Honoring Ann Skipper
1925 - 2009
Internationally renowned
Dance Mistress of
The Clan MacLeod Dancers
Est. 1983
Last night, June 4th 2011, at the Pasadena War Memorial, the Clan MacLeod Dancers hosted their annual Rant, arguably one of the premiere Scottish Country Dances held in the Southern California each
year.
The event was a great success with live music provided by Any Imbrie on the piano and Debie Benton Grosjean on the "fiddle" who were stunningly good, making the Scottish snap zing through the air and putting lift in the lassies heels as their partners kilts were flying. A positive glut of MacLeod favorites from Angus MacLeod and MacLeod's Fancy to Peat Fire Flame and a new one from Walt Metcalf called Sea Gate. The food was sumptuous as always.
I had a chance to give a small talk remembering Ann and the huge contribution she has made to the Clan MacLeod and Scottish Country Dancing world wide.
In 2002 John MacLeod of MacLeod the 29th Chief of the Clan MacLeod wrote of Ann when she stepped down as Dance Mistress of his Clan
“I must thank you very much for all the work you have done on the dance scene in clan MacLeod. You have been most successful in your role as teacher and enthuser and the clan is in your debt. I am sure that the heritage of dance will live on.”
Sets complete! Ready for the next dance!
Click to see "Reel of the 51st"
1 comment:
Dear Neil,
It was so interesting to ready your little remembrance from Ann. I was just looking at the strathspey.org Dance Database and I saw Ann published some of her dances in the Clan MacLeod Dances for Ceilidhs, but I couldn't find any instruction to them. Do you have by any chance this book? We would be happy to try some of her dances as we know a MacLeod as well. Our Scottish Dance group is in Bo'ness, Scotland and we are preparing to our special November Ceilidh night!
Thanks a lot,
Zsofi
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