CAN it really be true? The Arts Council has appointed a dance officer. Six years after the departure of Martin Drury there is at last a person on whose shoulders the mantle of dance can permanently rest at Merrion Square Gaye Tanham, who has extensive dance and education experience, and who has been working with the Council as part time Dance Advisor since last year.

The increase in funding for dance noted above will make her job more worthwhile. However, the mantle of dance can rest on Tanham's shoulders only when she is not working as youth art officer for that is the second part of her brief a Mexican hat dance if ever there was one.