Mayo and US dancers link in one of world’s first digital dance competitions
LIKE everything else, the world of Irish dancing has had to adapt to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
When classes ground to a halt back in March, dance teachers all over the world turned to videoconferencing technology to maintain contact with pupils and encourage the continuation of the practice of Irish dance and culture.
Breffny Irish Dance School, based in Pittsfield, Massachussetts, took this innovation to a new level recently when 200 dancers took part in the Berkshire Feile 2020, including 14 enthusiastic Irish dancers from the Moffatt School of Irish Dancing in Ballina.
The local school’s participation in the feis represents the continuation of a long friendship between the schools.
Ballina and Pittsfield have been ‘sister cities’ since a twinning agreement in 1998, and the Moffatt School of Irish Dancing has travelled several times since 2012 to the Berkshires, establishing good ties and friendships with many in the Irish community over there.
On one such occasion in 2015, Sheila Moffatt, ADCRN, was asked to take a dance workshop with a new class established by Jennifer Darby. From here, a friendship grew, and Ms. Darby decided to expand her school, take her Irish dancing examinations, and become affiliated to Cumann Rince Náisiúnta.
Ms. Darby worked tirelessly to bring her feis online in 2020, becoming one of the first to host a digital Irish dancing event during the pandemic.
The support from the Moffatt School of Irish Dancing for the event served to further cement links between the two towns and schools.
Results from the feis were shared on Instagram on November 15, and dancers and committee from both schools enjoyed a Zoom party together afterwards.
Founder of the Moffatt School of Irish Dancing, Sheila Moffatt said: “The school performed really strongly in this feis and we’re very proud, but really it was the link with Ballina that made it extra special for both Breffny and ourselves.”
Breffny Irish Dance School’s Jennifer Darby said: “Even though it was the restrictions imposed by the pandemic that drove us to adopt a virtual format for this year's Berkshire Féile, the result was growth of our event beyond what we ever thought possible. With travel to Pittsfield not necessary to enter the competition, dance schools who previously wouldn't have entered because of the distance were able to compete, and we're so thankful that this includes our dear friends at the Moffatt School of Irish Dancing.”
The 14 dancers representing the Moffatt School of Irish Dancing were Sophie O’Connor, Melanie Ferandez, Sarah Keane, Aisling Connaughan, Stephen Gallagher, Cian Lavelle, Emma Jackson, Niamh Walsh, Shauna Tolan, Holly McGing, Emma McGing, Molly O’Reilly, Kayla Connaughan and Ava Patton.