As an Irish American who had a very culturally rich childhood, I may be something of an anomaly in that I never once tried Irish step dancing. I never raised a foot to a jig or a reel, never donned a massive curly wig, never learned how to jump two feet in the air while keeping my arms perfectly still.

It's a Harry Potter alternative universe, the world of Irish competitive dancing. To the outsider it can look like a weird mash-up of Jon Benet Ramsey, Riverdance, and a particularly bad acid trip.

Box office numbers for the Irish dance documentary “Jig” were quite impressive this past weekend - the film grossed a total of over $70,000 in five cities across the United States. These great numbers have come as dancers across the US are gearing up for the North American Irish Dance Championships, which will be held from July 3rd - 7th in Nashville.