Clonakilty Agricultural Show are “Keepin it Country” for this year’s Annual Show on Sunday, 12th June with the recently announced Sunday World new-comer to country music, Eamonn Jackson topping the entertainment bill.
To co-inside with this event, they have announced that “The West Cork King and Queen of Jiving” will be selected at the show.
Jiving has now become so popular, it is almost a competitive sport on the dance floors of Ireland. In the past five years, country music has captured the imagination of a new generation.
The youngsters in rural Ireland have replaced the night clubs for country music dances to stars like Derek Ryan and Mike Denver, who are packing out venues across the country much to the delight of thousands of twenty somethings.
When the young people went to the dance halls for the music, they soon realized they needed to learn how to dance too, so the jiving from the mammies and daddies have moved on to the millennials and there is one simple truth:-
If you ain’t got the moves and the look, you ain’t gonna get the girls or boys, so from Caheragh to Ballinascarthy and from Freemount to Clonakilty, let’s get jiving.
MC for the day is our very own Michael Whelton from Ardgehane, Clonakilty whose jive classes are jam packed – country style. This is a scene repeated across Ireland as country music fans learn their moves in the hope of graduating onto the dance floor.
The winners will receive the “West Cork King and Queen of Jiving Trophy” sponsored by Ted Dunne Entertainment, Woodlands, Glanmire, Co Cork and John Daly Chipper, Enniskeane.
The top jivers are an elite group who move in packs around the country to dance with each other, learn new moves and groove to the best dance bands.
They are no longer interested in “two steps, spin, unwrap your lady”, they are looking to American rock n’ roll swing dance for inspiration and inventing their own moves and increasing its complexity.
So if you haven’t found the perfect dance partner, maybe Clonakilty Show will provide the venue where the willing MC, Michael Whelton will do the introductions and provide a boot camp before the competition will begin in real.
All “Country Roads” lead to Clonakilty on Sunday, 12th June with Eamonn Jackson live on stage and MC Michael Whelton getting everyone out jiving.
Details of Clonakilty Agricultural Show including all competitions and classes, entry forms, stand booking forms are available online at clonakiltyagrishow.com.
Secretary Donal McCarthy is contactable on (087) 6409326 or email donalmacc@eircom.net.
