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| Photo by Chris Hardy |
Rochelle: Brent Pace and Ceili Moore, both Australians as well as Champion dancers, toured professionally with other world-renowned companies. They decided 10 years ago to bring their own vision to the world stage.
Rochelle: A Taste of Ireland is unique as it entertains as well as tells the story of Ireland, from the Vikings to the Potato Famine to modern day. Our dance stories can be emotional for the audience. All music and tap are live; nothing recorded. We use traditional Irish songs such as “Danny Boy,” but some contemporary music as well.
Tell me about the dancers.
Rochelle: It's an international staff: Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, Americans, Irish, and English. People from all over. There are 14 dancers split evenly – 7 boys, 7 girls. All might perform nightly, depending on their health or schedule.
How long does a dancer tour?
Rochelle: I started in August, and I’m scheduled to perform until December, which is five months. Some dancers are here for their first year, some for their tenth. Dancing is great physical exercise, but I find it's just as challenging mentally; to remember my spot and my steps.
What's your favorite number to perform?
Rochelle: There are two acoustic numbers in the show. In one dance, the audience only hears the taps of the hard shoes making music. When that is performed perfectly, when everyone is in sync, that's a great feeling.
How quickly must you learn your steps and keep your focus sharp for each show?
Rochelle: Getting ready for the West Coast tour, there are new people joining the cast. We'll have four days of rehearsal before touring. People learn differently, some by dancing, some by watching, some by taking cues from the music.
You had said that you were also an understudy. What does that mean in a dance group?
Rochelle: Understudies have a tough job; they need to know their own steps and those of the Lead Dancer in case a call comes at the last minute to substitute. Usually, the need for a substitute is due to a dancer’s illness or injury. Taking care of our dancers is so important. If anyone has a physical issue, we may try to find a physical therapist locally to help work out the injury.
How do you stay healthy? Fast food can be tempting on the road.
Rochelle: This year my mates and I invested in an Air Fryer. We shop locally for carbs and vegetables; we eat pretty healthy, which is important.
How do you relax after a performance.
Rochelle: We get out of a performance pretty late. I take off my makeup, stretch, and use ice packs - these rituals can be pretty relaxing in themselves. Then I might just turn on some TV to “veg” and relax enough to fall asleep. Hopefully, we can sleep in the next day.
Your show runs simultaneously for East Coast and West Coast tours in the US. How does the administration choose who goes to each side of the country?
Rochelle: We are assigned to whichever troupe works best for us. It's the same music and choreography on both the West and East coast. Sometimes, slotting a dancer to a troupe depends on the physical height of the performers. The couples doing lifts need to be about the same height - tall boys with tall girls and shorter boys with shorter girls. [This can dictate which group they will be assigned.]
Any message you'd like to get out to the public?
Rochelle: Of course, come see us. It’s a fun way to learn a little about the history of Ireland and very entertaining with great music and great dancing.
