Festive Irish song and dance takes to the stage

THE Ulumbarra Theatre is set to come alive with Irish music as A Taste of Ireland perform their festive special, A Celtic Christmas.

The world-renowned show is touring both Australia and the United States and will be heading to Bendigo in mid-December.

It will feature Irish dancing world champions telling a story of two star-crossed lovers and company manager Ceili Moore said the performance will be a theatrical experience.

“It’s a Celtic Christmas celebration,” she said. “The show is quite theatrical, it’s obviously a celebration of Irish music and dance, but it does have a storyline.

“It’s got so many elements which come together to tell the story.”

Moore said the live elements set the show apart from other performances.

“The dancing itself is performed live, there is no pre-recorded track, which is quite unusual in Irish dancing shows,” she said.

“I think that gives the show a really beautiful live element and a lot of the show is based on audience reactions.

“It’s a really personalised performance.”

Moore has extensive experience Irish dancing, working professionally since she was 18, and she has performed in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance across over 15 different countries.

She said the athletic and artistic elements are what drew her to the field.

“You kind of have to be as pretty as a ballerina but as fir as a footballer,” she said. “It’s really difficult to pull those things together.”

A Celtic Christmas is set for Friday 16 December from 7.30pm and tickets can be purchased on the A Taste of Ireland website.