Inspired by the Irish: Folks gather to dance

St. Patrick's Day may have come and gone this year, but anyone near Fenian's Pub on Sunday night probably thought that it'd come back around for an encore.

That's because the Jackson Irish Dancers were in the building as part of the "Mostly Monthly Céilí Series," giving any and all takers the chance to dance like an Irishman (or Irishwoman).

"It's a party," said céilí regular Harvey Kimble. "It's a good time to get together and visit. There's no pressure to do and to be, you just go and do what you want to do."

But what is a céilí (pronounced "KAY-lee")?

"Céilí is a big ol' Irish dance party," said Catherine Bishop, instructor at Jackson Irish Dancers.

Part tap dance, part square dance, and older than both, the traditional Irish céilí (which literally means "gathering" in Irish Gaelic) is a lively, jovial assembling of people (eight at a time, typically) of all ages that want to hop, tap and promenade to traditional Irish folk music.

"It's open to anyone who wants to come and experience it," said Bishop.

Traditionally, dancers line up in the middle of the floor facing their partner, while a "caller" yells out the next move. That means that there aren't any moves to memorize, necessarily, making it very "user-friendly," according to Bishop.

Harvey Kimble agrees, saying, "If you can walk, you can do some of the dances we do." Of course, as with any skill, "You can spend forever getting better. It's an almost unlimited thing. There are always more dances; you'll never learn them all."

Still, don't feel pressured to get on the dance floor, said Bishop. "You can come and just watch and listen to the music."

Jackson Irish Dancers, which organizes the event, has been showing Jackson how to do an Irish jig for nearly two decades. What started off as a group of friends traveling back and forth from New Orleans to learn about and spread new dance moves has turned into a steady group of dedicated followers. Then, Catherine Bishop — who studied traditional Irish dance at the University of Limerick in Ireland as a Fulbright scholar — came along as an instructor in 1998, and the group really began to take off.

"Someone took me to Fenian's one Thursday night and I met them," she said, recounting JID's origins.

Since then, they've offered singles and group dance classes for both adults and children (JID membership required), as well as céilí dances at Fenian's and at Jackson's annual Celtic Fest.

"It's a community of people, really," Bishop said. "It's a very welcoming group. I think that's why we still exist — people still want to do it, the music is infectious, and they're all salt-of-the-earth people."

"People closer together build community," said Kimble. "It's a way for people to get together and get to know one another and do things together. But much more than that, it's fun!"

He adds that what makes céilí special can be found in another Irish Gaelic word: "craic."

"It refers to the fact that everyone's having a good time, and they know that it's contagious."

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To find out more about Jackson Irish Dancers or the Mostly Monthly Céilí Series, visit jacksonirishdancers.org.