Bringing The City To Life

Blog Assignment #3

The Talk of the Town: Dublin

Anna Collins

            Take a stroll through downtown Dublin, right through city center. As you walk you may notice the typical hustle and bustle of shop workers, tourist and evening strollers.  Busses screech in, and taxis race to varying destinations. These are all passer byes, en route to accomplish various tasks for the day.

            As you make your way along the winding streets there are a few that standout for not flowing with the currents of the crowd. They are even able to convince those around them to take a second and pause. People are drawn in for various reasons. The first ones may hear a note or two that their ear is fond of, or perhaps they recognize the lyrics from a song. Once a handful of individuals gather, the simple curiosity of the human mind starts to take effect. The interesting thing is that nothing may even be happening yet, but the simple excitement of what’s to come is enough to hold the crowd in place.

These are the street performers of Dublin. Singing, dancing, becoming temporary statues…all have been acts I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in my journey through the streets. Each of the performers seems to add a piece of themselves to Dublin. They bring the city to life so to speak. It’s a piece of the city that completely fascinates me. One evening in particular, as a group of us were making our way to the bus stop savoring our recent purchase of Gino’s Gelato, there was an especially talented group of teenagers singing and playing some music. By the time we walked up, a crowd had already surrounded them. One man was skipping and dancing around with such a free and light way about him. The group consisted of two guys-one on a beat box, the other singing and on the guitar, along with a female vocalist. The passion for music and joy of performing was written all over their faces. It made the crowd around them electric. Before you knew it the entire lot of us were joining in some way-be it swaying, clapping or humming along. Somehow, these three teenagers and their music had brought together at least fifty strangers for a few songs.

Then there were the dancers. It was about midday when we stumbled upon this group. It was their high energy level that demanded the attention of anyone in the general vicinity. Don’t get me wrong the dancing was good enough, but the twist they brought with them was the factor that held the audience around. Mocking the iconic titanic image and engaging those along the front row gave the street a giddy, daring feel.

It is very rare I suppose that we witness people with such a zest for life and passion for what they’re doing in this era. We get occupied with technology, meetings, and other serious matters. The performers I’ve witnessed here are a bold reminder that having a passion for whatever you’re doing is such a vital part to genuine happiness. Further more, sharing this elation with others provides everyone with the chance to make a positive impact on the world around them.

                                   Dancers providing a dramatic reenactment