A Passion for Performing

Irish dance is a performance art. Yes, Irish dance could be considered a sport, as it certainly requires significant athletic ability. And yes, aspects of Irish dance could be considered a hobby, particularly the cultural interests which are an intrinsic part of Irish dance. But first and foremost, Irish dance is a performance art.

One of the most significant benefits that I see my daughter gaining from Irish dancing is the poised confidence that she is learning from various performance opportunities. I first noticed this quality when Katie began to compete at feiseanna. My normally shy child stepped onto the stage of her first feis at age 7 and stood in front of a judge with a smile that said, “I know how to do this – watch me, and you won’t be disappointed!” Her quiet yet confident body language spoke volumes, both while she was dancing and when she was waiting her turn in line.

Competing can be a lot of fun, and it is a great way to encourage the discipline required to develop advanced skills in Irish dance. But dancing for typically stoic judges at a competition is very different than dancing in a theater, or at a festival, or for a senior center, or in a parade. Performing for an audience at a show allows a dancer to hone the subtleties of stage presence. An eager audience fuels a dancer’s energy in a way that a judge keeping score cannot. What the dancer chooses to do with that energy is the essence of developing a performer’s stage presence.

Notice the slight “deer in headlights” look on Katie’s face in this picture taken at her first solo performance in April 2006.

The Teelin Irish Dance Company had a performance at an Arts Festival and needed a little more time between numbers that required shoe changes, so Katie was asked to join the performance. It had a different “feel” to it than dancing the same thing on a competition stage, and gave Katie a taste for performing that she now craves.

The Teelin Irish Dance Company is a “team” for which students of the Teelin School can audition to join. Katie auditioned last spring and was invited to participate for the 2006-07 school year. It has been a wonderful experience, and performing with the company is offering Katie a way to be a “team player” in a broader arena than competing on a figures team does. As mentioned earlier, it’s a different energy. (Director Maureen Berry is truly a gifted choreographer, and the larger venues that can accommodate more dancers on stage is where the Teelin choreography really shines!)

This past Saturday, March 17, was St. Patrick’s Day, notably the busiest time of the year for Irish dance performances. My workload as the school’s webmaster is about to explode because of the high volume of fantastic pictures from these various events. But before it does, proud Mommy that I am, I’ve chosen a few fun pictures that show the development of Katie’s passion for performing. Her comfort with a wide variety of performing opportunities continues to amaze me. So, if you’ll forgive the fact that this blog is turning into more of a photo album than a written journal of late, here are the photo chronicles of a young girl who loves to dance… anytime, anywhere!

August 2006, performance at the Teelin Open House:


September 2006, performance at an outdoor Renaissance Festival with ZandB’s daughter:

(There’s a video clip of this performance, too!)


October 2006, Teelin Irish Dance Company performance at the Notre Dame-Navy Pep Rally held at Oriole Park in Camden Yards:


December 2006, performance at a Maggie Sansone Christmas Concert held at the Cellar Stage in Baltimore:


February 2007, Teelin Irish Dance Company performance at Glenelg Country School:


March 10, 2007, Teelin Irish Dance Company in Portraits of Ireland:






March 11, 2007, the Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade:


March 16, 2007, Teelin Irish Dance Company performance at Congressional Country Club:


March 17, 2007, Teelin Irish Dance Company at a senior center:


March 17, 2007, Teelin Irish Dance Company at a church parish's St. Patrick’s Day party:


And a March 18, 2007, performance at a Sunday afternoon Maggie Sansone concert:

(Um, ignore the “other dancer” for now… more about that story another time…)

Yep, I love this world of Irish dance and what it has to offer my daughter and our family!