Second Generation Irish American Girl Band "GIRSA" Take The USA and the World By Storm

A little heads up about this weekend See the Launch: SUMMER TOUR KICKOFF CONCERT June 25, 2010 Pearl River, N Y

See the Launch of the first in the series of the Midwest Summer concert Tour.

Girsa (pronounced “gershah”), which is Gaelic for “girls” is the coming together of 8 to 12 young second generation Irish American "New York" young ladies. America's most prolific Irish Musicians and Performers, between all of them:

Maeve Flanagan- fiddle, whistle, sucka m.c

Deirdre Brennan- fiddle, mandolin, vocals

Pamela Geraghty- accordion, guitar, vocals

Emily McShane- piano, guitar, vocals, bodhran

Blaithin Loughran- accordion

Bernadette Flanagan- piano, bodhran

Margaret Dudasik- fiddle, vocals

Kristen McShane- fiddle

Auxiliary Members:

Lindsay Buteux- concertina

Sarah Buteux- fiddle

Neidin Loughran- tin whistle

Their precocity and passion combine impressively on their recently

self-issued, self-titled debut recording (http://www.girsamusic.com/),

which sold out its first run of a thousand copies in less than two months.

Girsa released well in excess of 100 tunes half way around the globe and held several successful performances in their hometown and Eastern Region,USA now---- the group join forces and give you "GIRSA MIDWEST SUMMER TOUR".

Kick Off Concert in Pearl River NY on June 25th, 2010

With debut release due to follow, this is the first of several Show Tour Dates showcasing this

successful partnership and group of young performers.

On Ellis Island, Girsa shot a video of "Immigrant Eyes," the album's opening track, “Immigrant Eyes,” by American country star Guy Clark; “Girsa also plays a total of 20 instruments on the recording.

This is one of the most beautiful videos, music and lyrics.........

It touched my heart as I'm sure it will touch all of yours..........

Girsa was nurtured in the large Irish-American community of Pearl River. Band members took lessons or found musical guidance here from Maeve and Bernadette's mother, fiddler Rose Flanagan; button accordionist Patty Furlong; mandolinist Frankie McCormick; and flute and whistle player Margie Mulvihill. Girsa members also learned from teachers outside Pearl River, including fiddler Brian Conway. On their website the girls graciously acknowledge the following teachers: Rose Flanagan, Patty Furlong, Margie Mulvihill, Annmarie Acosta, Eileen Goodman, Mary Coogan, and Frankie McCormack.

I know and played music and danced with some of the girls parents from growing up in a tight nit Irish community in the Bronx, where almost everyone first generation Irish American was involved with music, dance, football handball, soccer and all the Irish Associations and County Associations. Some of the women that knew each other as school chums in the Bronx broke out of our little Irish Bubble and became World Renowned. Cherish the Ladies jump-started the careers of New York Irish fiddlers Eileen Ivers and Rose Flanagan, box player Patti Furlong, banjoist/guitarist Mary Coogan, and flute/tin whistle Joanie Madden. Riverdance and Lord Of the Dance put Irish culture, music and dance on the map and helped internationally promote everyone involved in the Arts.

Girsa is second generation, multi-talented, educated and beautiful, Young Ladies , Young Leaders of America Today. They are a credit to their parents, teachers and community. I'm sure all their ancestors are looking down from the Heavens blessing them every step of the way.

They stand proud and committed to giving of their natural talent. They are a force to be reckoned with. They will take it to the next step. So watch out................

