We loved performing at the 2026 Carroll County Celtic Festival last weekend, and it was a joy to share both traditional and contemporary Irish dance with such a warm and enthusiastic crowd!
On Saturday, our dancers brought a vibrant mix of sean-nós and step dance to the stage. We opened with our slip jig, demonstrating how Irish dance can move between the elegant festival style and the livelier competitive feis style—both graceful in their own ways. From there, we shifted into lively sean nós jigs, showing improvisation and musical play, followed by my festival style set dance choreography to “Haunting of the Castle,” and a unique setting of “Three Sea Captains” by Amanda Keiser and Caitlín Nic Gabhann’s beautiful new “St. Brigid’s Day.” We finished with our favorite party dance, “Maggie Pickens,” and our high-energy finale, where everyone came together on stage to close out the show with plenty of rhythm and big smiles.
Sunday was similar, but we had more dancers and a live band! We were lucky to be joined by Abbie Palmer (harp and vocals), Jessica Zito (fiddle), and Richard Hearn (bouzouki and banjo). We started again with our slip jigs, then moved into a flowing festival reel that showed how Irish dance can be both relaxed and driving at the same time. Our sean nós jigs gave each dancer space to improvise, and we then shifted into the Ballyvourney Jig Set in an attempt to embody the Wild Cúil Aodha style (we are getting there!). A highlight of the program was “Carrickfergus,” sung by the beautiful Abbie Palmer and joined in dance by me and Maggie. We wrapped up again with “Maggie Pickens” and our finale to wrap up the weekend on a high note.
It was wonderful to be at the festival to showcase how many ways there are to be an Irish dancer, and invite folks to join our classes and workshops in the DC–Maryland area. We’re deeply grateful to Nancy Worley and Laura Cadden for inviting us and coordinating such a welcoming, well-organized event, and to Jason Alford for keeping our sound clear and balanced throughout the weekend. We had a great time performing, teaching a couple of sean nós workshops for kids, and connecting with friends. We’re already looking forward to coming back to the Carroll County Celtic Festival next year!
