Irish Music and Dancing Comes to Marco

Enjoy an early celebration of St. Patrick’s Day with Irish music and dancing at the Marco Island Center for the Arts.

The Center for the Arts will present the Irish band West of Galway and dancers from the Celtic Spirit School of Irish Dance on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 from 5:30-7 PM in the Art Center’s Lauritzen and Rush galleries. Seating is limited, so be sure to make your reservations early.

Fiddle, guitar, bodhran, whistle and perhaps even a bagpipe, will be played by the talented band members, Bernie Green and Stephen Stadler. In 2010, West of Galway won the “International Battle of the Bands Competition for the Best Irish Band.” Irish traditional music includes many kinds of songs, including drinking songs, ballads and laments. Irish music has a history reaching back to the Gregorian chants in the Middle Ages. It has influenced many forms of music such as country, rock and roll and even jazz.

Southwest Florida’s premier certified Irish Dance School, Celtic Spirit School of Irish Dance, joins the band for well-known Irish step dance (think Riverdance) and set dance. Dancing is part of the Irish soul and is a significant part of its culture. It can be performed in soft shoe or hard shoe. The soft shoe dance styles are the reel, slip jig, light jig, and single jig. Irish social dances vary widely throughout Ireland and the rest of the world.

Come for the ceili, a social gathering featuring Irish music and dance at Marco Island Center for the Arts, and stay for the good craic – fun, enjoyment in the best of company!

The ticket price is $25 for members of Marco Island Center for the Arts and $30 for non-members. For reservations call the Art Center at 239-394-4221 or visit the website at www.marcoislandart.org. Save the Date

Gulfshore Opera’s Stars, Steffanie Pearce and Her Emerging Artists will entertain on Thursday, April 5, 2018 from 5:30-7 PM. Musical Interlude Series

Musical Interludes is an ongoing music series at Marco Island Center for the Arts that bring world-class intimate and affordable performances to the Island and surrounding communities. The concerts include chamber music, jazz, opera and other genres that appeal to audiences of all ages. For a complete list of events, education classes, and special programming go to www.marcoislandart.org.