Trading steps in kitchens, playing the bouzouki, teaching dancers to listen. Organically appropriating percussive dance steps from all traditions to the music of the imminent bowed-string revolution.
Music
fiddle tunes, Teddy Thompson, Gillian Welch, Ian Carr & Karen Tweed, Swåp, Eliza Carthy, Solas, Mark Kozelek, Sigur Rós, Iron & Wine, The National, Ribbons of Song, Joel Lane, Copeland, Samamidon, Owen Pallett, Doveman, Martin Hayes, Chris Wood & the English Acoustic Collective, Bruce Molsky, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Bob Carlin, Tim Eriksen, Genticorum, Nic Jones, Owen, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Anathallo, Chris Thile, Wolf Parade, Death Cab for Cutie, Hellogoodbye, Patty Larkin, Ida, Bon Iver, Aaron Jones, John McCusker.
Movies
Imaginary Heroes, A Love Song for Bobby Long, Winter Passing, Crash, Babel, Shortbus, Transamerica, Running with Scissors, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Motorcycle Diaries, Notes on a Scandel, The Hours, Cold Mountain, Closer.
Television
Books
Anything by David Sedaris, Jonathan Safran Foer or Franz Boas.
About me: A native of the state of Michigan, Nic Gareiss' dancing incorporates footwork vocabulary from many step dance styles to rhythmically accompany traditional music. Nic has studied a broad variety of percussive movement forms, focusing primarily on the dance traditions associated with North American fiddle tunes. In his teens, Gareiss received dual scholarships from the Wheatland Music Organization and the Augusta Heritage Center to apprentice with the internationally recognized company, Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble. Through high school, Gareiss performed with Footworks, including an ensemble role in "The Crossing," their production with Grammy-winning songwriter Tim O'Brien. During that period, at the tender age of sixteen, he took second place at the 2003 Clifftop Flat-footing contest in the 15-49 age group.
From his wide berth of traditional dance experience, Nic has gleaned figurations, motives and shoe sounds from percussive dance traditions worldwide. This becomes most evident when he is performing with a live musician, engaging in a musical dialogue between feet and instrument. Using imitation, ornaments and contrasting rhythmic patterns, Gareiss really is creating music on the floor.
Currently, Gareiss works with the David Munnelly band from Mayo, Ireland. With Munnelly, Nic integrates Irish dance traditions with American tap, exploring the reaction of Irish immigrants to the infectious spirit of jazz they encountered in the 1920s as they settled in the United States. Nic has danced at the Milwaukee Irish Festival, Virginia's Wolf Trap Farm Park, the Ann Arbor Ark, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and most recently at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. He has performed as a featured soloist with Solas, Dervish, Le Vent Du Nord and the Chieftains and has also taught at Alasdair Fraser's Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle Camp in northern California.
In 2007, Nic spent a year studying traditional Irish music and dance performance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in Limerick, Ireland. During that period he studied sean-nós and Cape Breton step dance with Mats Melin as well as Irish dancing and choreography with Orflaif Ni Bhriain, T.C.R.G, A.D.C.R.G. He also had the opportunity to take master classes and workshops from contemporary Irish dancer Colin Dunne, tap dancer Tarik Winston and sean-nós dancer Joe Néachtain. Nic is currently finishing his undergraduate work in music and anthropolgy at Central Michigan University.
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"Mesmerizing... a whirling dervish in tap shoes." - Bay City Times, 2002 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nic Gareiss, lit fire to the stage with his air born feats..." - Country Standard Time, Review of Winfield Walnut Valley Festival, 2006
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"The loudest applause came for band member Nic Gareiss. The program credited his instrument as 'feet' because he danced and stomped and tapped around the stage for about a third of the show." - Scotty Why, Review of Millenium Stage Concert, 2006
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"An absolutely inspirational dancer!" - Aladsair Fraser, Scottish Fiddler, 2007
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"One of the best dancers I have seen in the US… pure talent with explosion of joy!!" - Benoit Bourque, Quebecois Step-dancer, 2007
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"Bhí fear amháin ag rince a bhain macallaí as an úrlár."
- Mícheál de Mórdha, Chair, Blasket Island Commemoration, Dunquin, Ireland, 2007
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Who I'd like to meet: Anybody that studied ethnomusicology at Indiana University. Bruce Sagan, somebody who can teach me how to play clawhammer banjo, Owen Pallett, John Sikorski, Dominic Desrochers, Ian Carr.
You disappeared into thin air! (almost as magically as you appeared). Great to hear you made it to Embarcadero station... I'm SO looking forward to dancing with you at VOM! Gros bisous, Baa Baa Raa
Dear Nic! TY for allowing me the honor of the add. I just got back from Ireland, but didn't see any of the Munnelly band. Hope you get back here to Tucson and keep making music with those feet! Slainte! Maggie! O'Neill Singer/Promoter/Nic Gareiss Fan
I was just wondering if you happen to have a current e-mail address or phone number for Budd/Becki? I've been trying to get ahold of Budd, but haven't been able to.
you're going to shasta? ok let's talk. call me... why are you going to fiddle tunes on friday? isn't it all week this week? if you're driving down to shasta wanna pick me up? i'm still slightly on the fence but have been planning on going till some craziness happened this week... but you could sway me ;-).
portland oregon my darling. where are you? when will i see you? i'll be at swannanoa and ashokan (probably) and the southern girls rock n roll camp in memphis this summer!! gotta get our shizzle together for celtic connections... or maybe not meant to be. argh. love you and your dancing. must spend some time together soon. ps are you doing footworks anniversary show next march??? xoxoxo k
