North America Takes the Floor at Newcastle #2!
March 26, 2025
Claire Cunin tells us all about this year's trip to the Newcastle Festival
Following the excitement of last year’s festival, it was clear that we would return! If you missed last year’s story on why and how the team was initially formed, you can read this article.
This year was just as fun as last year - but we came back in force. Our team grew from 12 dancers to 25, expanding to the West Coast and representing nine U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
I wanted the team to be as representative as possible and aimed for a fair balance of Canadian and American dancers:
- 12 from Canada – Erica, Leo, Moira, Marjorie, Tristan, Emily, Erin, Jody, Sarah, and myself from Ontario, plus Emily and Andrew from British Columbia.
- 13 from the U.S. – Adrian, Justin, and Arthur from Pennsylvania; Jen and Charles from Massachusetts; Carrie from Illinois; Reesa from New York; Yvonne from Virginia; Rebecca from Connecticut; Grace from New Hampshire; Caroline from South Carolina; and Jeanne and Michael from California.
Many of our dancers had never met - let alone danced together - before our first practice, which took place in Toronto during the Dance Around the World weekend (November 23–24, 2024). You can imagine the challenge of competing as a team under those circumstances!
Outstanding Results
I’m still in awe that it all came together, and the results speak for themselves - we made it to the podium in every category we entered!
🥈 Ladies category – 2nd place (Raccoon)
🥈 Men’s category – 2nd place (Maple)
🥇 Mixed category – 1st place (Rockies), tied with Edinburgh Scottish Dancers
🏆 Display category – Winner! (Choreography brilliantly devised by Jen Schoonover from Boston)
Building the Team
There was still no formal recruitment process. Instead, I reached out to dancers I met at various dance weekends across North America - and also Summer School in St. Andrews - or asked team members to recommend people they thought would be a good fit.
The idea of holding auditions for future participation has come up, but I’m not sure about it yet. I value progress over perfection and team spirit over just winning.
North American Music & Dances
Our performances featured incredible North American musicians and bands. If you’re watching the videos, here’s who you’ll hear (in order of appearance):
🎶 Elizabeth & Ben Anderson (Boston, USA) – Ladies Raccoon Team
🎶 Atlantic Firth (Ottawa, Canada) – Ladies Goose Team
🎶 Sarah Lynn & Friends (Texas, USA) – Men’s Maple Team
🎶 Dave Wiesler (Delaware Valley, USA) – Mixed Rockies Team
🎶 Andy Imbrie & Caroline McCaskey (California, USA) – Mixed Appalachians Team
🎶 Katie McNally Trio (Boston, USA) – Display Team
It was an amazing lineup! Each group brought their own unique style, and some even played original compositions - including one tune written just for this event.
As for the dances, we selected pieces from North American devisers, Imperial Books, and timeless classics - some challenging, some unusual, but all fantastic!
A huge thank-you to Angela Young, the adjudicator for the day, for her insightful and constructive feedback on every team. Her keen eye for detail and encouraging approach are truly invaluable.
The Challenge of Organizing
Coordinating two practice weekends for 25 dancers was quite the journey - especially when I don’t live in either of the cities where they were held! From food, venues, accommodations, music, schedules, and finances (you can check out more on finances here) to outfits, travel logistics, and endless emails, there was a lot to manage!
To support the dancers, I developed an “army” of coaches, pairing one experienced teacher with a less experienced teacher to help each team. This was also in preparation for the upcoming North American Festival in 2026 (more details to come), allowing newer teachers to gain coaching experience and build a team for our future event.
This year, we were lucky again to have some incredible supporting coaches: Alma Smith (for one day in Toronto), Ellie Briscoe (for the full weekend in Philadelphia), Moira Korus, who coached both weekends, danced in the display, coached a team, and helped with logistics in Toronto
A Festival to Remember
The team received an incredible welcome from the Festival committee and all the other teams. When I first came to Newcastle with the Lyon Branch in 2017, I never imagined I’d bring home a trophy with my own team. But TWO trophies?! I’m still riding the high of happiness! After an emotional day of competition, Martainn Skene kept us on our feet with fantastic sets of tunes!
This experience has been truly heart-warming - the friendships within the team made my heart melt more than once.
This was my sixth Newcastle Festival and my second year as team leader - and I’m not stopping here. After all… don’t we have to bring back and win those trophies next year?
Looking Ahead: North American Festival 2026
I’m also thrilled to be part of the Youth TAC Committee, organizing the first-ever North American Festival! Mark your calendars: April 4, 2026, in the Philadelphia area.
More information will be shared on social media (a dedicated Facebook page has been created) and distributed via newsletters. It will be Newcastle-like, but with a North American twist.
A Heartfelt Thank You
None of this would have been possible without the incredible people who made it happen. To my wonderful dancers, all the musicians, our amazing coaches and helpers, and all the generous donors who financially contributed to the team - thank you from the bottom of my heart!
A huge thank-you as well to the Washington DC Branch for their fiscal sponsorship. Your support means the world to us!
I’m looking forward to seeing you on the dance floor!
