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About the Cortland Celtic Cultural Association The Cortland Celtic Cultural Association is a newly formed organization, which has as its mission, to promote the development and awareness of Celtic culture, heritage, history language and music within the Cortland community. To this end, the Association organizes and promotes activities and events such as the annual Cortland Celtic Festival held every summer at the Cortland County Fairgrounds. This year's festival will be held August 24th – 26th beginning with a 5 K run co-sponsored by the Cortland Family YMCA. In its sixth year, the Cortland Celtic Festival promises fun and excitement for the entire family. Join us for a day of music, food, dancing, exhibits and demonstrations, all with a Celtic flair! For more information about the festival, please visit the official website at: www.cortlandcelticfestival.org. The Association is very pleased to promote the Clough School of Scottish Highland Dance that provides weekly lessons at St Margaret's Church in Homer. Taught by Highland Dance Instructor, Elizabeth Clough, the lessons are open to children age 7, though adults. Liz is a member of the S.O.B.H.D (Scottish Board of Highland Dance) and has been an instructor at the Braemar School of Highland Dance in Rome, New York, since 1990. We are very fortunate to have such a distinguished dance instructor come to the Cortland area to provide this program. According to Liz, Highland Dancing requires intense physical activity. It can help increase strength, balance and agility and can be an excellent complement to other sports. Highland Dancing allows students, both young and old, to participate in a great cultural tradition. Classes are held every Wednesday afternoon and evening during the school year. In addition to the Highland Dance classes, St Margaret's Church is the site for the Highland bagpipe lessons taught by Liz's husband, James Clough, Pipe Major of the Mohawk Valley Fraser Pipe and Drum Band. Jim began piping in 1965, joining his brother Doug to receive instruction from Dr. William Forbes of Rome, New York. The pivotal year in Jim's piping career was in 1973, when he co-founded the 78th Fraser's Highlanders (now the Mohawk Valley Frasers). Jim is an accomplished teacher. His students have frequently advanced to become top amateur pipers, and his Fraser's bands have won EUSPBA Supreme Championships four times and twice risen to the Grade 2 level. For more information about the Highland Dance lessons or the Highland bagpipe lessons, please contact the Cloughs at eclough152@aol.com or stop by the Cortland Youth Bureau office for a registration packet. A new opportunity arrived in Cortland this past summer, Cortland became the new site for Irish Step Dance lessons taught by Drumcliffe School of Irish Dance Instructor, Katie Montague, from Syracuse, New York. Katie began studying Irish Dance under Edward J. Murphy, founder of the Drumcliffe School, when she was 7 years old. She went on to earn her Irish Dance certification in 2002. Montague has won several championships throughout the United States and Canada and has a reputation as a very accomplished Irish dancer. Classes for children ages 5-16 years old are held every Monday evening at the Homer Fire Station. Katie welcomes interested parents and children to stop by and observe a class. For more information about this program, you can reach Katie at kadybugz@hotmail.com , please put "Cortland Dance" in the subject of your email. These are just some of the opportunities for the Cortland community to learn more about Celtic culture and heritage. The Cortland Celtic Cultural Association is grateful to several partners who have worked closely with the Association to help bring about these popular programs: the City and County of Cortland, The Cortland Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Cortland Regional Sports Council. |