Celtic tradition dances into Logan
This year the Inishfre Irish Band and Dance Company will join with guest artists and the Leaping Lulu band to create the seventh annual Celtic Night on March 18-19 in the Ellen Eccles Theatre. The event will feature local guest artists such as Kent Braddy and emcee Ted Erekson.
A portion of the proceeds from this year’s performance will go to benefit Cache Valley’s Four Paws Pet Rescue and Cache Humane Society.
“The Inishfre Dance Company is run by Julie Zufelt, who holds regular practices in the local Whittier Center,” Harvey Neuber, a band member in Leaping Lulu, said. “They practice quite frequently to prepare for Celtic Nights.”
The Inishfre Dance Company run by Julie Zufelt who said the Celtic Nights production started when she came up with the idea to have an Irish Dance performance while she was having coffee with a local fiddle player.
“I had started an Irish dance studio in 2003 and wanted to show off some of our best dancers.” Zufelt said. “So we called ourselves Inishfre Irish Dance and performed one night at the Whittier to a standing-room-only crowd. It was so successful and so much fun that I wanted to hold Celtic Night again in a larger venue for a couple of nights. “
Zufelt then teamed up with Harvey Neuber and his regionally famous band, Leaping Lulu. The two teams performed in the Lyric Theater in 2006 and sold out all their performances.
After having a taste of success, the two decided to move to the Ellen Eccles Theater the following year where they’ve performed every year since. According to Zufelt, Celtic Nights has continued to be successful and the group changes the show every year with new dances and new guest artists to keep things interesting and keep the crowds interested and coming.
Sophomore in biology Sara Painter recalled her favorite part of the Celtic Nights that she attended a few years ago.
“I really enjoyed how the Inishfre Dance Company is a very Utah thing but they took a traditional dance from Ireland and embraced it as their own,” she said.
The company performs both “soft-shoe” dances and the familiar high-energy “hard shoe” dances with Zufelt as the choreographer.
“I base my dances on traditional Irish step dances, but I like to take liberties with the traditional steps and especially the music, in order to make the dances more colorful and interesting to an audience as well as to myself, the dancers and the musicians,” Zufelt said.
Zufelt said the company has some younger performers that have been with the company since they were young children and are starting to develop their own unique choreography, such as Kate Jensen and Emily Werner, who will be performing in Celtic Nights and who Zufelt said are some of their strongest performers.
The music is also a very important part of this production and is selected carefully a year in advance.
“I start searching for new and exciting music soon after each Celtic Night production,” Zufelt said. “I am enthralled with the new-age Celtic music.”
After the music has been selected, Zufelt starts working on the choreography which usually takes place during the summer. The dance company has other performances throughout the year in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, but Zufelt said the Celtic Night at the Ellen Eccles Theater is always the focus and high point of their year.
Hosted by the Bridger Folk Music Society, the event will have storytelling by Ted Erekson, as well as sing-along songs, instrumental music, and various dance styles from Ireland. Ticket prices range from 12 to 19 dollars and may be purchased in advance at the Ellen Eccles Theater, online or at the door prior to the performance. Students with a valid student ID will also be given a 25 percent discount on any ticket price.
– jessica.black@aggiemail.usu.edu