Wexford Macra has, once again, showed exactly why the county has built such a strong reputation in jiving and social dancing.
The Wexford Macra Jive Fest brought dancers and music lovers together at the Ashdown Park Hotel in recent days.
The weekend featured a stellar line-up of live performers, with Theresa and The Stars, Jason McCahill, Adrian Ryan, Alistair Fingleton, Lauren McCrory, Alex Roe and David James keeping the dancefloor busy over the two nights. Saturday saw the focus switch to the jiving competition, with dancers taking part across two classes, Macra Class and Open Class. The hotly contested People’s Choice Award was also down for decision.
Winners
In the Macra Class, Lar Banville and Megan O’Brien took first place. They were followed by John Tyrrell and Elaine Birchall in second, and Tom Coleman and Aoife Walsh in third.
In the Open Class, Gearoid Kirwan and Eabha Carroll took top spot, with Cole Blake and Meaghan Byrne finishing second and Mick Corbett and Shauna O’Neill taking third.
The People’s Choice Award went to Marykate Doyle and Lar Banville, providing another highlight on what was an action-packed weekend.
A special word of thanks goes to competition judges Declan Flanagan, Nuala Doyle, Ronan Roberts, Orla Allen, Noel Price and Nadine Byrne. They gave both their time and expertise throughout the weekend.
Wexford Macra also extended its thanks to all the sponsors who supported the event, as well as everyone who came along to dance, watch and support the festival. The success of the Jive Fest is another reflection of the strong social-dancing tradition within Wexford Macra.
The county has built up a name for producing talented jivers, with members continuing to take to the floor at events around the country.
Full steam ahead
And there is no sign of the dancing slowing down any time soon.
Wexford Macra hosts a monthly dance at the IFA Centre, giving members and dancers plenty opportunities to practice their steps, meet new people and enjoy a night on the dancefloor.
For anyone who has ever fancied giving jiving a go, Wexford Macra’s thriving social scene could be the perfect place to start.
