Hammerstep after their audition on "America's Got Talent"
Ring in the New Year by reviewing the most popular Irish dance videos posted to YouTube in the last 12 months.
As I’ve done in years past, I built this year’s list by searching “Irish dance” and “Irish dancing” on YouTube, filtering results to include only those videos uploaded in 2013. From there, I sorted the results based on view count.
When it comes to getting pageviews on Irish dance videos, innovation is key. Over the past few years, the fusion of Irish step and popular dance music has captured the attention of Irish dancers and others. This trend of meshing old and new is as strong as ever.
Though many Irish dance videos have amassed thousands of views, the top 10 or so videos on the list are clear winners, some having been watched hundreds of thousands of times.
Without further ado, here are the top 13 Irish dance videos posted to YouTube in 2013, beginning with the winner:
1. Hammerstep’s “America’s Got Talent” audition
475,149 views
Hammerstep’s been going strong for a few years now. The dance crew, co-founded by two-time world Irish dance champion Garrett Coleman and former Riverdance lead dancer Jason Oremus, has performed around the world, everywhere from rural Africa to Lincoln Center in Manhattan.
Coleman and Oremus were joined on the AGT stage by Meghan Lucey, Nicole Zepcevski, Jonathon Srour, Kamaal Davis and Ronald Simmons. Together, the crew wowed the judges, including radio shock jock Howard Stern, who told the crew, "Your skill level is so high that you're impossible to ignore.”
Stern’s right. Hammerstep cannot and will not be ignored as they sit comfortably at the tippy-top of this year’s list. Congrats, Hammerstep!
2. “Take the Floor” flash mob in Dublin Airport
189,500 views
3. Dancing and trad session on train from Dublin to Galway
Artwork for Christy Dorrity's debut fiction novel “Awakening”
The experiences and emotions of main character McKayla, a teenager navigating everything from dating to family tragedy, are universally understood -- regardless of whether the reader knows how to properly tie ghillie laces.
While settings (feiseanna held in school gymnasiums, dance studios) and subjects (hornpipes, solo dresses) are typically reserved for conversation among those close to the step dancing scene, Dorrity has a way of briefly explaining it all to readers from outside the Irish dance community through the eyes of McKayla, who, herself, is completely new to Irish dance and learning all the lingo along the way.
At it’s core, “Awakening” is a coming-of-age story about a teen who, like other adolescents, is finding herself -- it just so happens that her journey to self-identify is complicated by the fact that she’s an atypical girl with special, mystical abilities.
It isn’t until her Aunt Avril suddenly appears in town that McKayla begins to recognize her powers -- which, she learns, run in the family -- or how to harness them. Avril, a psychic employed by the FBI, coaches her niece, helping her to channel her own special powers while investigating a series of mysterious murders in their small Wyoming community.
Though she strength in her newly discovered abilities, McKayla struggles in other ways: The mean girl at school tries to make her life a living hell, the cute boy in class breaks her heart and embarrasses her, and there’s a hellish shape-shifting creature out to kill her and her loved ones.
Through all the rough spots, McKayla falls back on the support of close friends, family and the mute janitor who reluctantly agrees to teach her how to Irish dance. That same dancing janitor ends up saving McKayla’s little sister’s life at one point.
The relationship between McKayla and Irish dance is one that any Irish dancer will recognize and appreciate instantly. Author Dorrity, an adult Irish dancer, keenly understands the kinds of thoughts that rush through any Irish dancer’s mind when his or her favorite hornpipe plays, or when beats of a treble jig perfectly mesh with the music.
“Awakening,” inspired by Celtic mythology, is a rich read geared toward a young adult audience. The first in what will be a series, “Awakening” packages lighter themes like puppy love and popularity with heavier subject matter such as death and devastation. Every plot twist and detail holds meaning, demanding the reader’s full attention -- but it’s not a difficult task to remain attentive as Dorrity’s writing is both breezy and engaging.
TapTronic getting down in the NYC Subway (Photo: Brian Doherty)
TapTronic, a group of Irish dancers known for choreographing steps to electronic tracks, released another video last week – this time setting up on (and under) the streets of New York City.