I was privileged to have them play at our "Yanks in Ireland" Concert when they first started out and they wowed the audience back then, this past March they changed their schedule to be part of our First Big Apple Feis Gala Ball, at the Hilton in NYC and the international audience of adjudicators, Producers, Actors, Authors, Choreographers were blown away with their performance. I was at a convention in Scotland and another in England and people were still complementing the girls "Girsa" on their extraordinary performance. Hat's off to you girls........ hope you still remember us little guys when you become "Super Celebrities" You guys are the best.............. Safe journeys

on your "MIdWest Summer Tour" Pat Geraghty (General Manager & Booking Agent) patgeraghty@girsamusic.com

2nd generation All Girl Irish American Band Kicks Off on MidWest tour

What: Girsa's Summer Midwest Tour Kick Off Concert

When: June 25, 2010, 7:30 pm

Where: Pearl River High School, 275 E. Central Avenue, Pearl River, NY 10965

Tickets: $20.00 $10.00 students and children

Call: 845-735-7901

Website: http://www.girsamusic.com/

Calendar: www.girsamusic.com/calendar.html

Biography

We have all known each other since we were very young, growing up participating in Irish music and dance in our community of Pearl River, NY. Most of us come from musical families, with our parents having learned Irish traditional music from such greats as Martin Mulvihill, Maureen Glynn Connelly, and Pete Kelly. Some of our parents and their lifelong friends carry on this great tradition by teaching music in the community. We loved playing together so much that we started our own band just over 5 years ago and called it Girsa, which means “young girls” in Gaelic. We’ve been having tons of fun ever since

Trinity Irish Dancers Tour France and Japan *

Trinity Academy

Teachers & Choreographer Mark Howard , Natalie Howard

For nearly 30 years, Trinity Academy of Irish Dance

has thrilled audiences with their inspiring showmanship.

From humble beginnings in church basements to recent

engagements as U.S. ambassadors on international stages,

Trinity dancers consistently bring a unique energy and

passion for Irish dance and culture. Not only is Trinity

the first U.S. school to win a gold medal at the

World Championships, but Trinity’s total world medal count

currently stands at 32. This unprecedented feat among

American schools and their special opportunities

for performance have solidified Trinity’s reputation as the most widely

recognized Irish dance school in the country. Recently Trinity dancers were the

opening act for the 2009 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, introducing Mr. Lewis and

presenting a check for funds that they raised. Trinity dancers have also been

featured numerous times on major network shows including appearances

on “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Live” with Regis,

“CBS This Morning,” “Good Morning America” and “The Martha Stewart Show.”

For more information, visitwww.trinityirishdancers.com.

Bon Voyage Performance:

Chicago Gets a Sneak Peak

Pre-Tour Performance

June 26, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
Irish American Heritage Center Auditorium
4626 N. Knox Ave. in Chicago
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 14 and under
Tickets are available at the door or by emailing clfitzmaurice (at) comcast.net
For information visit: www.trinityirishdancers.com or call 773-529-4822

Dancers from both France and Japan troupes take the IAHC stage before their overseas

journeys to perform some of Trinity’s finest choreography. From the classic “Johnny”, to

the world champion piece “The Dawn”, to new choreography by Mark Howard , Natalie Howard

and Ellen Waller, this special performance is sure to get your heart racing and

your hands clapping. 100% of the proceeds help defray the costs of Trinity’s

two international trips in July of 2010.

Trinity Irish Dancers Tour France and Japan *

CHICAGO—Trinity Irish Dance takes their show overseas this summer.

Beginning July 6, a Trinity troupe begins a two and a half week tour ofJapan.

The 2010 tour is the third time Trinity toured Japan in recent years.

The 2006 tour by the Trinity Irish Dance Company was received with

such critical acclaim that the Japanese have since been asking for a return tour.

This rare performance schedule puts some of Trinity’s touring veterans

side by side with current world champion dancers. Performance cities

include Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Okinawa, Hamamatsu, Tokyo andSapporo.

The Japanese website for the 2010 Trinity tour is trinity-irishdance.jp/index.html

A second troupe of Trinity dancers, known as Trinity II, represents the United States

at the 37th annual Festival les Cultures du Monde inToulon, France from July 15-26.

The festival boasts over 400 performers from five continents. TII dancers are the

most advanced performers ofTrinity Academy which is comprised of 1200 dancers

in Southern Wisconsin and the Chicagoland area. Most of these dancers have

been dancing with Trinity for the past eight to twelve years, with the progression

into TII being the next step of their journey. TII is a unique opportunity that elevates

Trinity dancers beyond their dancing and competition skills, providing cultural lessons

and leadership skills that are invaluable. To become a part of this elite team, dancers

must qualify based on dancing skill levels, commitment, attendance and performance

potential. Past international performances include the Latium World Folkloric

Festival in Italy, World Cultures Festival in Schoten, Belgium (2006 and 2008),

the Gannat Festival in France, and the International Folklore Festival Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria.

