This past year, BHS and the Brooklyn Arts Council partnered on an oral history project interviewing local dancers. BAC initiated Folk Feet, a Folk Arts program dedicated to supporting the work of traditional dancers in Brooklyn, in 2003. The goals of Folk Feet were to identify the range of traditional dance practices represented in Brooklyn by individuals, companies, and community and social dance groups; to document these artists and their practices; and to present them to a wider public by way of concerts, showcases and workshops. This is the third in a series of five audio slideshows from that project, stay tuned!
Donny Golden has been teaching Irish dance in Brooklyn for over 30 years. In 1995, he received the National Heritage Award from President Clinton.
In this excerpt, Donny describes how his parents, who immigrated to Bay Ridge Brooklyn from Ireland, encouraged their children to learn Irish music and dance.
Music: “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” by The Chieftains