LOUGH DERG will be the setting for the Irish premiere of a spectacular event later this month when waterskiers and wakeboarders from across the country take part in a choreographed water dance on the lake.
The performance is one of the highlights of the 12th Terryglass Arts Festival, which takes place in Tipperary from August 18th-22nd. Unique to this year’s festival is the water dance, commissioned in association with Waterways Ireland.
Wakeboarding was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques.
Curated by Grant McLay from Rex Levitates Dance Company, the performance will feature waterskiers and wakeboarders from North and South who will perform the water dance on Lough Derg on Sunday, August 22nd.
Headline acts for the festival include Rebecca Storm, who performs on Friday, August 20th, and French acoustic singing troupe Txutxukan, the main attraction on Saturday and Sunday.
Speaking at the launch of the festival yesterday, festival chairwoman Valerie Cotter said the organising committee took pride in seeing the population of Terryglass swell by more than four times during the festival.
She paid tribute to the internationally acclaimed painter and former committee member Jenny Boelens, who died earlier this year.
“All of us involved with Terryglass Arts Festival miss Jenny very much and are delighted to be able to honour her memory with a retrospective exhibition of her painting. We specially thank Jenny’s husband, Jeremy, and her great friend, Wendy Shea, for organising the exhibition.”
The brainchild of local postman Oliver Darcy and North Tipperary County Council arts officer Melanie Scott, the festival is organised by a 15-member committee.
An online booking system was introduced this year, and bookings for all events can be made by logging on to www.terryglassartsfestival.ie.
Details are also available on www.facebook.com/terryglassartsfestival