edwinia guckian &
the gralton big band
The Gralton Big Band grew out of The Devils in the Dancehall – a touring dance and music project that re-animated Ireland’s old ballrooms and brought communities back onto their own floors.
The band is a collective of traditional and jazz musicians featuring Stephen Doherty, David Doocey, Cathy Jordan, Ryan Molloy, Jim Higgins, Ben Castle, Matthew Berril, Brona Graham, Conor Caldwell and dancer Edwina Guckian.
Drawing inspiration from the sounds of the Roaring twenties, dance bands of the 1930s and ’40s, dance halls, rural kitchens and rural crossroads dances, the Gralton Big Band reimagines what a dance band can be today.
The band is named after Jimmy Gralton, a man who had a famous dance hall in Leitrim but was condemned by the state and church and the only Irish man ever to be deported from the free state because of it. The Gralton Big Band carries the spirit of Gralton’s Hall and the radical joy of collective movement, music, dance, community and freedom.
Dancer Edwina Guckian hails from outside the village of Drumsna in Co. Leitrim. Coming from a family steeped in the tradition of music and dance, her style is greatly influenced by the style of local music she grew up with across Leitrim and Roscommon.
Having started teaching dancing at the age of 16, Edwina has now taught her steps and shared the stage with some of Ireland’s most influential acts. She set up Áirc Damhsa Culture Club for youths in her area to have a space to be immersed in traditions and cultures from home and all across the world in a fun and non – competitive environment. Now in its 20th year, the club has over 500 members in 9 counties.
In 2017 Edwina was awarded the Arts Council of Ireland Next Generation Bursary to support her work on redeveloping the connection between music and movement, musician and dancer.
Edwina is the artistic director of Leitrim Dance Project annually hosting events in the county such as Leitrim Dance Festival and the Effrinagh Crossroads Dance.
In April 2022, Edwina was awarded the Gradam Comaoine TG4 for her outstanding contribution to culture while in 2023 she was awarded the Markievicz Award by the Department of An Taoiseach. At the same time he was awarded the Arts Council YPCE Artist in Residency at St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra.
In February 2024 she launched her first book for children called Sparks in the Flagstones – a treasury of Irish Calendar Customs & Folk Traditions. In May 2024 Edwina launched an independent publishing house; a sister project to her film production company at Dreoilín Productions. Publishing books by local artists that celebrate culture, heritage, folklore, nature and community, with all income from sales going directly to the artist.