Ramah folks kick up their Irish heels

Tara Meekhof, David Kessler, Jackie Rossignol and William Stripp line up as they listen to instruction from Kim McKee at the Ceili Irish Dance workshop at the Old School Gallery east of Ramah on Saturday. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]

By Karen Francis
Staff writer

RAMAH — Ramah seemed more like Ireland for one day with a Ceili dancing workshop, a special meal at the local restaurant and an evening of Celtic music provided by music duo Wilson & McKee — all on Saturday.

Ken Wilson and Kim McKee make up the duo which was in town as part of its New Mexico tour and also teaches the workshop. While the enthusiasm for the dance and music seemed evident on Saturday, the two are only able to make it out to this area every few years.

McKee is an award-winning songwriter and musician who plays the mountain and hammered dulcimer, harp, accordion and guitar. Wilson plays the guitars and Irish bouzouki.

Typically when Wilson and McKee hold a dancing workshop, they have to use a recording of their music in order to devote enough time and attention to teach people who come to learn the Irish style of dancing.

However, people at the Old School Gallery were in for a treat as the duo brought along two friends and the participants got to dance to live music, just like at a traditional Ceili in Ireland

A Ceili, which means “night of music and dance,” is a social get-together. Usually, Ceilis are held in small halls or houses, so the gallery was an appropriate location to recreate such a party for the people who gathered to learn the dance.

“It was pretelevision and radio,” McKee said with a laugh.

“You could chat all the way through the dance.”
The dances are social interaction, she added.

McKee called out instructions for the more than two dozen dancers who showed up at the workshop.

Laughing is a necessity for the workshop, and the participants were in no short supply as they learned the dance steps.

Having a partner is not a requirement, as people are paired off with whoever is there, which adds to the social experience.

Since Irish children learn the dances at a very young age, McKee and Wilson taught the class the same way they teach grade school pupils.

The dances get progressively harder as the event proceeds.
McKee said one of the most fun parts is when people who are just watching jump up and join in the fun when they said they didn’t want to at first.

On Saturday, nearly all the spectators ended up joining in after the first round was taught to the traditional tune of “Waves of Tory” amid smiles and laughter.

For the second round, dancing to “Wells of Wearie,” McKee noted that small steps are necessary in the dancing much of the time because of the small spaces where the social activity takes place.

“This is actually very traditional. In a house or hall, you wouldn’t have a lot of space either,” she told the dancers as they took seven steps to the side.

Jill Acheson was one of the first to arrive for the workshop. She said she loves to attend dancing events and has been to Ireland .

“I’ve been to a real Ceili in the countryside,” she said.
By the second round of dancing those who had been watching joined in the dance as partners and were laughing along with the rest — which fit along with the philosophy behind the Ceili.

“You grab a partner. It doesn’t matter who,” McKee instructed during the dancing.

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January 21, 2008
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