Celtic Academy Canada dancers at the Bruce Power Visitors’ Centre March 17, the first of seven “flash mob” venues.

Hub Staff

There was a St. Patrick's Day surprise for Celtic Academy Canada dancers at the end of their March Break Dance Camp - not to mention some lucky individuals who happened to be in the right place at the right time - as the dancers took their newly mastered Celtic choreography on the road and did a flash mob of sorts March 17 in not one but seven venues.

“We're doing a little bit of an impromptu,” said Celtic Academy Owner and Director Mary Foley, who explained that she had kept the venues she had arranged a secret all week and only actually sent an email informing her students’ parents late the evening before.

“They've all been doing a very intensive week of training and our goal was to put together a wonderful new dance called St Patrick's Day on the Shores,” said Foley, adding that it had taken them 40 hours to create the dance.

The 13 dancers ranged in age from 7 to 17 with the youngest in the lineup, Southampton local Declyn Meneely, celebrating her 7th birthday on St. Patrick’s Day.

“We have a 10 year age gap so to bring them all together with the same curriculum, the same material, the same steps and have them rise up, not only in studio with CDs and iPod and prerecorded music but also with live musicians.” Foley had arranged fiddlers to join the dancers on their whirlwind tour. The fiddlers played faster than the prerecorded music so “the girls really had to move their legs,” said Foley.

Visitors at the Bruce Power Visitors’ Centre were the first to witness the impromtu performance before the girls headed to entertain lunch time guests at Lord Elgin Fish & Chips in Port Elgin.

From there they went to the Southampton Care Centre, Chester's Bar & Grill, The Wismer House and Queen's Bar & Grill in Port Elgin. The dancers ended their day with an evening performance at The Walker House in Southampton.

“We need to do these surprise performances,” said Foley. “We need to get out into the community and show people we're here. We get a lot of invites but all of a sudden these girls are ready to give back. We want to engage the community. We want to get out, we want to dance.”

Left to right, Bob Pilger, Debbie Morris, Eldon McDowell and John MacDonald were on hand to play live music for the girls as the performed the first of the day’s surprise performances.

It was a day of Irish music and dancing on St. Patrick's Day for the Celtic Academy Dancers.

Declyn Meneely was celebrating her 7th birthday dancing on St. Patrick's Day.