Southbourne bed and breakfast at Newpoint Hotel, 25 Pinecliffe Avenue, Southbourne, Bournemouth, UK, BH6 3PY

Irish flute musician at Wimborne Folk Festival

I see that Riverdance, The Farewell Tour, is coming to Bournemouth BIC in February 2009. Wow, I bet those tickets will be snapped up fast because these amazing Irish step dancers are such a wonderful sight, so full of energy and enthusiasm and the Irish folk music is so hypnotic.

Apparently, it all started in Dublin in 1995, as a spin-off from a seven-minute intermission piece in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Since then it has developed into an international phenomenon. I love it and can’t wait

The last time I saw any Irish dancing live was at the Wimborne Conservative Club during the Wimborne Folk Festival. There were probably 30 - 40 folk musicians playing Irish reels and jigs in one of the bars.

Some Irish dancers set dancers (not step dancers) simply walked in and asked if they would make a space for them to do some dancing. I thought they might be lynched because the musicians were so tightly packed but, instead, the instrumentalists meekly moved back and made a space.

The Irish step dancers then moved in and put on a spectacular display to the pulsating sound of the Irish folk musicians. The sort of dancing they did was set dancing as opposed to the step dancing as done in Riverdance but spectacular nevertheless and I enclose a photo here.

Set dancing Wimborne Folk Festival

Whether I will be able to see Riverdance in February 2009 at the BIC, I’m not sure, depending on all the other things I have to do running my Southbourne hotel bed and breakfast guest house.

On the other hand, perhaps I will be able to get first hand accounts from people visiting Bournemouth to see Riverdance and staying with me at Newpoint Hotel.

Bye for now

Christine

Newpoint Hotel bed and breakfast guest house (B & B)