AN IRISH CHRISTMAS to Play Harris Center, 11/28-30

It just wouldn't seem like the holidays at Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom without the wildly successful An Irish Christmas making another welcome return. This popular show is a great Irish celebration, bringing joy, hope, laughter, friendship, celebration of life through storytelling, music, song, and dance in a night that sparkles with life and a bit of 'Irish magic'!

An Irish Christmas will be presented on Friday, November 28, 2014 at 7 pm, Saturday, November 29, 2014 at 2 & 7 pm, and Sunday, November 30, 2014 at 2 pm. Tickets are

$25-$39; Premium $49; $20 for children under 12. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

Dancing through the generations over brooms, on half doors, around butter churns and shoemakers, into the world of mythology and out again; singing that spins itself out of the mists and into the familiar "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy'" and "Carol of the Bells," and superb music of the pipes, flutes, fiddles, button accordion and bodhráns are just the beginning of this great Irish night! The Irish News and Entertainment agree saying "An overwhelming success... glorious music, dance, and plenty of Irish soul... first rate!" These sentiments are echoed by The Village News which exclaims "...Not to be missed...Amazing!"

Featured dancers are Kevin Horton, Ciaran Maguire and Collette Dunne. Kevin Horton has been Irish Dancing for over 23 years now. Throughout the years, he has won many championships, including the Regionals, Nationals, and medaling 5th place at the World Championships. After heading off to college at Arizona State, he won a coveted spot on the Riverdance Tour, where he travelled for 6 years as a dancer. Tours included the United States, Canada, Ireland, Japan, China, and Korea. Some highlights from touring include dancing for the Imperial Empress of Japan, performing at Radio City Music Hall, and appearing as a guest performer on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

Ciaran Maguire joined the cast of Riverdance at the age of 16. He then went on to work with former Riverdance stars Colin Dunne and Jean Butler in their co-production Dancing on Dangerous Ground, which saw him perform in prestigious theatres like London's Drury Lane and Radio City Music Hall in New York. Ciaran joined Magic of the Dance in 2001. Over the last ten years Ciaran has collaborated and trained with some of the biggest names in Irish dance.

Collette Dunne started dancing at the age of three at the McCormack School of Dance in Dublin. She has won numerous awards including the Dublin Championships, the Leinster Championships (twice) and in 1999, the All Ireland Championships. In her early career, Collette toured throughout Europe with various dance shows. She is the principal dancer in Magic of the Dance.

Other featured dancers include newcomer Daryl Goldes Tunzi and Jason Purcell. Vocalists include Koral Aakre, Caitlin Ary, Keith Kraft, and Tamora Pellikka. The rest of the superb dance team includes many members of the Kerry Dance Troupe. Irish actor Sheelagh Cullen is the Narrator/Storyteller. Musicians include Preston Howard on uilleann pipes and flutes, Bella Issakova on fiddle, Felim Egan on button accordion, Jackie Moran on bodhrán and Zac Leger on guitar, bouzouki, flute and bodhrán.

An Irish Christmas is sponsored by Tourism Ireland (http://www.ireland.com).

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