn, Mckenna and Gemma

A few words backstage with Diana

Lined up backstage, ready to dance!

Eire Born backstage, awaiting their turn to perform

These Eire Born dancers performed at the Chinese Children's Festival at the Michael J Fox Theatre in Burnaby last Sunday evening. Thank you to Sue for submitting these photos. Dancers were Gemma (team captain), Jadyn, Olivia, Sarah, Mckenna and Aishlin; Vic and Diana were the sound team.

NPIDA at CeltFest 2011!

Back row: Stephanie, Owen, Mackenzie, Camryn and Emma. Front row: Julia, Angela, Katelyn and Jayne

Stephanie, Emma, Camryn, Mackenzie, Katelyn and Jayne

In character (but not all in costume) for their skit; see text below

In character for their skit/dance (see text below)

Camryn and Jayne during their skit "The Feis"

Stephanie, Camryn and Mackenzie backstage during the Sunset and Stars Gala

Celtfest is a Celtic summer camp in Nanaimo that has classes in all the celtic arts (piping, drumming, singing, fiddling, pennywhistle, bodhran, celtic knotwork, and highland, Irish, Cape Breton, and Sean Nos dancing). 8 NPIDA dancers attended the 2011 camp: Mackenzie and Camryn C, Jayne and Katelyn D, Julia and Angela R, Emma B, and Stephanie M. Stephanie was also part of the CeltFest executive planning team. The Irish dance program was taught by Rose Fearon ADCRG, TCRG from the BFOC school. Owen Barrington (Senior Mens World Champion in 2008 and Riverdance troupe member) was there to teach the show class.

Many thanks to Stephanie who submitted the following review of CeltFest: 

Each day we started out with an hour of pilates and yoga specifically taught with Irish/Highland dance in mind. We worked on stretches that helped with our turn out, developing our arches, flexibility, core, and proper warm-up techniques. That was followed by two hour-long blocks of dancing. Some days one of the blocks was something other than Irish dance. We did a block of Sean Nos dancing, which is really old style Irish dancing and a block of Gaelic language where we learned how to count to 10 and some basic greetings. 

The show class in the afternoon was taught by Owen. He taught us steps from Riverdance and made up a little treble reel number for us. The Open championship dancers at the camp got to perform it at the big gala concert at the end of the week. The last block of the day was Ceili dancing. Each day was a different style. We did Scottish ceili, Irish ceili, and Scottish country dancing. 

There were camp ceilis every night which brought together all the teachers and students for music, dancing, and fun!! Tuesday night was the "Wacky Jig and Hornpipe" Contest. The NPIDA entry was "The Feis." It was inspired by an NPIDA Ceili number from a few years ago where, during the course of one dance, everything and anything that goes wrong at a feis, goes wrong. Mackenzie and Katelyn represented the "First Feisers". Katelyn did a perfect beginner slip jig, while Mackenzie did her own thing, following Katelyn around the stage trying to copy her steps. Camryn, Emma, and Jayne were the Championship dancers. Emma was the desperate dancer with the "Pick Me" sign pinned under the front of her skirt, Camryn was the overly made-up pushy dancer, and Jane was the "I am going to puke everywhere" dancer. 

The whole thing was really funny! The girls did an amazing job! Jane's wig even went flying off as she was dramatically puking into a garbage can. They ended up winning the "Feis-tastic" award and they won the contest!

I took 4 pages of notes during the week with drills and techniques that I thought were really important to share with everyone else. I hope to share them with Nora and Courtney so that we can possibly incorporate them into our classes. 

Thursday night was the Sunset and Stars Gala at the theater in town. It is mainly a chance for the faculty, who are all professional performers and musicians, to perform. Some dancers were selected from each of the dance programs to put on a little number during the last number. Camryn, Mackenzie, and Stephanie were part of the Irish Dance troupe lead by Owen.

I think everyone had a great time, despite being overly tired and sore by the end of the week. We climbed about a million stairs by the end of the week, which almost seemed like a class itself! The gym where the dancing was held was at the bottom of campus. The cafeteria and the rest of the classes were in the buildings farther up campus. It was a good thing that it wasn't overly hot, or I'm sure we would have passed out on climb on the way to lunch everyday!

Thank you Stephanie! Thanks also to Nicole, Andrea and Stephanie for the photos above. Click here for more details about CeltFest 2011: www.celtfest.ca

Sue's Dance For Life Feis Photos

Jadyn: 3rd in U-10 Prelim,  2nd in U-9 Treble Reel

Olivia, Mckenna and Jadyn

Olivia, Jadyn and Alex

Mckenna and Jadyn

Thank you to Sue M for submitting these photos from the Dance For Life Feis in Seattle last weekend.

NPIDA 2011 High School Graduates

Jessica H

Natalie L

Paula K

Congratulations to our 5 NPIDA 2011 high school graduates! Senior dancers Jessica H, Natalie L, Paula K, Natalie S and Alex W all graduated last month.

Jessica H
McMath Secondary School, Richmond
- Principal's Honour Roll
- McMath PAC Scholarship
- BC Passport to Education Scholarship (Grades 10/11)
- Photography Level III Award (Grade 11/12)
Jessica has been accepted to UBC and will be entering the Arts program in September.

Natalie L
McMath Secondary School, Richmond
- UBC Major Entrance Scholarship
- UBC Music Department Scholarship
- Principal's Honour Roll
- Modern Languages Achievement Scholarship
- BC Passport to Education Scholarship (Grades 10/11/12)
Natalie has been accepted to UBC on a Major Entrance Scholarship and will be doing a double major in Piano Performance and Linguistics.

Paula K
Carson Graham Secondary School, North Vancouver
- Carson Graham Honour Roll
- Carson Graham Music Parents Association Scholarship
- Carson Graham Music Program Award
Paula plans to take a year off from academics and dedicate her time to Irish dancing.

(No photos or information received from Natalie S or Alex W).

More Dance For Life Feis Photos

Cara and Gemma: 1st and 3rd in U-13 Prelim!

Cara and Gemma also placed 5th and 4th in the U-15 Prelim Treble Reel

Sydney, Sabine and Olivia with their medals, awaiting trophy results

Lots of medals - great for making bug eyes!

Olivia, Sabine and Sydney with their many medals and trophies. Sabine placed 5th in the U-9 Prizewinner Treble Reel; Sydney placed 1st in the U-9 Novice Reel Trophy Dance. Congratulations!

Sydney with her 4 solo medals and 1st-place trophy

Olivia with her 3 U-12 solo medals

Sisters Sydney and Olivia

Olivia, Sydney and Sabine: Pool pals!

Thank you to Sheryl J (photos #1-2) and Josee B (photos #3-9) for submitting these photos from the Seattle Dance For Life Feis last weekend! Congratulations Cara, Gemma, Sydney, Olivia and Sabine!