In the new video, the Irish dancing men of TapTronic – Ciaran Plummer, Zach Klingenberg and recent recruit Colin Fleck
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are joined by the Marrow Dance troupe, a California-based company, for the first third of the video. The three men of TapTronic remain seated as female dancers in whimsical white dresses perform a sorrowful choreographed number.
“The haunting vocals at the start of the start of the song immediately captured our attention but had us wondering whether or not to even dance until the ‘drop’ in the track,” Klingenberg and Plummer wrote in an email. “With that, we knew that something needed to be done with the chilling introduction to the track which led us to contact our long time, very talented friend and choreographer Jason Gorman.”
The decision to shoot against the vibrant background of New York City’s bright lights
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a stark contrast to the dark studio footage featuring Marrow Dance
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wasn’t entirely intentional, but it works.
“Looking at it now, perhaps the contrast between the black and white intro and the flood of color throughout the NYC footage is one of the major things that allowed this piece to work so well,” the TapTronic men added.
Hammerstep tears up the "America's Got Talent" stage.
Fans of NBC's "America's Got Talent" got an eyeful of jaw-dropping choreography when Hammerstep -- a group of dancers that meshes Irish dance and hip-hop -- emerged on the televised national talent show June 25. Even a panel of celebrity judges couldn't help but be blown away by the level of talent possessed by these dancers.
"Your skill level is so high that you're impossible to ignore," "AGT" judge and painfully blunt radio host Howard Stern said of the dance crew.
Hammerstep co-founder Jason Oremus was tight-lipped about the group's status on the show during a Skype interview earlier this month, but he was willing to share some of his own insights and personal experiences from the audition round.
"The reaction couldn’t have been better," Oremus said, referring to the judges' initial reactions to the dancers appearing on stage donning black sweatsuits and gas masks. "The fact that there were confused initially -- there were furrowed brows, confused looks on peoples' faces -- we liked that. We wanted that."
"We didn’t want to come off as this all-pleasing, all-encompassing, generic style of dance. That wouldn't be controversial enough for what we are trying to do. We wanted to be hard-hitting and edgier," said Oremus, adding that Hammerstep aims to blur gender and cultural lines, break down barriers among different dance forms and make a strong statement about current social trends. "We are somewhat androgynous, somewhat anonymous, but, at the same time, completely unified."
After Hammerstep's performance, the dancers were showered with a slew of kudos from the judges' tables, including four unanimous "yes" votes and Stern's surprising words of praise, pushing Hammerstep on to the show's next round in Las Vegas.
"We were a little concerned about Howard Stern because he doesn’t always love dance," Oremus admitted.
Although pleased with the judges' and audience's reaction to the performance, which Oremus and Hammerstep co-founder Garrett Coleman choreographed, the crew does want to push percussive dance boundaries much further.
"We want to rip it harder. Even that was too docile," Oremus said with an enthusiastic tone that would lead one to believe Hammerstep will continue dishing out unprecedented, awe-inspiring choreographic creations.
And while there's been no official statement from "America's Got Talent" about Hammerstep's unannounced exclusion from the television show, the figurative show will go on for Oremus and his cohorts.
"We really want to get the full-scale touring show going, and we’re getting closer to realizing that goal rather than it being a bit of a distant dream," Oremus said, adding that he's looking to assemble a team willing to work on that project, and interested parties should contact him. Get in touch with Hammerstep on Facebook or through the group's official website.
Ciaran Plummer and Zach Klingenberg, the men of TapTronic, rehearse in
the dance studio. Photo by Brian Doherty Photography.
The men of TapTronic stomped onto the Internet scene about a year ago, and the fast-footed duo shows no signs of stopping the stepping.
Since posting viral video "Crave You" to YouTube in April 2012, Irish dancers Ciaran Plummer and Zach Klingenberg toured the world with "Lord of the Dance" and managed to choreograph and shoot two more high-quality music videos featuring percussive dancing to the sounds of electronic tracks -- all while living on the road.
