Manx dancers, both adult and the very young, made sure that the island’s culture and music was well represented at a festival of music and dance over the weekend.

More than 35 dancers from the Skeddan Jiarg dance group made the trip to Newquay, in Cornwall, for the annual Lowender Peran Celtic Festival of Music and Dance, to take part in showcase performances, hold workshops and host family ceilis.

They were accompanied by more than 13 top, Manx musicians who performed for the troupe, and also held music sessions for the crowds of fellow players, dancers and enthusiasts of Gaelic culture.

The large contingent, and the confident manner in which the dancers, especially the younger ones, held themselves, made a huge impression on the crowd, and their confidentperformances in front of large crowds brought huge cheers.

The Skeddan Jiarg group, a relatively young dance group, having only been formed three years ago by Manx dancer Gráinne Joughin, featured 20 very young performers, all aged under 10 years old, with the youngest, Willow Kelly, being just 3.

The youngsters performed classic folk dances, such as ’ Cyndaa yn Bwoaille’, the Melliah and ’Hop Tu Naa’. Six of them also performed the classic White Boys dance, featuring clashing swords and some intricate moves.

They were complimented by a troupe of 15 adult dancers.

The whole group took part in a huge dance spectacular on Friday night, and performed an hour-long routine on Saturday afternoon. After both displays, the crowd was invited to take part in Manx ceilis, with Gráinne calling the dance steps.

A supergroup, featuring Katie Lawrence, David Kilgallon, Jamie Smith and more finished the festival off in style with a three hour ceili .

Festival organiser Peggy Morris was delighted with the Manx contribution to the festival, and said it was great to see children taking part in festivals .

’It’s lovely to have such small children coming along, and becoming the next generation of dancers’ she said.

’Gráinne came to the festival as a child herself to dance, and it is amazing that now she is training and bringing along a whole new crowd of young dancers.

’It think it is amazing to see such a big Manx contingent here. My daughter met a visiting Manx group in Inverness at a festival, in 1985, and they have been friends ever since. That says a lot about our links with each other and our friendships, which are a very special thing, that you make at festivals such as these.’