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Silver Dollar City’s World-Fest Brings Out the Irish in Everyone
BY BOB LINDSEY
Spring time in Branson and the Ozarks flowering trees, warming temperatures and World-Fest at Silver Dollar City.
A favorite event for the past decade, each year showcases a new award-winning production from across the globe.
This year offers one of the best in recent memory with the all-new Irish celebration called Ireland’s Feet of Fire complete with “fire dancing”, live step dancing and Irish music.
This special Irish troupe was assembled for World -Fest. Some have danced together in Ireland for wedding reception and other events, but this was the first time the entire group has performed together.
The 45-minute show puts together the best of Irish folk dancing, music, a harper (not called a harpist in Ireland) and the “feet of fire” dance. Watching the show, the influence of Irish music on American folk music, especially in Appalachia and the Ozark Mountains, is apparent. In one number, the talented dancers transform an Irish folk dance into a Texas square dance as the women’s green skirts were turned inside out to show their red and white ruffled square dance attire. Another act features dance competition from two of the best hoofers.
Some of the past years favorite are back including the Zunyi Acrobats of China, the Invaders steel drum band from Trinidad, the always popular Russian Academic Band featuring both Russian and American music, the Ecuador pan-flute Manta musicians. New shows this year include Noticky, a children’s dance from the Czech Republic; the Beggar’s Row Celtic band from Scotland; the Watoto Childen’s Choir from Uganda and Kerry Christensen, “master Yodeler.”
Each evening concludes with an all new Great American Country Nights show at the outdoor Echo Hollow amphitheater.
But no visit to World-Fest in complete without trying some of the many international foods featured at Taste of the World.
World-Fest continues until May 4 , open Wednesdays through Sundays. The next event at Silver Dollar City is the Bluegrass & BBQ festival running daily May 10-June 1 This year’s festival will include Rhonda Vincent, The Grascals, Cherryholmes, Bradley Walker and a special concert on May 30 by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. For festival and ticket information, call 1-800-831-FUN or visit www.silverdollarcity.com.
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