About

Keepers of the Steps is a special cultural program of the United Irish Cultural Center of San Francisco that manages, curates, and promotes local Irish step dance history and stories, memorabilia, and ephemera. Committed to exploring the history of Irish step dance in the San Francisco Bay Area dating as far back as the Gold Rush in the 1850s, the collection celebrates the roots, rhythms, and rituals of one of the most enduring traditions of our Irish heritage.

History

What started as a grass-roots cultural programming plan conceived of by Anne Cassidy Carew to create an historical exhibition has grown into important documentary and preservation work. According to program director Eileen Mize, herself a proud alumnus of the area’s McBride School of Irish Dance, there is a sense of urgency in collecting stories. “Since Irish step dancing is largely an oral tradition passed on from one generation to the next, it is critical to capture these stories from first-hand sources while these individuals are still able to share. In addition, we want people to know that the UICC is a repository for the old pieces of dance related ephemera that may be collecting dust in the back of the garage—not just the dresses, but the feis programs and news clippings, medals and brooches—these objects illustrate these stories and serve as real glimpses into days gone by—we are connected by these shared experiences.”