IMBOLC – Dance Morning with “FOOD FOR THE SOUL” (Mary McGuiggan, Maura Johnson &Paraig O’Brien)

For Mary McGuiggan, dance is “Food for the Soul”. She was raised in a rural community, rich in language, music, poetry, storytelling and song. In this performance she explores how her roots have influenced her dance – as an older woman, a mother, grandmother, community and environmental activist, she continues to find avenues to marry her passions. For this performance, Mary has collaborated with Maura Johnson and Paraig O’Brien, both of whom share her interest and, maybe more importantly, come from her own “neck of the woods.”

Mary McGuiggan is a traditional step dancer from Ballynease, a rural community on the banks of the river Bann. She has been dancing competitively at local, national and All-Ireland level and has had a career as a dance teacher both at primary, secondary and competition level. Her greatest love is to encourage everyone to dance for joy and fun, building confidence as well as learning a new skill.

Paraig O’Brien is both a traditional and classically trained violin player, music teacher and music therapist from Portglenone on the river Bann.

Maura Johnson is from Moneymore, Co. Derry. She is a published writer of poetry and short stories. She is also an experienced facilitator of writing and reminiscence workshops.

This performance will be preceded by a Sean-nós dance workshop led by Joe McGuiggan. 

Food for the Soul was commissioned by Echo Echo Festival and first performed at Tradition and Beyond Festival in September 2023.

BOOK TICKETS