The Leprechaun’s Dance blends several distinct musical styles: Irish, bluegrass, ragtime, a touch of jazz, and a bit of “oompah-oompah” folksy rhythm. This mixture results in a short piano piece, which frankly, is as waggish and mischievous as it sounds.

The opening portion of the piece (first page and a half) was written about a year ago while exploring bluegrass music. It demanded a full afternoon of me, yet I was not sure what to do with it. I resolved to relegate it to my drawer in the hopes of future, meaningful use. In early June, (just a few weeks ago!) I took a second gander and discovered that it would flow well with a second, contrasting theme: a ragtime. From that moment on, it was just a matter of hours before I completed this piece.

Once finished, I titled it A Country Dance, and sent it to Kate (Kateřina Dvorská) in Prague, to learn her thoughts. She liked it, expressing how it reminds her of a “Leprechaun’s Dance.” Hence, the current title and the dedication of this work is to Kate.