2003-02-10
What is your name, how old are you and where do you live?
My name is Piia-Maria Vidgren, I am twenty years old and my home town is Äänekoski, small town in the Central Finland. This year I live in Ilmajoki (a couple hundred kilometers to west of Äänekoski) because of my studies there.
Why did you start to dance Irish dance?
My Irish dancing started after I saw Riverdance on TV in the spring 1998, before that I had never seen Irish dance. I was absolutely amazed and wanted to learn to dance like that right away. So I watched the show over and over again during the next few weeks and months and little by little got some idea what it is all about.
What kind of Irish dance do you dance: Set dance, Solo, Céilí?
Solo dance is my type of Irish, quite much because I haven't yet had a chance to learn the others but I would love to learn those too, especially ceili dances.
Do you dance any other type of dance?
My history of dance has almost as many years as my age. Everything started when I was six years old little girl whose feet were burning to get in to ballet lessons. Finally my mother agreed to get me there, since that I haven't really done anything else. Ballet I have danced all these years, since I was something nine years I have danced contemporary dance and jazz dance, a little later street dance and flamenco too. I have also danced afro and tried capoeira during weekend courses.
Where have you learnt to dance Irish dance?
Irish dance I have learnt mostly in some week-long courses or weekend courses (altogether six if I counted it right) when guest teachers have been teaching in Helsinki. Also I spent a week in Ireland in summer 2000 where I was taught by May Crean in Dublin. Besides these I have spent at least hundreds of hours staring at my Irish dance show videos that I have taped from TV... and then trained the steps by myself.
What do you do when you are not dancing? (work/studies)
I graduated from high school of Äänekoski in the spring 2002 and at the moment I am doing a degree in creative writing. These studies last only this semester 2002-2003. After that I have some different plans which are not quite clear to me yet.
Do you only dance yourself or do you also teach? If so, where do you teach and what characterizes your teaching?
I have taught Irish dancing in Äänekoski a couple of years; besides doing choreographies to some dancers I also kept classes for two years. Now I travel quite a lot to home to keep my Irish dancers´ skills on and teaching them the new things I learn in courses. I am always happy to see that they are doing progress in Irish dancing but I think the main thing is that they would enjoy their dancing.
You attended the Nordic Feis in Stockholm this year. Was this your first feis? If so, what impression do you have after it?
Nordic Feis 2002 was my first feis and also some kind of dream come true for I had never expected that I would really get in a real feis to dance. I loved the weekend, the mood, friendly Irish dance-enthusiastic people and the great performances were just perfect.
You did well in your competition, did you expect it?
I went to the feis to see what I can and I was happy to see that I can something... and that I still have a lot to learn.
What are your plans for the future?
About the future I can't say anything very sure but dancing will be in it some how and Irish dancing especially. I hope to get some of my Irish dance pupils to the feis of 2003 and I hope to get myself to as many Irish dance courses as possible this year.
Are you part of a dance group, if so could you tell us about it?
I am not dancing in any Irish dance group but that is my dream which I hope to come true. In my hometown we have now a group Äänekoski Irish Dancers, the group got its name just a little time ago.
Is your family a real "Irish dance" family?
I am the only one in my family dancing Irish dance but they all like it very much and especially my dad loves Irish music.
What is your goal with the dancing?
I dance because I love it and it makes me happy. I hope that it could make some other people happy too.
What is your favorite dance?
In Irish dancing my favorite dances are slip jig and hornpipe. I also love to watch dancers doing hard reel. I haven’t really had a chance to learn much of that yet.
In what way has the Irish dance changed your life?
Irish dance has given me a whole new way to use my feet and dancing skills. It also made me become a self-learned teacher and choreographer at the age of sixteen and through that I have learnt a lot about my other dancing too.
Do you have any advice or tips you would like to share?
Maybe one word for anyone who is in the situation wanting to learn to dance but have no teacher around: it takes a lot of hard work but don’t give up. If you love it, it is worth it.
What do you think is the best with the Nordic Society of Irish Dancers?
I think the best thing about NSID is definitely the Nordic Feis! Also I have got a lot of useful information through the society and got to know other Irish dancers in Finland.
Interview made by Yvonne Rosenlund Swerke