Internationally acclaimed artists Nic Gareiss & Maeve Gilchrist at The Dance Hall

  • Date: May 31, 2015
  • Time: 04:00 PM
  • Location: The Dance Hall, Kittery

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On Sunday, May 31, 2015 The Dance Hall in Kittery presents internationally acclaimed artists Nic Gareiss and Maeve Gilchrist as part of its growing music and dance performance series. Known as “Fingers & Feet” percussive dancer Nic Gareiss and harpist and singer Maeve Gilchrist bring together fingers and feet to create an ear-bending, visual delight like you’ve never seen or heard. There will be a workshop from 4:00-5:00pm in Appalachian Clogging and Flatfooting and a performance at 7:00pm.

Sharing a deep respect for traditional music and culture while drawing on contemporary elements of music, movement, rhythm and improvisation, Nic and Maeve have emerged from the vibrant new acoustic scene as innovators in their fields. The percussion and drive of Nic's footwork combined with Maeve's melodic and improvisational sensibilities make for an explosive duet that delights both the ears and the eyes.

Michigan-born percussive dancer, Nic Gareiss and Scottish harpist Maeve Gilchrist met while both teaching at the Shasta Fiddle Camp in Northern California. They continued their musical relationship with spontaneous collaborations at festivals and chance meetings and later toured together as part of Darol Anger’s band, ‘The Furies.’

Appalachian Clogging and Flatfooting Workshop: 4:00-5:00PM 

$25 in advance and $30 at the door.

Flat-footing and clogging are solo freestyle forms of American dance originating in the Appalachian mountains with connections to Western European, Native American and West African dance. Using the toes, heels and ball of the foot to strike and slide across the floor, flat-footing is a percussive dance style that articulates the rhythms of mountain fiddle and banjo music. Wear comfortable leather-soled shoes for this class.

Performance is at 7:00pm. Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 at the door.

Registration and tickets can be purchased at www.thedancehallkittery.org and www.brownpapertickets.com.

 

About the artists:

Nic Gareiss has performed many of the luminaries of traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, and North America, including The Chieftains, Dervish, Gráda, Beoga, Téada, FIDIL, Le Vent du Nord, Genticorum, Darol Anger and Alasdair Fraser. His dancing has been seen on CMT in Uncle Earl's music video, Streak O' Lean, Steak O' Fat, and also on Ireland's RTÉ 2 in the film Unsung, commissioned by the Irish Arts Council, which premiered during the 2008 Dublin Dance Festival. He has performed for the Irish head of state, An Taoiseach Brian Cowen and American Energy Secretary Steven Chu. In 2011, Nic received two commissions from the Cork Opera House to create new solo percussive dance works for Steve Reich’s pieces Six Marimbas and Clapping Music in honor of the acclaimed composer’s 75th birthday. The commissions were hailed by the Irish Times as “a leftfield tour-de-force with irresistible wow factor.”

Nic continues to study, seeking out new forms of floor-music and shoe rhythms, recently studying flamenco with Felipe de Algeciras in Dublin and American percussive dance with Rhythm in Shoes founder and artistic director Sharon Leahy of Dayton, Ohio. 

Nic has taught workshops in percussive dance technique, American clogging, musicality and improvisation internationally. He has had the pleasure of teaching at Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle Camp in northern California, as well as for Scottish Culture & Traditions Organization, The University of Limerick, Michigan State University, Alma College, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention in Derry, Northern Ireland. Through workshops for both movers and musicians, Nic seeks to remind students of the crucial, intrinsic, and historic place that percussive dance has held in the formation and development of many world music traditions as well as encourage dancers with the innately sonic capabilities of movement. 

Nic holds degrees in anthropology and music from Central Michigan University. In 2011, he earned a distinction from the Norwegian University for Science and Technology’s IPEDAM Erasmus Intensive for Ethnochoreologists. Nic completed post-graduate work in 2012, earning a MA in ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick. He continues to tour internationally, working with dance communities and presenting solo percussive dance choreography and dance research.

“Maeve Gilchrist is a phenomenal harp player who can make her instrument ring with unparalleled purity” (Dirty Linen)

Maeve Gilchrist was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. Daughter to an Irish mother and Scottish father she grew up immersed in traditional folk music. At an early age Maeve was accepted into the City of Edinburgh Music School where she spent seven years studying classical piano, clarsach (Celtic harp) and vocals. From her early teens, Maeve was an in-demand member on the traditional music scene in Scotland where she performed at events such as the opening of the Scottish Parliament, the Celtic Connections Festival and the International Edinburgh Harp Festival. At 17 Maeve received a full scholarship from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA where she studied jazz and world music, alongside a colorful career as a professional musician and teacher.

Recent performance highlights include the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, the World Harp Congress, Celtic Connections Festival, the Edinburgh International Jazz Festival and the ICONS Irish Festival. She has collaborated with some of the most celebrated contemporary musicians on the scene today such as Darol Anger, Vardan Ovsepian, Kathy Mattea, Tony Trischka and Esperanza Spalding. Maeve released her album ‘Song of Delight’ on the Adventure Music Label in 2010 and is preparing for labels second release of ’20 Chandler st.’ Last January she her debut solo harp album called ‘The Ostinato Project.’ Written as a celebration and exploration of the harp, this series of compositions focuses on utilizing both hands as separate instruments.

Maeve is based in Brooklyn NY and tours internationally as a soloist. She is the first lever harpist to be employed as an instructor by the Berklee College of Music’s string department and has written a folk harp method book, published by Hal Leonard Music.

 

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Venue

The Dance Hall

7 Walker Street
Kittery  ME  03904 

Drika Overton
207-703-2083
moc.liamg@yrettikllahecnadeht
www.thedancehallkittery.org