SPAIN’s Irish dance community are celebrating the official launch of the country’s first national organisation dedicated to promoting Irish dance next month.
The Spanish Irish Dance Association (AEDI) will formally debut in Madrid on February 7-8 with the first Spanish Irish Dance Gathering, a weekend of workshops, cultural activities and performances designed to bring dancers across the country together.
The launch weekend will feature master workshops led by renowned Irish dance teacher Shane McAvinchey.
Another highlight of the programme is the Ceili Party, a showcase of Irish dance accompanied by live music hosted at Madrid’s Centro Gallego, a venue with deep roots in Celtic cultural traditions.
While the Madrid gathering represents AEDI’s first public event, organisers stress that it is only the beginning of a longer-term project.
A spokesperson told The Olive Press that the next steps are to secure funding and institutional support.
From there they aim to organise workshops, masterclasses, festivals and competitions.
Although Irish dancing has remained largely invisible in Spain, the Irish dancing community has been steadily growing over the past two decades.
From a few teachers in Madrid and Barcelona, the community has expanded nationwide to Galicia, Valencia, Zaragoza, Alicante and Mallorca.
With more dancers across the country, a group of teachers took the leap to build a national organisation.
They plan to put the Irish dance community on the global map.
It’s their way of saying: “Irish dance is here, and it is being taught and developed seriously, with rigour and respect for the tradition.”
There is real excitement within the Irish dance community ahead of the event.
For the organisers, “It feels like the beginning of a new chapter together – one that feels more connected, more visible and full of possibility.”
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