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Immigration a winning theme for Claddagh

Hard work pays off for California/Utah team

MEGHAN SWEENEY

IrishCentral.Com Staff Writer

Published Thursday, April 9, 2009, 5:05 PM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:46 PM

2009 World Irish Dancing Champions - first place in Girls Minor Figure Dancing Group. - Claddagh Dancing Company from California and Utah.

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Immigration was the winning theme for the Claddagh Dance Company.

They won the Girls Minor Figure Dancing Under 13 category with a choreography dance entitled, “Immigration.”

The dance’s movements represented Irish immigrants who came to America, and their emotion of having to leave everyone behind at home.

The Claddagh Dance Company has nine branches throughout California and Utah, and the 16 girls on the figure dancing team represent five of the different locations. They come from Ventura, Orange County and as far out as Sacramento.

So just how did director of the Claddagh Company, Máire O’Connell, bring these girls together to become World Champions?
“With lots of advanced notice,” she told IrishCentral.com. “They come to Venture for weekends and they stay with the local families. It really does make for good camaraderie.”

One of the Irish dancers, Amanda Noel, agrees. Amanda is from Lake Forest, California and travels to Ventura to meet with her team for practice. “That’s a two-hour drive, but we drive with all our friends, so it’s fun.”
What’s ironic about the Claddagh figure dancing team’s massive win is that the girls were not sure they were even attending the Worlds this year.

The team, which has been together for over a year, was entered into the Western U.S. regional championships last November in Phoenix, Arizona.

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