Each year, the Celtic Gold Irish Dance Academy of Garden Grove, California honors founder Doireann's father, Maitiu O'Maoileidigh, with a fantastic summer feis. O'Maoileidigh started one of the top Irish dancing schools in Ireland, Inis Ealga, more than fifty years ago. O'Maoileidigh and Marie Duffy (renowned choreographer for Lord of the Dance) traveled to the U.S., Canada and Australia in the style of the old Dance Masters, where Irish dance instruction has grown by leaps and bounds and reels and jigs to its placed today as one of the most athletic and elegant dance forms of all time.

Here are some of the results from the 2011 Maitiu O'Maoileidigh Summer Feis:

First Feis - Prince Special - 1st place Matthew Walker from Kelly School and 2nd place Nicholas Neoman from Celtic Gold

First Feis - Princess Special - 1st place Janie Retzlaff from Celtic Gold, 2nd placeTIE between Livi Marks from McCartan and Ava Seifert from Celtic Gold.

Beginners Results under 6:
1st Reel and Tie 1st Slip Jig, 3rd Light Jig - Janie Retzlaff from Celtic Gold
2nd Light Jig, 2nd Reel - Madeline Steinbach from Lyons
1st Light Jig, Tie 1st Slip Jig, 3rd Reel - Livi Marks from McCartan
4th Reel - Erin Weir from Celtic Gold
4th Light Jig - Clara Horeczcko from Celtic Gold

Preliminary Championships:
u9: Isabel Taulli (Kelly School)
u10: MacKenzie Moore-Kosslow (Bracken School)
u11: Megan Saenz (Butler-Fearon-O'Connor)
u12: Julianna Kolk (Butler-Fearon-O'Connor)
u13: Shaelyn Ellershaw (Tir Conaill Academy of Irish Dance)
u14: Amy Green (O'Shea Irish Dance)
u15: Lauren Waldman (O'Connor School of Irish Dance)
u16: Dominique Bear (Rose-Ritchie Academy of Irish Dance
u17: Kaitlyn Amodeo (Claddagh Western U.S.)
17&O: Katelyn Gonzalez (Celtic Gold Academy)

Open Championships:
u11: Chloe McGovern (Butler-Fearon-O'Connor)
u13: Allyson Talpash (Donna Means School)
u14: Carley Reger (Butler-Fearon-O'Connor)
u15: Sophie Beirne (Butler-Fearon-O'Connor)
u16: Becky Sanders (Painter-Larson Academy of Irish Dance)
u17: Hana Bellman (O'Farrell School)
u19: Tori Lopez (Comerford California)
19&O: Karissa Kelly (Celtic Gold Academy)

Next year's Maitiu O'Maoileidigh Summer Feis will be held on July 28-29, 2012. For more details, visit Celtic Gold Academy.

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