The latest remix music video, "Hold Your Breath," shows the guys' evolution of style and showmanship. There's a noticeable focus on hip-hop, and the addition of world-class Irish dancer Colin Fleck contributes to TapTronic's evolving identity.
"It’s still a fusion of Irish dance and electronic music, but we’re trying to see how we can get involved in other styles of music," Klingenberg said during a recent interview by Skype. "For me, it's cool to start to bridge the gap to move into hip-hop."
Plummer said the transition into different musical genres isn't one that will be abrupt, so fans of their electronic remixes need not fret.
"We wouldn’t go from electronic to old shcool rock-and-roll. It would evolve, but it wouldn’t jump," Plummer said. "Next video you’ll see it evolve even more as we keep trying to grow."
Adding another dancer to the mix for "Hold Your Breath" presented a new, exciting and necessary challenge for TapTronic.
Klingenberg trained with Fleck, the third dancer to appear in "Hold Your Breath," as a kid. Then they toured together with Plummer for "Lord of the Dance."
"He’s going to be pretty regular," Plummer said of Fleck. "From the beginning, as soon as we wanted to expand, he was on the top of our list."
The TapTronic founders do admit that they've had a formula and purpose all along, but they're pretty allusive when it comes to revealing details. They won't fully disclose the "grand plan," but they do admit to seeing TapTronic expand, and eventually, they'll need a more dancers on board to accomplish the goals they've set. Plummer and Klingenberg said that they plan to continue bringing other dancers into the mix, building what will likely become a TapTronic troupe.
Aside from the promise of growing the group to include more dancers, the guys also announced that they were invited to dance at the North American National Irish Dance Championships next week in Anaheim, Calif -- much to the delight of many dancers, undoubtedly.
With three Internet hits, TapTronic has a solid track record of giving their audience members -- many of whom are young female Irish dancers -- what they want. They guys have been so well received, in fact, that Klingenberg was named Irish Dancing Magazine's Man of the Year for 2012 -- a title annually bestowed upon one young man in the Irish dance world.
"It went right to his head," Plummer joked.
"It’s been pretty tough being this ridiculously good looking," Klingenberg retorted, laughing.
For more information about what's in store for TapTronic, visit the official TapTronic Facebook page.
Mollie McCabe, of Buffalo, N.Y., Irish step dances along the shores
of Lake Erie in her "Heartbeat of Home" audition video.
Open auditions for "Heartbeat of Home" -- the dance fusion show produced by the creators of "Riverdance" -- began Monday, and the competition is as fierce as it is diverse.
Judges responsible for casting the new show will be watching video auditions uploaded to YouTube by dancers of various genres, including Irish, flamenco, Latin and street dancing. So far, Irish dancer videos outweigh dancers of other forms in the competition.
The quality of Irish dance applicants is unreal. Many of those auditioning are regional, national and even world champions.
Irish dancers of the competitive circuit will recognize a few names and faces, including former CLRG world champions Ashley Smith and Olivia Griffin, and current senior men's world title holder Tyler Schwartz, just to name a few of the step dancing big-timers competing for a spot on the "Heartbeat" stage.
Professional show dancer Owen Jones' video channels a bit of Irish dance nostalgia with footage of him dancing at a child, followed by a recent video clip of him dancing on a show stage. Tom Brosnan and Erin Trevena of "Brosena," the dancing duo that made it to the semi-final round of Sky1's "Got to Dance," both threw their hats into the "Heartbeat" ring, too.
Then, there are the dancing dark horses -- those who don't hold any fancy titles or have professional shows listed on their resumes but clearly possess talent, showmanship and energy worthy of the "Heartbeat" judges' attention.
Korean-born Mollie McCabe shot her a capella video in freezing temperatures in Buffalo, N.Y., yet her beats are both precise and audibly crisp regardless of the undeniably harsh dancing conditions.
Lisa Murphy, of Brooklyn, also stands out from the crowd. Her video takes an unexpected twist when she transitions from trebles to music video moves.
Audition videos continue to pop up on the official "Heartbeat" talent search website. According to judge Padraic Moyles, the top 10 videos at the end of the online audition cycle (later this month) will be invited to try out for the show in person. Those not ranked in the top according to viewer votes still have a chance though. The judges, Moyles said, will identify dancers possessing appealing show qualities and invite them to formally audition as well.
