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Keltic Dreams in Northern Ireland

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ONE year after the Keltic Dreams dance troupe from the Bronx spent five days in Dublin performing their unique Irish dance and exploring the Irish countryside and its culture, the Dreams were back in Ireland for round two, with a twist!This year, the dance troupe, lead by Dublin-born Irish teacher Caroline Duggan, took Ireland by storm once gain, this time bringing their extraordinary Irish dancing style, fused with hip hop, to Belfast. The trip, which cost $85,000 and was funded by generous Irish Americans throughout the year, took place from May 15-19."The focus on this year's trip to Ireland was to build a triangular bridge connecting the U.S., Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic together creating what we named the Trinity of Dance," Duggan told the Irish Voice. And that is certainly what they did.On Thursday, May 15, just hours after dismounting from a seven-hour flight from New York, 35 children from Public School 59 in the Bronx performed four of their well practiced dance routines in Stormont Castle in Belfast. "The children really did perform with perfection. We then had interviews with the BBC and other media who were there to cover the event and then there were photos taken with the ministers," said Duggan.The children were very impressed with the countryside and the ground that Stormont stands on. "The children who were on last year's trip began comparing it to the Aras an Uachtarain (Irish president's residence), where the children had the pleasure of performing during last years trip."The following day, the Dreams had an opportunity to meet with kids their own age from Belfast when they visited Hazelwood Integrated Primary School. "As the children from the Keltic Dreams arrived in the lobby of the school, they were greeted with an incredible performance by the school band welcoming them! It was a precious experience," remembers Duggan. The Bronx kids performed 11 dance routines for the children of Hazelwood, and then the locals performed for the visitors. "It was a complete fusion of children from completely different worlds, all very respectful and tolerant of each other's cultural differences," said Duggan.Duggan said she was "fascinated" to observe how the children from two very different worlds found common ground in dance. "It was great to see the children from the Bronx showing the children of Belfast how to Irish dance and the children in Belfast showing the children from the Bronx a day in the life of a Belfast child by comparing their similarities and differences in their school systems," she said. "A very powerful message was underlined here, that it is possible for us all to work together regardless of being from different words."Later that afternoon, the troupe, which included approximately 20 adult chaperones, headed south to Dublin where the Keltic Dreams spent the next few days performing in various places, experiencing more Irish culture and making new friendships everywhere they went.Duggan, who is now back in the Bronx, will continue to teach Irish dancing to the kids as long as they are interested.

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