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Boston-area Irish dance performer, teacher, and choreographer Kieran Jordan '96 will present the in-person premiere of her documentary about a stalwart group of individuals that has shared a love for Irish dance across time and distance鈥攁nd in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic鈥攁t a free event at Boston College on November 18.

Hosted by the Boston College Gaelic Roots series, the event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Theology and Ministry Library Auditorium on 蝌蚪直播鈥檚 Brighton Campus.

Following the screening of 鈥淭he Dan Furey Group and a Circle of Squares,鈥� Jordan will lead a Q&A, and demonstrate and teach some of the dance steps featured in the film.

听Produced, directed, and narrated by Jordan, the film honors the legacy of Dan Furey, a County Clare fiddler celebrated for his knowledge and teaching of Irish set dancing and old-style step dancing. After Furey鈥檚 death in 1993, a group of his dance students resolved to keep his memory alive by gathering regularly to share and reminisce about what he had taught them, and passing it along to others. Over time, their numbers grew and expanded well beyond Ireland to the United States鈥攊ncluding Boston鈥擟anada, many parts of Europe, and even Japan and Taiwan.

鈥淭he Dan Furey Group and a Circle of Squares鈥� had its official debut earlier this year in virtual format through the Leitrim Dance Festival, which commissioned Jordan to put the film together. The 鈥淐ircle of Squares鈥� refers to a vital, if improbable, means by which the Dan Furey Group kept its link intact during COVID-19. When the pandemic shut down international travel and most in-person gatherings in 2020, more than 70 dancers turned to the Zoom platform one day in June to communicate, and to keep dancing. Instead of dancing to pre-recorded music, the Furey Group dancers were accompanied in real time by accordionist Dan Accardi 鈥�12, a local musician.

The documentary comprises excerpts from the Zoom session as well as various photos, videos, and film clips. In addition to providing narration, Jordan interviews some of Furey鈥檚 friends and others who were inspired by him鈥攁mong them Michael Tubridy, a founding member of Ireland鈥檚 world-renowned band The Chieftains.

听鈥淚t鈥檚 a personal, compelling story about Irish step dancing鈥攏ot as a performance art or competition, but rather as a social activity that has united dancers internationally, even during the pandemic,鈥� said Jordan. 鈥淚 think there is something comforting in the idea that, for all the changes in the Irish dance world, and in the world itself, you have a group of several dozen people from different generations and backgrounds that has found joy in a very traditional style of dance.鈥�

Find more information about the event . For more about Kieran Jordan, visit .

Sean Smith | University Communications | November 2021

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