After a weekend of enjoying some free time in both Cork and Blarney, we were relieved to only have one class in the afternoon in order to get some rest after some long travels. After a discussion of Angela’s Ashes with Baker and individually going over our photographic project proposals with Priscilla, we were ready for a week of continuing to build upon what we already had done. The rest of the day was pretty relaxed as we worked on the drafts of our two essays and edited photographs on Photoshop.
Me kissing the Blarney Stone!
We all got together at Logue’s Lodge at the end of the day to learn some new dance moves at a Ceili dance. We were joined by students from the Burren College of Art as well as both Baker and Priscilla and we proceeded to dance the night away. Ceili dancing was similar to the first-year square dance, but with a few new moves and variations thrown in. Our instructor went over several dances that built off of one another. First we formed a circle and did some basic steps toward the center and back out. Things got a little more complicated when we partnered up and started incorporating spins. “It was fun to watch.” laughed Greg Meyer as several confused couples bumped into each other. This was a little tricky to get down at first, but with trial and error we eventually learned the moves and were ready for the next lesson.
Lacie and Jessica dance around the house.
“My favorite dance move was dancing around the house.” said Lacie Micek. This was the next dance we learned where four pairs of dancers spun clockwise around a circle exchanging places on the dance floor as they went. As you can imagine, this was a challenge to begin with, but it also added to the fun we had while dancing. Some students were more naturally inclined to the new dances than others but we all had fun nonetheless. “We were dancing terribly but still having a good time.” said Brendan Maloney.
Brendan and Jessie dancing. Eye contact is key.