A group of children in Uganda recently made history when they stepped out to dance at the first-ever Irish dancing feis in Africa.
Children at schools in the Ugandan cities of Entebbe and Kampala have been undergoing remote Irish dancing lessons by renowned Lord of the Dance troupe member Jean Kennedy.
This was all in preparation for Feis Fusion, the first-ever Irish dancing feis to take place in Africa.
The event was part of a bigger Irish culture programme that was started by Ugandan-based Galwegian John Walsh and his wife, Deborah.
The aim of Africa’s first Irish dancing feis – quality lessons in dance, sports, music and more
The aim of this Irish culture programme was to give kids from under-resourced schools in Uganda quality lessons in dance, sports, and music.
When John Walsh contacted Jean Kennedy to support the Ugandan children with online dance lessons, she said she did not hesitate.
“I did a training video every month which I uploaded on YouTube. I knew that all the children would not be able to access YouTube, but that the dance teacher in Uganda, Mohammad Ssegawa, would pass on the skills.
“He sent me regular videos from dance classes, and I was able to give feedback on weekly WhatsApp calls”, she said. She added that he was amazed and inspired by the talent the kids had.
As well as the Irish dancing feis, John Walsh also started Uganda’s first hurling club earlier in the year.
Feis Fusion took place at Yellow Haven Resort on Lake Victoria in Kampala. Here, an enthusiastic group of Ugandans and Irish alike united to make the event happen.
Feis Fusion – Africa’s first Irish dancing feis
Children from the different schools donned colourful African-themed costumes and danced jigs and reels barefoot at Yellow Haven Resort. The resort is co-owned by Dublin native Joan Kelly and her Dutch husband, Ronald Scheer.
11-year-old Bernice Alengo from Victoria Montessori School in Entebbe started learning Irish dancing three months prior to the event. She said, “My favourite Irish dance is the first-hand reel, and I have been practising this hard all week”.
15-year-old Kevin Nyarubwa of the Hands for Hope School in Kampala talked of the differences between African and Irish dance.
“In African dance you move your body more, while in Irish dance you smile, look ahead and keep straight. Sometimes I can’t help bringing some African moves in!”, she said.
Irish dance in Africa – hopes for an ever-growing movement
There are currently 112 boys and girls from different schools taking Irish dancing lessons, with hopes for expansion.
On the children’s experience, John Walsh said, “It has been a pure joy to see the children develop their Irish dancing skills and having huge fun at the same time.
“To my knowledge there has never been a dancer from Africa in Riverdance or Lord of the Dance, even though 1.2 billion people live on the continent.
“My dream is to change this by the end of the decade and to see some of these kids go on to become professional dancers on the world stage”.
To make this possible, the cost of dance training for each school costs €60 per month. This is funded by Paddy O’Gandas Irish Bar in Entebbe and Daniel Reid, a Kilkenny man with strong ties to Uganda.
