Nice article in The Times today about an Irish dance troupe, Keltic Dreams, from P.S. 59 in the Bronx. With the help of the Irish consul general of New York, they raised enough money to visit Ireland where they appeared on television and were filmed for a documentary called "A Bronx Dream." This Monday, they will take their inaugural march through Manhattan as members of the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade.
For Bronx School’s Dancers, the Moves Are IrishBy ELISSA GOOTMAN
The New York Times
Published: March 14, 2008
With a student body that is 71 percent Hispanic and 27 percent black, Public School 59 does not seem an obvious home for a thriving Irish dance troupe. And when Caroline Duggan first arrived from Dublin at age 23 to try her hand as a New York City public school music teacher, it wasn’t. Many of her students had never heard of Ireland. Why, they wanted to know, did she talk funny?
Then, to stave off homesickness, Ms. Duggan hung a “Riverdance” poster in her fifth-floor classroom, and one thing led to another. The children pointed to a long-haired dancer on the poster and asked if it was her. No, she laughed, but I could show you a few steps. The impromptu lesson grew into a wildly popular after-school program and, for the first time last year, a trip to Ireland that still inspires dreamy looks among those lucky enough to go.
Read the full article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/nyregion/14educ.html?em&ex=1205640000&en=a8f800ce79a8dae4&ei=5087%0A
