Irish Dancers flourish in South Africa

Dancers from the Duncan Studio of Celtic
Dance in Standton, South Africa

 When the Irish dance show, Riverdance, toured through South Africa in the 1990's many dance schools became interested in teaching the dance form. Irish dancing had been around in South Africa since the early 1900's, but it was limited to only a few dances taught in the traditional style. In 1997 contact was made with An Coimisiún le Rinci Gaelacha, an Irish dance association, and since that time, the teachers and dancers of some of those schools have found great satisfaction in teaching Irish dance. 



Two of those schools include The Duncan Studio of Celtic Dance, and DanceTrax Dance Studio. Both schools teach Irish, as well as other forms of dance, such as highland, hip hop, tap, and modern. Sue Theron, director of The Duncan Studio, located in Paulshof, Standton, began her dance school in 1988, teaching highland dancing. She added Irish dancing to her repertoire in 1998. "Over the years, I have enjoyed being instrumental in helping to develop confident, outgoing children and young adults who have been guided through the many challenges dancing offers in terms of inter-personal skills, self-awareness and confidence, respect for others, and the value of perseverance," Theron says. 


Wendy Mays, director of DanceTrax Dance Studio in Parklands, Cape Town tells her dancers to let the rhythm run through their veins. "Seeing the dancers achieve that 'bounce' that they need to get off the floor (in order) to excel, and teaching an outreach programme for underprivileged African children are very rewarding."

Outreach dancers with Dancetrax Dance Studio 
in Capetown, South Africa

The Irish South African Association helps fund the outreach dance group that Mays volunteers her time to teach. The program serves ten dancers, aged 9 and 10 years old. Mays contributes costumes, and the dancers are currently awaiting their first batch of second-hand hard shoes, which are being collected by a generous sponsor. "This programme has made a huge impact on (the dancer's) lives," says May. "They now have structure, discipline and exposure to a different culture and dance form than what they are used to."

Dancers from both schools have had opportunities to dance in performances and test their skills in competitions, all of which has increased their confidence. Some of them have even qualified for and recalled at a world competition. 

Dancers from the Duncan Studio of Celtic
Dance in Standton, South Africa

Teacher examinations will be held in South Africa in 2015, along with the first examination to test for adjudicators. Theron is pleased. "(The examinations) are a true reflection of the positive advancement and involvement of all our committed teachers," she says.


With each year that passes, South Africa is seeing growth in the Irish dance community. "I have no doubt that Irish dancing will continue to flourish in South Africa," Theron says. May agrees, "From where we started from, to where we are today, the dancers have accomplished so much," May says. "Irish Dancing in South Africa can only grow and get stronger from here." 

Irish dancers from Dancetrax Dance Studio
in Capetown, South Africa

*all photos were used with permission from Sue Theron, and Wendy May.

 

   
 

Awakening on audiobook and giveaway

I'm so excited to tell you that Awakening: Book One of The Geis is out on audio! I can't tell you what fun it was to hear this story come to life! You will be thrilled to hear McKayla, Aunt Avril, Rourke, and all of the other many characters.

Christy Dorrity and Patricia Santomasso
Creators of the Awakening audiobook

If you click here, you can get a copy of the Awakening on audio free with your free 30 trial of Audible. And if you download the audio book on Audible, Amazon, or iTunes, you can enter my giveaway of a signed hardcopy of Awakening! All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter below. If you are chosen, I will ask for proof of purchase.

Last week I traveled with my husband, Devon to New York City. He has a sculpture on exhibit there, and it was a fantastic adventure! While we were there, we were able to meet with Patricia Santomasso, my narrator.


We met Patricia and her husband, Sean in a tea and book shop in NYC called Radiance Tea. It was so fun to see her in person, and it was a little surreal to hear McKayla's voice come out in our conversation. We had such a nice time. I can't wait for you to hear her amazing talent in the new audiobook!




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Steampunk, My Way - Guest Blogger Jaleta Clegg and Giveaway

Dark Dancer by Jaleta Clegg

Steampunk, My Way- Guest Post by Jaleta Clegg

Steampunk as a genre has hit it big in the last few years, but it's been around for a long time. Ever read Jules Verne or H. G. Wells or Edgar Rice Burroughs? A lot of what they wrote would definitely fit into the genre. A lot of Japanese anime stories are steampunk, too. So what defines steampunk? That depends on who you ask.

For me, steampunk evokes mechanical contraptions leaking steam and powered by steam. Not just airships, but all of those weird and wonderful things people dreamed up during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Leonardo da Vinci would probably have written steampunk if he'd been a novelist. He certainly drew enough pictures of steampunk contraptions.

For most people steampunk is also about the Victorian era. I'm not a fan of stuffy societal rules and conventions. And I'm not a fan of fussy corsets and layers of petticoats. It's a good thing steampunk allows room for the engineers of both sexes who tend to wear sloppy coveralls and tool belts.