Prodijig, winners of Sky1's "Got to Dance," claim the No. 1 spot on our list.
Last year's most popular Irish dance videos were innovative and surprising, and just when we thought Irish dance couldn't get that much more exciting, 2012 packed a wallop with dubstep-inspired step dancing, "Got to Dance" champs and One Direction treble reels.
Based solely on pageviews attributed to individual Irish dancing videos uploaded to YouTube in the last year, these are the top 12 Irish dance videos of 2012:
1. Prodijig's finals performance on "Got to Dance"
1,004,987 views
Prodijig earned a mere honorable mention on the 2011 list, mainly because the video from the group's "Got to Dance" tryout had been uploaded right at the very end of the year when other videos had months to amass video views. The band of former Riverdancers with robotic precision ended up winning gold in the televised dance show, so it's no mystery how these fierce dancers skyrocketed to the top of this list.
Congratulations, Prodijig, on winning "Got to Dance" and the No. 1 slot on our list!
2. Irish dance routine to One Direction's "Na Na Na"
693,224 views
Directioners -- that, I hear, is how One Direction fans refer to themselves -- are a force all their own, strong enough to make or break a viral video, apparently. These five Irish dancers from Michigan choreographed a routine to the popular boy band's song "Na Na Na." Each girl is dressed as a member of the English-Irish band.
3. TapTronic's "Crave You" remix
633,685 views
Seemingly out of nowhere, TapTronic blew the roof off Irish dance as we knew it with this video. With high production quality, perfectly poignant music selection (dubstep having reached its pop culture peak in 2012) and insanely intricate choreography on two sets of super-speedy feet, Irish dancers -- and, well, EVERYONE ELSE -- could not look away.
4. Irish dancing to Michael Jackson
475,741 views
This little dancer won our hearts and our pageviews with an adorable dance to a Michael Jackson medley. The dancer, described in the YouTube video's about section as being just 8 years old, mesmerized shoppers at a Derry mall.
5. Prodijig's semi-finals performance on "Got to Dance"
400,363 views
That's two videos in the top five most watched Irish dance videos on YouTube for Prodijig! A cherry on top for the dancers already claiming the coveted No. 1 position on the list.
6. VirtuREEL Irish Dancing
198,045 views
Discover Ireland, the same organization that sponsored the Sneaky Steppers' St. Patrick's Day flashmob (last year's No. 1 video on the list), introduced this trippy Irish dance project that got commuters in Sydney's Central Station kicking up their heels.
7. BBC's Step McGovern Irish dancing on air
196,813 views
8. Conan visits Chicago's Irish American Heritage Center
176,793 views
Irish-American late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien brought his camera crew to Chicago where he learned a step or two from the Trinity Irish dancers. Antics ensued -- but nothing as cringe-worthy as the face-kick endured by the Irish dancer with whom O'Brien danced during the stage performance.
9. Toronto St. Patrick's Day Flashmob
94,769 views
Discover Ireland saw so much success with the 2011 St. Patrick's Day flashmob that they tweaked the format for the following year. This flashmob features singers and dancers taking over the Toronto streets.
10. RTE News' coverage of the All-Irelands
68,255 views
It's not often that camera crews get to film at Irish dance competitions, but this news story (along with documentaries "Jig" and "Big Jig") offer an inside look at our sport's most prestigious championships.
11. TapTronic's "Cracks" remix
55,563 views
The second original video uploaded to YouTube by this innovative dance duo garnered more than 50,000 views. After the success of TapTronic's "Crave You" remix, the guys actually had to add a note at the beginning of this video assuring viewers that the footwork had not been sped up to maker the dancers appear to be moving faster.
12. Student vs. dean dance-off
49,206 views
An enthusiastic student with happy feet lept around his school, getting in teachers' faces and dancing his lights out. All but one educated stood stunned by his fancy footwork. The school's dan calmly waited for the boy to back away, and the dean broke out what looks to be a few rough steps of an Irish reel. OWNED.
