A husband-wife duo taught hundreds about Gaelic music, dancing, and folklore at the Strathmore Medieval Faire & Artisan Market over the weekend.
Angus and Dolina are the stage names of Edam Dahmer and Dhanya Baird, a Calgary-based couple that has been touring the area showcasing Scottish song and dance for the last six years.
"We met each other in Edinburgh. We were doing PhDs and a part of student club where you learn all of this ceilidh dance, and it's just a huge community," said Baird. "We fell in love with it, and we love the feeling of community that dancing can bring. It joins together a group of strangers, and by the end, you feel like you knew these people."
The couple returned to Canada during the height of the pandemic, where they decided to start teaching ceilidh dance as it was "a niche to be filled" according to Dahmer.
"It's getting better known than it used to be. People were a bit apprehensive, so we could only get five or six people who wanted to dance, but now there's a dedicated cull who comes to see us specifically," added Dahmer. "This last one we had at least 50 people in the set, and that was wonderful to see."
The couple added that they hope to break people's apprehension by showing them the community and the accessibility of dancing, especially in a public setting.
"Dance is part of human nature. It should be accessible to as many people as possible. It's lovely bringing that confidence to people where they realize they can do the steps," said Baird.
Angus and Dolina's Gaelic dancing was just one of many attractions at this year's faire. Other events included an artisan market and medieval combat demonstrations.
