BRITISH ISLES PAVILION SHOW
The British Isles pavilion show is a feature of our pavilion and a highlight for Folklorama audiences year after year. Comprised of 100% live, local musicians and dancers, this is a show you wont want to miss. Our professional, seamless production takes you on a journey with the traditional and contemporary music, song, and dance from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
ENAID
Enaid is the Welsh world for "soul"
From traditional jigs, reels, and folk songs to classic rock and contemporary pop, Enaid delights audiences with some of the most talented traditional and rock musicians in Winnipeg.
MCCONNELL IRISH DANCE
The most successful and longest established Irish dance troupes in North America. Founded in Ireland over one hundred years ago and established in Canada in 1947. McConnell Dancers are recognised for their high calibre, energetic, performances which include traditional and contemporary Irish dance beautifully chore0graphed and professionally paired with some of the finest Celtic music. International award-winning dancers compete at the highest levels and the CRN World Irish Dance Championships in Ireland. McConnell Irish Dancers are founding members of Folklorama. The troupe have performed at the Irish Pavilion, the Emerald Isle Pavilion and are proud sponsors of the Isle of the Shamrock, United Kingdom, and British Isles Pavilions.
McConnell dancers travel the world to perform at C.I.O.F.F and International Dance Festivals, Peru (2007), Costa Rica (2009), Bulgaria (2011), Disney World (2012), Peru (2016), North Carolina (2017). In 2013 they were the only Canadian Irish dance troupe to be invited to perform in the Gathering Festivities in Limerick and Dublin, Ireland. McConnell Irish Dancers perform locally at corporate and charitable events and have performed at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Pop Orchestra, Will Millar, Irish Rovers, The Irish Descendants, and Tommy Makem.
With over three generations of Irish dance excellence, the McConnell Irish Dancers performances will leave you breathless.
SUSAN FRENCH SCHOOL OF HIGHLAND DANCING
The Susan French School of Highland dance was created in 2011 after the passing of Susan’s beloved teacher and mentor Lynn Stephen. Susan teaches student from the age of 2 and up and believes in creating a positive environment where kids can learn and develop at their own pace. The school has a developed a mentorship program in which the younger students can gain from the experience of the senior dancers as well as giving those senior dancers the opportunity to learn teaching skills and strategies. Susan has taught students that have competed and won numerous championships, premierships, trophies and runner up awards throughout Canada, United States and Scotland. Susan still loves to dance, and Choreography is one of her passions, having created multiple award-winning pieces. Over the past 5 years The Susan French School of Highland dance has been privileged alongside the McConnell School of Irish Dance to headline Folklorama’s British Isles Pavilion which draws in more then 10,000 spectators each summer. Susan’s believes in promoting culture through highland dance and demonstrates this with her Passion and enthusiasm for the sport.
DAWNSWRY GWERIN YR AFON GOCH
Red River Welsh Folk Dancers
Dawnswyr Gwerin Yr Afon Goch (Red River Welsh Folk Dancers) were founded in Winnipeg in 2014 to promote the language, music, dance, and culture of Cymru (Wales). The group is the only Welsh Folk Dance troupe in Canada and one of a very few Welsh Dance groups in North America. Under the direction of Alan Lloyd-Owen (Enaid) and Shayleen McConnell Finucan (McConnell School of Dance), the group performs Welsh traditional dances (Twmpath Dawns), music, and song.
With a troupe of 25 dancers from child to adult, the group has performed across Canada, the U.S.A, and Europe. The have performed for the North American Festival of Wales (2016) in Calgary, AB and at the CIOFF International Folkmoot Festival in North Carolina (2017).