Honorable mention: World Irish dancing champions Suzanne Coyle and Michael Holland
Multiple amateur videographers captured this magic moment, when newly minted world champs danced together on stage. Because one singular video did not earn sufficient views to make the top-12 list but the combined views of all uploaded videos did, it's only fair that this particular event is recognized.
The top-12 list above was compiled based on views for videos found on YouTube using search terms "Irish dance" and "Irish dancing." I intentionally omitted videos of fake/mock Irish dancing. Did I miss any videos that may have deserved a spot on the list? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Mary Kay Heneghan and 2011 national Irish
dance champion Emily Marino. Photo by Tony Rutherford.
When Irish dance reality show “The Big Jig” premiered
Tuesday night on TLC, Mary Kay Heneghan was understandably nervous about what
she was going to see.
Not only was the Buffalo-based Irish dance instructor hoping
to see Irish dance portrayed accurately and in a positive light on the cable
network known for accentuating already-quirky subcultures’ quirks, but she was
hoping she’d come across OK on camera, too.
Heneghan, certified Irish dance instructor and competition
adjudicator, was one of the show’s stars. In days leading up to the 2012 World
Irish Dancing Championships (known as "Worlds") held in Belfast this
past spring, cameras followed Heneghan and two Worlds-bound Rince na Tiarna
dancers, sisters Emily and Julia Marino.
“I was a little nervous,” Heneghan admitted, joking that
she’d mulled over the idea of watching the show alone in the basement with a
bottle of wine. Instead, she invited over some friends, a few dancers and dance
parents for an impromptu “Big Jig” viewing party, and she was pleased with the
final product.
“I thought it was very well done,” Heneghan said. “No drama
from kids, teachers or parents.”
But it’s not that TLC crew members didn’t try to stir the
pot a little. Heneghan said that dancers were pulled aside and asked leading
questions, to which they responded honestly and respectfully, without coaching
from adults.
“You tell [television execs] what you’re willing to do and
not willing to do, and they try to get you to do that regardless,” she
explained. But her dancers and the other American dancers featured on the TLC
special didn’t fall for it, as evidenced by each of the dancer’s calm,
collected and mature behavior on the show.
“I do wish there was more dancing, and less drinking egg
whites and talking about eyelashes,” she said with a laugh, admitting that
every reality series has to include a few outrageous scenes.
But unlike shows like TLC hit “Toddlers and Tiaras,” which
follows young beauty pageant contestants at competitions, Heneghan noted one
major difference between the pageant scene and the competitive Irish dance
world:
“These kids are talented. These kids can dance. They’re
disciplined. I feel like they’re doing something rooted in history, and it’s a
hard thing to do,” Heneghan said, adding that pageant kids aren’t necessarily
not talented -- it’s just that pageants focus only on appearance. “You can put
on the Irish dancing wig and buy the costume, but you’re not going to get past
that unless you have incredible talent.”
Even though “The Big Jig” documented the most prestigious,
cut-throat Irish dance competition of the year -- the Olympics of Irish dance,
if you will -- it inadvertently captured an unlikely side of the sport:
supporting the “enemy.”
Irish dance teachers Lisa and Karen Petri, and Gary Healy,
whose dancers compete against Heneghan’s, are in no way Heneghan’s nemeses.
“Gary’s one of my best friends, so are Lisa and Karen,” she
said, explaining that Healy even helped Heneghan’s dancer prepare for
competition while Heneghan was in a different room watching another dancer
compete at Worlds -- a scene captured on camera, but not emphasized in the
show.
“We all want the best dancer to win. We just hope the dancer
is our own," she said. "Of course I want to beat them, but I
appreciate talent and hard work."
So, while TLC managed to squeeze a little drama from the
Worlds, it wasn't quite the kind of unusual entertainment one might come to
expect from reality TV -- and what a welcome change it was.
Did you watch "The Big Jig" on TLC? Let me know
what you thought of the show in the comments below.
Irish dance has become almost synonymous with Riverdance -- the long line of dancers all tapping in unison, arms tightly pinned at their sides, pointed toes kicking high into the sky -- but that particular style of Irish dance is by no means the only form in existence today.
