 The idea behind this project began life long before I saw the Instep funding opportunity. During the pandemic I started to teach solo Irish dance online, I offered new material each term, and as a consequence dusted off many steps and routines that I hadn’t visited for quite some time. I also started to learn new repertoire, the Arts Council of NI awarded me a grant to meet with Joe McGuiggan, who taught me some of Frankie Roddy’s dances. I can remember asking Joe if he knew who was currently dancing these steps, I was shocked by his response: “me and now you”. When I came across the Instep call for projects, I saw it as an opportunity to revive more of Frankie’s steps and deliver them to a global audience online. Here is the journey to date: Scroll to the bottom if you would like to read these events in chronological order. June 2024 😊 - what gal doesn’t like a compliment … this came from a young man “Emmett Doyle”, we live quite some distance apart, and but for my current dance project, our paths may never have crossed. Emmet came across one of my home study courses, and made contact. I recently invited him to be a guest of honour as I delivered some of Frankie’s steps to an International audience of advanced dancers and teachers of traditional dance – they attended from as far west as Oregon, as east to Japan – and a number of countries in-between – there are no borders in dance. Emmet is Frankie’s grandson, and is adding a layer to this project that I never had expected. We met recently for the first time in person, and I believe this to be the beginning of a long friendship created through our love of tradition, and our dedication to passing it on to the next generation. To quote Emmet: “Annette is a fantastic teacher of Traditional Irish Step dancing, I have studied both on her home study courses and online workshop, she breaks down steps to an easy to digest level and her passion for dancing shines through.”  June 2024 I began to teach 5 related hornpipe steps to an international audience, I delivered 5 sessions in total, teaching to two different groups, firstly my "Steps Across the Pond" colleagues in dance - a mix of percussive dancers from the US, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and Russia. The second group, were my advanced online students, and I also opened this class up to other teachers of Irish traditional dance. There are a few photos of our sessions below. We made an extra special welcome to Nora who zoomed in at 6am from the West Coast of the US, and Mika who watched from the comfort of her seat while travelling across Japan on a night bus! Others zoomed in from various other countries and time zones in between. We have come a long way from the days of the travelling dancing master. I also invited Frankie's grandson, Emmet, as a guest of honour and it was wonderful to hear him reminisce so warmly about his grandfather. The next step in this project will be to create some home-study videos; these will be made available to all, and will be free to download. Funded by Instep Research Team.    May 2024 Frankie Roddy memorial ceili, Guildhall, Derry – sure how could I miss it given my current project researching some of his solo steps. A number of his family members were there and I was thrilled to meet with them for the first time ever, two daughters, Theresa and Noeleen, as well as a grandson Emmet. Emmet and I have already been chatting online and sharing some steps via video – what fun to finally meet in person. I took great pleasure in asking Noeleen for the last dance, and Emmet caught us on video. I plan to meet family members later this month to talk more about Frankie and take my project a “step” further. This year is the 20th anniversary of Frankie’s passing. From left to right, Noeleen, Annette, Theresa and a short video from the ceili with Noeleen & Annette dancing together.  Check out this article from the local paper, regarding the ceili: 
April 2024 Step Two! As many of you will know, I’m in the States and dipped into Boston to catch up with my dance buddies. Jackie O’Riley & I also set some time aside to work on my Frankie Roddy project, the funding covers a number of hours with Jackie to tutor me in the finer details of Michael Tubridy’s system of notation. We had planned to do this online, and I firmly believe working together in person saved us many hours of work and probable frustration! As we were notating the steps, we were up and down from our notebooks, initially to teach Jackie the steps, and then to begin to analyse the physical detail as well as the rhythm of the movements, to help perfect the written notation. Next step: finalise this draft on paper, another review with Jackie before I take the 10 pages of notes to the computer! No doubt another review with Jackie: it is just as well she likes this stuff! After that I will start afresh with the 2nd dance: The Three Sea Captains in jig time.
March 2024 Step 1 - what a wonderful start to my Frankie Roddy project, I met with Joe & Mary McGuiggan, and together we worked on 5 hornpipe steps from Frankie. The first one I have known for quite some time, and would you believe, I first came across it on YouTube, with Kieran Jordan of Boston teaching – link below. It also appears in the South Derry Dancing video, and is the opening step to Frankie’s series of 5 steps. Joe gave me 3 further steps that he knew, and then we learned the last step from a video that Joe had of Pat Henderson dancing step 5. Pat isn’t dancing at the moment, but was able to meet us for lunch, what joy. I have now notated all five steps in my own shorthand, and the next step will be to transfer those notes into Michael Tubridy’s system of notation – with the help of Jackie O’Riley. After Easter I will be running online workshops to deliver these steps to you, I have included a video, a sneak preview to one of the steps, newly learned by Mary & I! What joy to learn from Joe, who lilts throughout! I am also planning to meet other people who knew Frankie, to build up some detail on his life. People speak very warmly of him, and he also seems to have been quite the character! I look forward to learning more, talking to members of his family and regret that I never got to meet him in person. Related info: Kieran Jordan teaching the Derry Lead: Here South Derry Dance video: Here Recorded during our practice session, for the sheer fun of it. From left to right Mary, Joe, Annette. Joe on vocals! July 2023
Thrilled beyond belief - to tell you that I have been awarded a bursary from Instep Research Team for a new project concerning Frankie Roddy of Derry: champion dancer, teacher and adjudicator. I will be: - looking into his life, and talking to people who knew him - learning some of his repertoire - delivering these dances to an online audience - creating tutorials for the dances - learning a new skill! I will notate these dances into Michael Tubridy’s system, and look forward to collaborating with Jackie O’Riley who has an in-depth knowledge of his system. Many thanks to the Instep Bursary Team for supporting my proposal. I look forward to learning more about Frankie, learning some of his repertoire, collaborating with Joe & Mary McGuiggan, Margaret Wray and other dancers in Derry who knew him - and delivering these dances to you for free. Or you may wish to work from the home study package - also a free resource, all funded by Instep. I will begin this project in September, and deliver the classes in 2024. Drop me a private message if you knew Frankie, or have any information about him! Of note: Facebook page: Instep Research Team Website: https://insteprt.co.uk
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AuthorAnnette is an accomplished dancer and multi-instrumentalist. Blogs to date:
-Joe O'Donovan -Frankie Roddy -Maria Monakova -May Allen Close -Shoes Shoes Shoes! -Margaret Wray -The Dan Furey Group -Xmas party! -Death-Dance-Dogs -Irish News Article -Warning re Dance! -Party time! -Aramco Newsletter -Old Style Step? -Dancing vrs Ageing -Party time 0721 -Old Style Steps Abroad -An Anniversary! -Thanks to my Funders! Archives
June 2024
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