The Colorado nonprofit Irish Dance Theatre is hoping to introduce Wyoming audiences to a new kind of Irish Dance. The Celtic Gift is a family-friendly musical dance show that brings to life a holiday fairytale.
Ciara Sexton and Martin Percival are co-directing the show. Sexton said the performance goes beyond the more well-known Lord of the Dance or Riverdance shows.
"It's a huge aim for us as Irish Dance Theatre directors to present Irish dancers and Irish dancing in a different light," Sexton said.
Percival said these Wyoming performances are the group's first foray out of Colorado, and the first step to touring throughout the region.
"Our mission is to present, preserve, and to showcase Irish Dance to a wider audience," he said.
Irish Dance is known for its hard-shoe percussive elements. But Percival said the genre also makes room for the lyrical soft-shoe performances commonly associated with ballet.
"And so, I we're in a unique position to be able to tell stories because we cater to both of those elements," he said. "So, we don't just have one. We have both."
The group will perform in Laramie on Friday, December 6, and Cheyenne on Saturday, December. 7. You can find more information at irishdancetheatre.com.
Have a question about this story? Contact the reporter, Jeff Victor, at jvictor@uwyo.edu.