Sean-nós, or “old style,” dancing varies widely in style throughout Ireland, but its generally accepted characteristics -- arms loose, feet low to the ground, focus on percussive beats battered out by leather-soled shoes -- predate the more competitive, rigid style of step dancing popularized by Riverdance and documentary film “Jig.”
Back in 1929, the Gaelic League encouraged the development of the Irish Dancing Commission (An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha, or CLRG), an organization devoted to preserving Irish dance and developing standard rules for competition. Prior to the formation of the commission, Irish dance was quite diverse, and it reflected regional differences. With the popularity of commission-sanctioned style on the rise, fringe dance forms faded -- but not entirely.
“It was once danced all over Ireland, but, like the Irish language, it only survived in the Gaeltacht regions as we know them today,” sean-nós dance champion and teacher Edwina Guckian explained. “Over the past 10 years, I've seen it grow in popularity at an enormous rate.”
Sean-nós and competitive style Irish step dancing both benefitted from the Riverdance boom, which reinvigorated Ireland’s -- and the world’s -- interest in Celtic culture in the 1990s and 2000s, but the two distinct branches of Irish dance continued to evolve separately, creating a rift in what is considered “traditional” Irish dance.
“I was accused of making it up,” sean-nós singer and dancer Brían Ó hAirt said, “by [dance] teachers.”
Ó hAirt and other sean-nós dancers are often misunderstood because they dance in a way that appears less formal than competitive Irish dancing, but he’s careful to educate those who dismiss one type of Irish dance as less legitimate than another.
“Irish dance is not just one thing; it’s many things,” said Ó hAirt, a member of touring band Bua, who also holds a master’s degree in music performance from the University of Limerick.
Even Manhattan-based sean-nós dancer and teacher Siobhán Butler admits that she once described sean-nós as “lame” because of its apparent simplicity, but that was before she fully understood it.
“My first impression was that it’s a really dumbed down version of step dancing,” said Butler, a step dancer since childhood who now teaches and performs sean-nos in New York City. “Years later, I would come back to this dance form.”
Butler and other sean-nós dancers agree that the most important element for shows and competition is the relationship between dancer and music -- it’s one.
“Growing up as a step dancer, you dance to the music. There was no tight relationship that I experienced,” said Butler, who later studied various forms of Irish dance under the tutelage of Boston-based dancer and teacher Kieran Jordan. In sean-nós, “music and dancing are intertwined,” she added.
Unlike CLRG-sanctioned dancing that is meticulously choreographed for shows and competition, sean-nós dancing is generally improvised, as the dancer plays off the live music.
A musician before a dancer, Ó hAirt said he had an ear for the music, so the percussive nature of sean-nós just made sense to him. Though he does consider himself a sean-nos dancer, Ó hAirt is careful not to define sean-nós because it is inherently an improvised form that varies widely throughout Ireland and the world -- just the act of giving it a name immediately serves as a way to generalize a collection of different dance forms. Sean-nós, he said, should be reflective of its place of origin, yet it should be improvisational.
“I can teach you the steps, but until you dance like the people of that region," Ó hAirt said, it's difficult to determine a dance style's authenticity.
"You can do the same step in different ways depending on what the musician is doing," Werner Ceusters, a Flemish sean-nós dance instructor living and teaching in Buffalo, N.Y., said. "Some dances lend themselves to the music, but in sean-nós, there is no frame."
Ceusters teaches what he calls Limerick-style sean-nos. Unlike the more recognized sean-nós dance style from the Connemara region of Ireland, Ceusters said that he practices a form of sean-nós that is a bit closer to what competitive step dancers do with their feet (higher on toes, fixed floor patterns), but Limerick style still puts emphasis on a more loosely-held upper body and improvisation according to the music.
Differences aside, all forms of "traditional" Irish dance (competitive step dancing, sean-nós, old-style step dancing, set dancing, ceili, brush dance, etc.) share common threads of history and culture passed on through generations.
Regardless of how the forms have evolved, the similarities are undeniable, and the history of Celtic culture has been preserved -- even in some some way -- through Irish dancing and music.
