| Olive shares
some of her thoughts about Ann Keller's "Fairy Threads" I
met Ann Keller a year and a half ago when, as correspondent for Celtic Cafe in
Ireland, she interviewed me in her gracious home for a 'Feature Article' at CelticCafe.com.
We hit it off right from the start when I lost my way to her home and I 'phoned
her on the mobile and she directed me until I got there. (Please note, I was just
around the corner from her house and didn't know it!) So after introductions and
a glass or two of wonderful red vino, we got down to the interview!
It
turned out that we had a lot in common, including Michael Flatley, Music, the
Arts, Dance etc. She showed me around her wonderful studio where she teaches 'Lace-making'
-- I found it fascinating and immediately saw her gift as a Lace designer. Little
did I know then that I would commission her at a later date, to design my 'Class
Costumes.' This she did, plus the designs for a 'Show dress' that I wore
at a Viennese Ball in Vienna in early January, 2002 in front of over 3,000 people.
Her designs were a total success with many young dancers loving her work and asking
me for her card.
Ann Keller has now successfully created the designs
for my School's Class Costumes which have been so well praised since the 'World
Irish Dancing Championships' held in Glasgow this year. She has since designed
some wonderful creations for some of my dancers' 'Solo' Dresses. I was a little
apprehensive about introducing 'Handmade Lace' back into the Irish Dancing Competition
field -- such beautiful designs are easily and successfully achieved on the 'Show
Level' stage, but "what about the Feis"? I need not have worried. Ann's
designs are so modern and fresh that I would highly recommend them without reservation.
On a personal note, I feel that, not only do they work on the 'Class
Costume' but that they are most suited to the 'Solo' dress where they can be complemented
with the new wonderful lighter dresses and the 'Applique' look with an array of
colour schemes to suit the design. For me, I feel that her designs (which incidentally
are wholly and specific to the school or dancer) are the 'NEW' look for the future.
PURE NATURAL LACE combined with the NEW TRENDS.
May I wish Ann Keller
and "SNA SI" (Gaelic for "FAIRY THREADS") every success with
her new designs, going into the world of 'Irish Dance.'
Olive Hurley,
ADCRG/TCRG.
Feature:
Bernadette Price
Original
Web Design: Alexander Servas
| 
