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The movie "Riverdance" was the inspiration for
the Gothards to take up Irish step dancing, said Willow Gothard, one of the Seattle sisters who are performing this week at
the North Dakota State Fair.
Once she and her sisters saw the energetic Celtic dancers, they had
to try it themselves. They had already been playing fiddles since they were very small, learning via the Suzuki method.
Youngest sister Solana, 14, has been singing since she was quite young, said Willow.
In
their show, Willow, 20, and her sisters Greta, 22, and Solana, combine rhythmic Irish step dancing, which is done while keeping
the arms straight at one's sides while the feet stamp energetically below, with Irish drum (called the bodhran), fiddle and
guitar music.
Sweet-voiced soprano Solana sang plaintive Celtic melodies such as the Scottish
balled "Sleepy Maggie." The sisters Americanized the lyrics to make them more understandable to audiences here, she
said.
"I think a lot of people haven't seen it," she said. "The Irish competitive world
is pretty secretive."
All three have competed at world step-dancing competitions nationally and
internationally.
Willow and her sisters have been performing in Celtic dancing competitions since
they were young, but she said the rules usually forbid videotaping the dancing because dancers are afraid their competitors
might steal their steps. Willow Gothard said it's nice to be able to share Irish step dancing with a wider audience.
Dancers don't necessarily have to be Irish-American to become expert at step-dancing. The young women have a bit of
Celtic blood, Willow said, but like many Americans, their ancestors came from a lot of different countries. Willow said
this is their first time in North Dakota.
The Gothards are on a five-week tour of the Midwest
and have performed in the Pacific Northwest as well.
They have four compact discs out,
the latest of which is called "Celtic Rainbow" and includes the music they perform in their stage show. The CDs are
available at the fair and can also be purchased online, said Willow Gothard. Their web site is at (www.gothardsisters.com).
The Gothard sisters will perform at
noon, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday and will also perform at 10 p.m. today, all on the Jukebox Junkie Stage.
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