Magdalene Stewart:
Teaching
Irish Dance for the Past 30 Years
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER - The Stewart School of Irish Dance held their annual Feis at the Bonsor Recreation Centre in Burnaby on June 18.
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MAGDALENE STEWART is shown here with some of her young dancers who were competing at the 26th annual feis for the Stewart School of Irish Dance
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Magdalene Stewart has been teaching Irish dance for the past 30 years, and this was her 26th Annual Feis. It's hard to imagine the number of dancers she must have taught over those years. She is now teaching the children of some of those dancers.
I dropped in to the Stewart Feis for a short visit and there were literally hundreds of kids all dressed in their distinctive and colourful costumes. Many were practicing their steps with great concentration under the watchful eye of a teacher or parent, others were socializing, or waiting to enter the competition area. It looked like bedlam, but it was well a organized chaos.
It's always fun to watch the small children who are the first to compete in the Feis. They're always so earnest, putting every last bit of concentration into those steps. Such great training for these kids and an opportunity to participate with great pride in their cultural heritage.
For more information about the Stewart School of Irish Dance, call Magdalene at (604) 583-5183 or Ann at (604) 526-6602.
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