The leprechaun is here, and there is no busier time for an Irish dancer than St. Patrick’s Day. My daughter and her school are hired to dance in pubs around Fairfield County to bring smiles and Irish pride to everyone who’s Irish or Irish for the day!
People don’t understand the hard work and dedication it takes to be an Irish dancer.
It is grueling and tedious work, and they are in the dance studio for hours at a time, multiple times a week, for lessons that translate into competitions (or Feis in Gaelic) on most weekends. These competitions are not for the faint of heart. Walking into one is like Toddlers & Tiaras and Dance Moms x10! It’s whose hair is big enough and whose routine is as close to perfect as possible. You get to witness intense perseverance in all stages. It is amazing to see.
Each time they dance for a judge, it truly prepares them for the future. They will continue to be judged throughout life – at school, work, other sports, and even by family and friends. This experience will give my daughter and her fellow Irish dancers a unique perspective of what resilience looks like.
Grace, not perfection.
While most Irish dancers strive for the perfect routine, perfection is nearly impossible. So they fly and spin around the stage with immense grace, wowing the spectators and, hopefully, the judges.
Our Irish dance family has truly become some of our closest friends. While we compete against each other on the stage, off of it, we care for each other immensely. We support one another and always have each other’s backs. We embody the luck of the Irish because we are so lucky to have each other.
