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Irish dance is no longer just for the Irish anymore - PHOTOS

Meet the new breed of international and multi-ethnic dancers

AOIFE FINNERAN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 7:23 AM

Updated Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 7:28 PM

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Anna Lazzaro and Kaitlyn Sardin from Watters school in Orlando Florida

Photo by Aoife Finneran

PHOTOS - Irish Dance World Championships photo gallery - Day 3

They are among the elite of the world’s budding Irish dancers, but there’s nothing Irish about these talented youngsters. Meet Kaitlyn Sardin, Mandi Nishimori and Kristyna Pruzinova, a new breed of Irish dancer who have no connection to the Emerald Isle.

They are among a growing number of foreign participants who have been lured into the phenomenon of Irish dance thanks to the international success of shows like Riverdance.

13-year-old Kaitlyn Sardin’s roots don’t even have a hint of green, but it didn’t stop her becoming utterly enchanted by Irish dance.

She told the Irish Voice: “When I was little I saw Riverdance and then when I saw an ad for the Watters school of Dance in the newspaper I decided to start classes. I’ve no Irish roots. My mum is from Georgia and my dad is from Chicago with African and Asian roots”.

Kaitlyn, from Orlando, Florida, has been a member of the Watters School of Dance since the age of six.

Her dedication to her art has definitely paid off as she took to the stage today in the Girls 13 – 14 category of the World Irish Dance Championships in City West.

However, she modestly insisted: “I’m not expecting anything, I’m just enjoying myself. Tomorrow I plan to go to the city to see a little bit of Dublin”.

The Girls 13 – 14 competition also featured a flavour of Japan courtesy of Mandi Nishimori. The 14-year-old is a member of the popular Claddagh School in Venturo, California and already has a title to her name as she was part of the figure choreography group which won the World Championships two years ago.

Her love of Irish dance is due in no small part to her teacher Maire O’Connell, originally from Salthill in Galway.

Maire explained: “I went to college in Galway and then moved out to California 30 years ago and set up a dance school. Now that I’m back home I’m getting to meet a lot of nieces and nephews this week which is great”.

She added: “I have five teams over here for the World Championships so it’s a busy week. Mandi is competing in the solo competition but she’s really into the group competitions and she was part of the figure choreography team which won the World Championship two years ago”.

According to Maire, Irish dancing has never been so popular, and students who don’t have Irish roots are increasingly drawn to it.

She revealed: “I have people from all backgrounds in my school, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican and Hawaiian, you name it. They just love Irish dancing. The oriental students in particular come for the discipline”.

Such is the popularity of Irish dance that countless schools have been set up across central and eastern Europe and throughout Russia. One of these is the Ronan Morgan school in Prague in the Czech Republic, where 13-year-old Kristyna Pruzinova learned her first dance moves.

She explained: “I don’t have any Irish connections but I think it’s a gorgeous dance, I just love it. I started dance school when I was seven years old. Her perseverance has been worth every long hour and blister, as she is now competing in her first World Championships in Dublin.

PHOTOS - Irish Dance World Championships photo gallery - Day 3

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mamaginnty | May 28, 2011, 10:38 AM EDT

Goergie.Goergie..Goergie, you really can't help it can you, every comment you make has to involve Foreigners. You'd like people to think you know Ireland so well. We irish are proud of our dance, language and music. Over here though our dancers do not wear wigs and wear the authentic irish dancing dress. The dresses above are nothing like them, to gawdy, but great that there is so much interest in our dancing.

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Irishphotograph | Apr 20, 2011, 04:44 PM EDT

From the most Irish man alive today a descendant of one of Ireland's greatest rebel leaders... Good stuff ladies!! Keep it up!

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haikued2 | Apr 19, 2011, 11:38 PM EDT

A bunch of petty comments by "authentics". Sad, they should be proud that the culture of their grandparents, apparently not them, fired up the world to emulate it as best they can. We have that here in America where the elites sneer at the "rednecks" without any knowledge of the contributions the people of the Appalachian mountains have made to the country...my mother was right: consider the source.

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haikued2 | Apr 19, 2011, 11:33 PM EDT

Siblings? hmmmmmm not very apparent.

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sirpeter | Apr 19, 2011, 09:58 PM EDT

I like the costumes. The wigs look a bit to phoney though.But then look at the head dress on the guards at Buckingham Palace and the wigs worn by british judges and Woundedbolix wares feathers on his head because he's one-thirtieth Cherokee,so he can say he's a true native and not an immigrant.

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Searlit | Apr 19, 2011, 08:42 PM EDT

Let the competitions be based on talent - not weird wigs and costumes.

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ellenfromcork | Apr 19, 2011, 07:12 PM EDT

Irish dancing has unfortunately become a outlet for the well off, no matter what nationality they are.Those ridiculous wigs and over the top costumes are very expensive. The cost makes it prohibitive for many lower and middle class families to join in. Let's get back to plain costumes and simple hair styles. Irish dancing should be about feet and legs and not hair and clothes.

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GeorgeDillon | Apr 19, 2011, 02:53 PM EDT

It's certainly great to see this. The sad thing is that many--probably most--Irish people sneer at Irish dancing, language and music. And the other sad thing is that despite the huge numbers of foreign migrants in Ireland, almost none of them have any interest in Irish language, dancing, history etc. I've heard it said that a lot of them think they're in England.

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bunkerhill | Apr 19, 2011, 02:36 PM EDT

Irish creativity in dancing along with their music is unbelievable. Is there anyone in the surrounding northern European countries who even comes close? I was brought up on American country western but I like Irish country so much better. Irish country sings about the beauty of their homeland and women while the American version seems to be mired in dispair. Although I must say that the old "country western" also sang about the "Red River Valley", "Mexicali Rose", "Home on the Range" and so on, very similar to the Irish songs. The present day country western seems to be more southern misery.

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morwaldm | Apr 19, 2011, 02:34 PM EDT

Gret to see this appriciation for Irish Dancing.g

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fuzzbutt | Apr 19, 2011, 01:21 PM EDT

As a retired dancer, I can't STAND THESE WIGS! let the kids have their natural hair for gods sake! But bravo for these dancers!

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PhlutiePhan | Apr 19, 2011, 12:42 PM EDT

This is a good thing. There is a statement about self discipline among asian students.

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joan1954 | Apr 19, 2011, 10:25 AM EDT

There is an Irish Dance School in Mexico City. Riverdance made things work for a lot of people.