GERALDINE Ryan continues to astound and amaze.
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The 86-year-old has been teaching Irish dancing for 74 years, a contribution that will be honoured with the presentation of a special award later this month.
Mrs Ryan and her O’Shea-Ryan Academy of Irish Dance group have been announced as Artist of the Year for the 2017 Koroit Irish Festival, which will be staged on April 28-30.
Bestowing one of its major honours on Mrs Ryan and her group shows the high regard her work is held in the Koroit community.
But as Mrs Ryan explains, it is an admiration that goes both ways.
“It’s (the artist of the year award) very nice, everyone is getting a bit of a buzz out of it,” Mrs Ryan said.
“In our group we have people from over Victoria, as well as locals.
“The comment that always come through about Koroit is what a wonderful community feel there is to the festival.
“Everyone is so friendly and it feels like home, no matter where you are from.
“It’s not overpowering, it is about the people, it is very welcoming, you feel very comfortable at Koroit.”
Mrs Ryan has seen and performed at many festivals over the years.
She said the longevity of the Koroit Irish Festival is an outstanding effort and she gives a tick of approval when asked if she likes the way the festival has evolved.
“Yes I do, every festival has its up and downs, it can be hard going,” she said.
“I was secretary of the Melbourne Irish Festival for 15 years so I know how difficult it can be for people to maintain their passion.
“You need a strong community to run a successful festival and luckily Koroit is.”
Mrs Ryan said the Koroit Irish Festival plays an important part in the development of her Irish dance group.
She said the event provided great growth opportunities for younger members.
“We have had a lot of dancers perform at the Koroit Irish Festival over the years,” she said.
“This year we will have little ones who will perform for the first time at a festival so that is exciting. Because the audience is so good at Koroit, it has always been the perfect place to give the little ones a chance to perform and find their confidence.”
Irish dance has been a lifelong love for Mrs Ryan. In her prime, she was a Victorian and Australian champion dancer. She also holds the honour of being the first Australian to compete at the all-Ireland championships.
She began teaching when she was just 12 and shows no sign of slowing down.
Each year, she takes a group overseas to perform and 2017 is no exception with a trip to Europe planned. She travels to all corners of the state each week teaching Irish dancing.
Hamilton, Crossley, Wodonga, Kilmore and Warragul are among the locations where Mrs Ryan passes on her wisdom to youngsters who wish to master the art of Irish dance.
She sees plenty of Victoria along the way, her preferred mode of transport the bus or train, giving her a birds-eye view of everyday life.
It gives her time to reflect on why she undertakes such an arduous schedule at a time of life when many others are taking a more leisurely approach.
“It (Irish dance) is something I am passionate about, passing on what I can to help the next generation of dancers,” she said.
This dedication to the cause has meant the Koroit Irish Festival Artist of the Year title will be the latest in a long line of awards for Mrs Ryan.
In 2013, she was presented with the Gradham award of distinction from the Irish Dance Commission at the annual Irish dance world championships in Boston.
She was also the first person outside of Ireland and England to gain registration with the Irish Dance Commission.
Koroit Irish Festival president Chris Evans said Mrs Ryan’s work and her band of dancers continued to make a huge contribution to the annual event.
"The Irish dancing is such a big part of the Koroit Irish Festival," Mr Evans said.
"Geraldine does a magnificent job and we are just thrilled to be able to honour these dancers and say thank-you for their efforts.
“The colour and movement the dancing brings to the festival is incredible, it lights up the Koroit main street, people just love it.
“The gates of the festival on the Saturday open at 9am and you know the people that come in early are just waiting for the dancing to start in the street.
“It is a signal that the festival is up and going when you see the dancers out in front of Bill McNally’s old Koroit Motor Garage kicking up their heels.
“We are so lucky to have Geraldine and her dancers.”
Mr Evans said the decision to make the dancers artist of the year was an easy one for the festival committee.
The 2017 event is the festival’s 21st birthday and a coming of age for the volunteer community-run outing.
One of the constants of the festival since it was first held in 1997 is Mrs Ryan and her dancers.
Mrs Ryan said she remembers the group’s appearance at the very first festival.
“The festival was in High Street back then,” Mrs Ryan said.
“It is great to know we were a part of an event like this from the very start.”
The Koroit Irish Festival Artist of the Year title will be presented at 3.30pm on Saturday, April 29 in front of what is expected to be a full house at the Koroit Theatre.