When you hear the words “Irish Dance” I’d say most people immediately think of the River-Lord of the-Dance style of high jumps, strict choreography and upper body rigidity which so uniquely defines step dancing. (Personally, I also painfully reflect on the few years in early ’80s Staten Island, NY when I was an Irish step dancing student dancing in church halls and once, most thrillingly, in a performance at the mall.)
But just as we Americans are not only defined by singular dance styles such the Twist or the Stanky Leg neither are the Irish bound to the regal, high-flying Michael Flatley style. Sean Nos is a more intimate, improvisational, low to the ground, old style dance. A dancer’s arms are free and smiling is allowed, which makes sense as Sean Nos is typically the form of dance done in pubs when the fiddle and flute playing moves you to shake it, old style. In the US Sean Nos is still quite rare but we on the Hill are lucky to have a teacher and performer, Shannon Dunne, who has been sharing the fun of this dance with students on the Hill.
Shannon is an actress and dancer, originally from New Jersey, who took up Sean Nos a few years ago after visiting Ireland and seeing the locals perform in pubs. Intrigued, she got grants to go back and study with the Sean Nos masters, mostly older men. When she returned to the US she found no one else who shared her passion for the old style dance so she began teaching it. She now holds dance classes for adults at Joy of Motion at the Atlas, runs the Slán Abhaile Dance Project which holds dancing and instrumental music classes for kids at St. James’ Church and she also dances professionally with Footworks, a thirty-year old percussive dance troupe which tours the country performing traditional dances.
In between all of that Shannon has also developed a loyal following for her children’s camps. She specializes in unique, week-long camps during the summer and the super fun “Play in a Day” camps held on many of the days DC Public Schools have off but most parents do not. Full disclosure, last summer my two boys spent a week at her “Adventure Camp” where they acted out Greek myths and Star Wars and created videos of these creations. My camp-averse elder son deemed it The. Best. Camp. Ever. The next Play in a Day is September 18th and the focus is a variety of percussive dance such as the traditional South African Gumboot and its American cousin, the stepping popularized by African American fraternities and sororities (and of course Step Afrika!).
Shannon and her son have recently left the Hill for Silver Spring but her heart remains here. She has a loyal following of kids and adults and she has now created her own Sean Nos dance company comprised of herself and some former students. “But I don’t have a name for it yet!” she laughs. So if any THIH readers have any suggestions feel free to leave your ideas in the comments!
Shannon is performing tonight with visiting Irish musicians Cillian Vallely and Kevin Crawford from the Irish band Lunasa at the Lyceum in Alexandria, VA and tomorrow evening at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster, Maryland.