Irish Dancers Exercises for Flexibility

Flexibility is a key factor for Irish dancers; however, very young children (ages 3 to 4) should not do any
stretching exercises because they need to first develop their strength before stretching any specific muscle
groups. But for older dancers, flexibility exercises will lead to better turnout and extensions,
which will in turn make them better dancers. Make sure to perform these exercises after
you've already warmed up.

One goal of all dancers is a 180-degree turnout of the hips while executing steps. This is naturally easier for some to achieve than others; however, with the correct stretching and strengthening exercises anyone can increase their turnout. The turnout refers to the hips rotating out or opening up to 180 degrees, where the toes are pointed right and left, knees directly over the toes and hips directly lined up with the knees. It is necessary for dancers to gradually and naturally increase their turnout, since forced hip turnout can lead to alignment problems, back problems and knee and ankle injuries. When training as a dancer, many hours are spent in the studio working on set exercises, steps and choreography. While training may offer a type of fitness regime, dancers should try other types of conditioning or cross-training exercises to complement their dance training and to help prevent injuries.

Warming up and stretching should be the first thing a dancers does when entering a studio, whether it's for a one-hour class or five hour rehearsal. A thorough warm-up will not only help to prevent injuries, but will also help to prevent long-term wear and tear on the joints and muscles.

Dancers should warm up before class even starts. Arrive at least 15 minutes before class starts to give yourself enough time to be properly warmed up. 

Before any stretching can occur, the body temperature needs to be raised which increases blood flow, making muscles, tendons and ligaments more elastic and less likely to be damaged.

Lightly jog around the studio or using a skipping rope for five minutes will get your heart rate up and increase body temperature. This quick cardio warm-up should get you sweating, but shouldn't be so intense that you

are too tired for class. 

Council Speaker Quinn Declares August 26th A Day of Service for Mother T...

Highlighting the success of Irish Dancing

In the next couple of weeks I will be posting video's, pictures, results and interviews with some of the World Champions across the Globe. I hope you will come visit and give us some of your comments and good wishes for all the hard work and dedication of all the dancers, their teachers coaches and their family and friends that helped them make it to the top.

I'm doing a run up for the Nationals, Highlighting the success of Irish Dancing. If you have any info you would like to contribute please forward to unateresa.irishcentral@gmail.com

Hammerstep! A New York Tapper who has danced beside the likes of Savion Glover, the crew features some of the best dancers in the industry. Attention dancers, this is definitely worth checking out, in London there is a dance showcase being held on the 29th May at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington. Boasting champions of almost every Irish dancing title you can think of, former lead dancers of Riverdance, Headlining will be Hammerstep, a group of dancers attempting to break the preconceptions of Irish dance by fusing it with other forms including Tap , Hip Hop, popular culture and comedy to bring about a new form unseen before. This new crew features some of the best dancers in the industry, boasting champions of every Irish dancing title you can think of, Jason Oremus Chris Naish, Joe Moriarty and Parker Hall have been on the road with Riverdance over the last few years and have taken the initiative to bring about a new chapter of Irish dance now that the likes of Riverdance and others are on their farewell tours. Jason and Joe have both been lead dancers in Riverdance for several years as Chris and Parker, touring pros, with Lord of the Dance, Teaming up with local London Irish and Hip Hop talent, to showcase their new show. Hammerstep, providing a fresh take on Irish dancing, combine modern music, and fresh choreography through this dance-fusion, tricky moves and cross rhythms together with cool lighting methods, providing a fresh take on Irish dancing that will engage the audience and leave them gasping for more. For more information on this evening of dancing delight, check out the Hammerstep facebook page or www.pleasace.co.uk, or be at The Pleasance Theatre in Islington at 7.30pm, Saturday 29th May.

Riverdance 15th Anniversary