Celtic Suite (’83, ’84, ’90)

The Lark
Susie MacGuire
Gaelic Scrawl
Skip Dance
From Out of Their Graves
Fair Nottamun Town

Choreography by Louise Reichlin
Additional tap choreography by Alfred Desio
Music by Alfred Desio, Alan Stivell, An Triskell, Barde, Jean Ritchie

This work is often performed by an all modern dance cast, but it is most well-known as a ‘blend’ piece which mixes the modern movement and traditional folk dances with virtuoso jig tapping and flute- playing.

Press

"Each (dance) has Irish roots, with Desio piping traditional flute tunes and bouncing lyrically on his feet in the first and concluding sections. He unleashes his energy in frenzied jigs, like a hapless lad kicking stones and determinedly chasing after them. Offering contrast to his merriment, Reichlin dances a ripe, lush and sweeping solo, The Lark. And the ensemble of nine dancers performs a barefooted, heathen circle-dance that would not have been out of place among the Druids centuries ago; it is mythically transporting. Reichlin has a keen way with group dynamics, and both Celtic Suite and the program's finale, The Tennis Dances, fitted her dancers together in unexpected pairings, giving the evening a unique flavor. We hear the music better and gain insight to a world of Reichlin's own fashioning, whether it's Celtic rituals of yesteryear or her own vision of life played out symbolically with ... racquets used as swords, mirrors and triumphant banners."

Los Angeles Herald Examiner

"Gaelic Scrawl, a new addition to Reichlin's Celtic Suite, extended her exploration of Irish folkways, myths and traumas. Nicely danced by an attractive Brett Heine and Christine Kreibich, it added a quirky gaiety to the picture that contrasted well with the other four sections of the work."

Variety

"Reichlin fashions large-scale modern dance works for her 11-member ensemble. Her early works, The Tennis Dances and Celtic Suite are wonderful microcosms of life and various ethnic cultures."

Daily News

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