Text and Photos by Gypsygal Nina

I love living in Europe. It’s such a cosmopolitan place and culture vultures like me can’t get enough of it.

While I do travel to many places in Europe (that will be the subject of my future posts), there are times that I just can’t get out of Cork. Heavy workload, visa problems, tight finances….I just can’t drop everything and fly to another country.

But…I found out that I need not go somewhere else to get some ahmmmm “multicultural” experience.

Damhsa – The Cork International Folk Dance Festival is held every year to brings in various groups from around the world to Cork, to entertain and introduce their cultures to the public. “Damhsa” is the old Irish word for “dance”. So the Damhsa fest is a celebration not only of Irish dance, but all types of dance.

I didn’t expect that I’ll have such a roll watching the Dahmsa performers. In fact I wasn’t too keen on going here. I am not an dancer (must be in my genes, none of my siblings can dance!). I only went here, because a friend of mine kept on egging me to go with her.

So I decided to give it a go. And I’m sure glad I did!

Shake your groove thing!: The British-Indian group Jugnu Bhangra was performing (what else?) the Bhangra - the Punjabi's traditional harvest dance.

Dancing is easy as 1-2-3: Punjabi dance and saris are as colorful as their culture

Cool Looks with Cool moves: Male Bhangra dancers wear brightly colored turbans and kurtas.

YEs, the Filipina can! : The Filipino-Irish dance group "Bulaklakan" is perhaps the only amateur dance group who participated in the festival. But the group proves the Pinoy's natural sense of rhythm can trump even those professionally choreographed dance moves!