I'm calling Dark Dancer a steampunk fantasy because it involves strange mechanical contraptions powered by steam, a stratified stuffy social system, and it has airships. Airships have pretty much come to define steampunk. Mine are not large blimps but wooden sailing ships. And my power source is magic, stored in crystals, not coal or oil.

My biggest challenge in writing it is not dreaming up cool gadgets but in trying to keep it fresh and mine while at least giving a nod to the conventions of the genre. If you call a book steampunk, people expect a certain type of story and setting. If you stray too far from that conception, they get upset. It's like offering someone vanilla ice cream then feeding them gazpacho. They may both be cold and they may both be delicious, but if you're expecting vanilla ice cream and get a mouthful of tomato soup instead, it isn't pleasant for anyone involved.

So if you're looking for magical adventures in a world based loosely on Shakespeare's fairyland with added airships and mechanical men, Dark Dancer fits the bill. As long as you aren't set on corsets and Victorian mannerisms. I don't do those.

You can find a complete list of all my work at http://www.jaletac.com

Dark Dancer -
A strange prophecy haunts the Seligh lords, rulers of the Fey and controllers of all magic in the Summerlands, a prophecy that foretells their fall. At its heart, is a young human woman with no memory of her power or potential to destroy their world.

Available in ebook and print.
Smashwords 
Kindle

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Triple book launch giveaway and interview with Jo Noelle

Two wonderful friends of mine, a mother/daughter writing team who write under the name Jo Noelle are launching three--yes, three--books this week! Enter below to win in their giveaway!

Newbie on Amazon

Damnation on Amazon

Lexi on Amazon

Interview with the authors:

1. What music do you like?
Deanna: I don’t know how to answer that. Do you mean today? I listen to everything, rock, classical, rap, alternative, opera. And I know the words and sing along—with the opera songs sometimes I sing gibberish until I know the words again.
Canda: Rock. I like rock. Not soft rock—it’s not really rock. I like alternative too. My favorite bands are (in order of their appearance in my life) KISS, Aerosmith, (I really liked the BeeGees but I’ll deny it in public), Nirvana, Good Charlottte, and Linkin Park.

2. Who is your favorite character?
Deanna: Tilly, Lexi’s best friend in Lexi’s Pathetic Fictional Love Life. I like sarcastic, pushy people probably because they’re more like me.
Canda: Marc, he’s Cassie’s love interest in Damnation. He’s a lot like my husband. I think he’d do the same kinds of things in heaven if he were at the Gate.

3. What kind of books do you like?
Deanna: I like “issue” book. I like self-helpy books. I like YA romance and Chick-lit. Oh and travel books especially the ones with itineraries that tell you what to eat where and give you maps.
Canda: I like snarky characters, romance is the story not the subplot, and paranormal is a big plus. I hate contemporary literary fiction. Gahhh! Too many issues to deal with in my spare time.

4. What is your favorite snack?
Deanna: chocolate covered macadamia nut with caramel cluster things you buy at Costco.
Canda: Peanut M&Ms

5. Teaser for your book in one sentence?
Damnation: Cassie is going to heaven—if she can get amnesty from hell in the next twenty days.

Newbie: The housing market is crashing, and Sophie’s life is crashing with it.

Lexi’s Pathetic Fictional Love Life: Falling in love is easy in fiction--
in high school, not so much.


6. Describe the book in 1 sentence:
Damnation: Drunk driver turns into do-gooder to gain entrance into heaven.
Newbie: Teaching school is not so bad when you have a friend and a hot co-worker.
Lexi’s Pathetic Fictional Love Life: In high school, sometimes it’s easier to choose to be invisible than to be forced to stand out.

7. What is your writing process?
We make an outline, chuck it out the window before chapter 2, we argue, negotiate, plead, pout, sometimes threaten to quit. Then we compromise and keep writing. And we laugh a lot.

8. What was your road to publication like?
We wrote the books, rewrote them a few times, got lots of feedback, rewrote them again, sent them to an editor, rewrote, another editor, rewrote.

9. Which character was the most difficult to write?
Talese! There were things we wanted her to be or to do, but it didn’t fit who her character is.

10. Favorite dessert?
Deanna: Muddy Buddies
Canda: chocolate mousse

11. Music or silence?
Deanna: Music, always
Canda: Either, but music only in the genres I like.

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Get the Details

1 winner will receive a $100.00 Amazon.com giftcard.

Blog hop and Rafflecopter registrations Begin 9/1/14 and End 9/7/14 MDT

This drawing is open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Card.  Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Check back on this blog between Sept. 8-10, 2014. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized and sponsored by Canda Mortensen & Deanna Henderson DBA Jo Noelle. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.