THE five pieces in last night's Dance Fest 97 programme may be marked Spain 2..... Ireland 1 in terms of the choreographers involved, but when it comes to quality the winner was definitely Ireland for originality, wit, style and professionalism.

In addition to Alexandra Diana's revue-style solo Hello, It's Me, reviewed last year, the Spanish team fielded four competent dancers, handicapped in both pieces by unflattering costumes. Mariam Ribon's Dance The Devil Away succeeded only in the middle section, while Alexandra Diana's Bachiana lacked the flare required for a deconstruction of classical ballet, and could not survive a costume mishap which caused the loss of a whole section.

Diana Richardson's group Tapestry, however, were delightful, both in the revamped and extended Tempomental, which ended with the cast blowing out their lighting, and in Queenie Eye-O, a hymn to childhood games in tap, with hopscotch, leap frog and nursery and skipping rhymes included, to say nothing of an enchanting tap-dancing puppet.