Dancers (left to right) Ceili Moore, Kevinah Dargan, Hannah Mong before prom.
Ceili Moore's prom night was typical for a lot of reasons: she donned a beautiful gown, danced with her friends, partied at a post-prom event and posed for loads of photos with other dolled-up gals.
What was different about her experience at this all-American coming-of-age high school dance is that Ceili flew in from Australia to attend.
That's not the only reason she traveled from the other side of the planet to be in the states. Ceili, the current Australian national Irish dancing champion in her age group, is stateside for the North American Irish Dance Championships, which are currently underway in Chicago.
She came over to the U.S. a week early to spend some precious time with her dear friends Kevinah and Fiona Dargan, both of whom are 2011 North American champions who dance for Rince Na Tiarna in Buffalo, N.Y.
Ceili Moore, Fiona and Kevinah Dargan, Eryn Lynch at Niagara Falls.
Kevinah, a soon-to-be college freshman, made arrangements to bring her Aussie friend along to prom and her graduation from Williamsville South High School. The Dargans and Ceili also attended a Buffalo Bisons baseball game, visited nearby Niagara Falls, ate classic American foods (Buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks, for example) and went go-karting.
And though their nationalities, accents, cultures, dance styles and life stories are different, Ceili and the Dargan sisters insist that the bond created through Irish dancing is stronger than most other friendships.
Even Tracy Marks Dargan, Kevinah and Fiona's mother, is close friends with Ceili's mom, Fiona Moore. Both moms are also former Irish dancers, and Fiona Moore is the first Australian dancer to win the World Irish Dancing Championships. The two talk almost daily, Tracy Marks Dargan said. Like their daughters, they maintain contact through Facebook, Skype and free phone applications.
Kevinah graduates from high school.
"I feel like Irish dancers all have that bond," Kevinah said. "Sometimes I feel closer to dance friends than my friends from school who I see every single day."
Fiona described the Irish dance part of her life as almost a second world, a reality that exists outside of everyday living.
"You might make a million mistakes in the real world, but in the Irish dance world, it's all erased," Fiona said.
Ceili, who dances for Scoil Rince Aisling in Australia, agreed with that sentiment, adding, "All of us give up so much for dancing. We are all in the same boat."
And while Kevinah and Ceili will both compete in the same age group (under 18, but different splits), they don't see each other as competition. In fact, they want to see each other win.
"We all know each of us work so hard," Ceili said. "It can go so many different ways."
Kevinah and Fiona Dargan, and Ceili Moore before prom.
Since all of the girls are national champions in their respective countries and age groups, there's potential for fierce rivalry. But, they explained, in this circle, it's about dancing the best you can and leaving the scoring up to the judges -- and they don't always score according to spectators' expectations.
"With other sports, when someone is better, that is your enemy," Kevinah said. But in her experience hanging with other top dancers, it's more about having friends who push you to be a stronger dancer. "You keep yourself in inspiring company."
If you've ever complained about not having enough time to devote to Irish dancing, just look at Brian Doherty for a little inspiration.
The professional photographer can be found wrapping up a shoot in Los Angeles one day and shuffling off to Asia with fellow "Lord of the Dance" performers the next. But Doherty doesn't seem to struggle to balance his two professional lives -- it's quite the opposite, actually.
"Photography and 'Lord of the Dance' sort of compliment each other," he said. "It allows me to be on stage and enjoy myself, but to be in these amazing places."
He said that he's known to run off with his camera while his castmates rest up before a show or rehearsals. One time, while on tour in Italy, he darted off to Venice upon learning that the picturesque city was just an hour from where the cast was staying.
When he's not capturing gorgeous foreign lands and super celebs (he recently shot photos for Perez Hilton, Snooki and Jenny McCarthy -- to name a few), find him mixing business with, well, business. He even shot the latest LOTD promotional photos while on tour in France.
"The only downside is that I'm in none of the photos," he said with a laugh. "It's weird having both of my worlds kind of combine."
Michael Flatley leads "Feet of Flames" troupe. Photo by Brian Doherty.
