Robert Baruc, President of Screen Media Films, announced today that Screen Media has acquired North American rights for Sue Bourne’s “Jig.” Given access for the very first time to the little known world of competitive Irish Dancing, “Jig” is the remarkable stories of nine dancers, following them as they prepare to compete in the Irish Dancing World Championships.
In the fifteen years since “Riverdance,” followed by “Lord of the Dance” introduced millions of North American fans to Irish Dance, there has never been a film that takes the viewer behind the scenes to see the dedication, passion and sacrifice that dancers and their families make to pursue their dream of the dance. “Jig” is an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at this world of hard work, obsession and astonishing talents, pushed to their limits in the quest for perfection.
Six thousand dancers, their families and teachers descend upon Glasgow for one drama filled week of dancing at the Irish Dancing World Championships. Clad in wigs; make up, fake tans, diamantes and dresses costing thousands of dollars, they compete for the coveted world titles. Filmmaker Sue Bourne went behind the normally closed doors of Irish Dancing and found a remarkable world filled with wonderful characters of all ages from around the globe, choosing to follow dancers from Ireland, Holland, Great Britain, America and Russia over a year of incredibly hard work to prepare for just a few tense minutes on stage.
Screen Media will release the film theatrically in select cities on June 17, 2011.