Jackson Irish Dancers

From IrishDanceWiki

From their web site

Jackson Irish Dancers was founded in 1998 as a Mississippi non-profit corporation, and it is recognized by the I.R.S. as an I.R.C. § 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its members continue to teach adult classes in Irish céilí and figure dancing and country set dancing. These types of dancing are ancestors to American square or round dancing and clogging, and "kissing cousins" to contra dancing and other traditional English and Scottish country dance forms. Many Irish céilí and figure dances and country sets are done in a "set" of eight dancers, though some are long dances and some are progressive, so that each line of dancers moves down the room dancing with every other line. Some members of JID are also interested in solo step dancing of the type more familiar to audiences thanks to Riverdance and other choreographed stage shows; however, we find that the group dances are both easier to learn and more of a "social" dance form.

In addition to teaching dance classes, JID also helps to organize céilíthe (the plural of céilí) — a céilí, pronounced "kay'-lee", originally meant simply a get-together, but has come to mean a gathering with music and dancing. JID also has a performance group that can be hired to demonstrate Irish dance at festivals, school or church events, or on other occasions. The group has performed at CelticFest, the New Orleans Celtic Heritage Festival, Jubilee Jam!, Mistletoe Marketplace, the Natchez Trace Pioneer and Indian Festival, and at a variety of church and community events, including at weddings, for senior citizens' groups, and more. The group also won first and second-place medals in the adult country set competition at 2001 Feis Louisiane, an Irish dance competition sponsored by TNOSOID. Members of JID can be found on the dance floor whenever there is live Irish dance music, especially by local bands Bounds Street, Spirits of the House, and Legacy, and we encourage anyone who's interested to come and join us!