Doherty credits Irish dancing with helping him make a name for himself as a photographer. His very first photo gig was a favor for a fellow LOTD cast member who needed professional headshots. He said his stage experiences continue to inspire his photography.
"I feel like the stage lighting aspect has influenced my style," he added.
He's also had his hand in another media-meets-dance project. He worked as the producer of TapTronic's videos, aiding in the overall visual direction of the videos. He met TapTronic dancers Ciaran Plummer and Zach Klingenberg through LOTD, and he matched them up with a talented creative crew from Grammy-nominated Surefire Music Group to mix the music, and shoot and edit the videos.
And being known as the Irish dancing photographer helps, too, he admitted. When models and celebrities find out about his second life as a professional Irish dancer, they remember him, and it sometimes helps break the ice.
"Dancing makes me memorable," he said. "You wouldn’t see Jenny McCarthy dancing a jig at any other photo shoot."
Doherty is currently on tour with "Feet of Flames" in Taiwan.
Irish dance spectacular "Take the Floor" will debut in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 15 -- that's just over two months away -- but the cast isn't complete, rehearsals haven't begun and choreography is still a mystery.
Don't worry -- everything is going according to plan!
That's the whole point, said show directors Paula Goulding and Shane McAvinchey. This isn't your average dance show. It's more like an intense Irish dance workshop, MTV's "Making the Band" and Riverdance all rolled up into one unbelievable experience.
Over the course of 10 days, 50 promising Irish dancers will meet to learn an entire show's worth of choreography, get fitted for costumes and learn to work as a team to pull off what Goulding and McAvinchey promise to be a professional-level "unforgettable show" on the final day. Adding to the challenge, they're not really scouting seasoned show dancers. In fact, they're accepting applications from dancers with varying levels of show- and competition-dancing experience through June 11.
"It’s going to be immense," Goulding said of the challenge to pull off the project without a hitch. "But it’s going to be rewarding. We have to be meticulous. Everything has to be precisely scheduled."
In preparation for the hotly anticipated 10-day dance bootcamp and final show, Goulding and McAvinchey have been working and planning tirelessly. The two friends and cohorts have been envisioning this moment for months -- years, maybe. Shane said that the two have been dreaming up projects together since they met while touring with Riverdance. Since then, they've done other stage shows together and collaborated on various projects, including Diddlyi.com, a website that offers online step dance video lessons.
McAvnichey, a commission-certified Irish dance instructor for the Tir Na Nog school in Germany and Russia, explained that he, Goulding and a slew of "celebrity" choreographers will be focusing on transforming a group made up of predominantly competitive dancers into polished show dancers.
Not to be overlooked in the production is the live music that will accompany the dancers. Popular trad Irish band Beoga will be providing the robust soundtrack for the show.
"Beoga has a very recognizable style. It's so uplifting," Goulding gushed, the enthusiasm clearly audible in her tone. "They are -- in trad music terms, at the moment -- they’re like what One Direction is to pop. They are it."
With days until the show's debuts on Dublin's Helix stage dwindling, and all the planning pieces falling into place, McAvinchey anxiously awaits introducing a whole new generation of dancers to the life of a professional performer. From the moment dancers drop their dance bags on the studio floor on day one of rehearsals to the final bow, McAvinchey wants the dancers to have the fullest show experience.
"We want them to be going to bed wrecked tired at the end of the night, and then bouncing up in the morning because they can’t wait to get started again," McAvinchey said. "We want dancers to say, 'wow, that was amazing.'"
"Take the Floor" has been officially endorsed by Riverdance, and McAvinchey said that scouts from a variety of professional Irish dance shows have been invited to attend the one-night-only spectacle, opening a unique opportunity to any dancer interested in dancing professionally. For details on how to apply, visit the official "Take the Floor" website. And to see who's already been selected, check out "Take the Floor" on Facebook.
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Riverdance musicians aren't all about traditional tunes all the time. Just take a look at Riverdance fiddler Pat Mangan's YouTube page, and you'll soon see what I mean.
Rihanna, Usher, Swizz Beatz, Calvin Harris, Antoine Dodson -- those aren't names often referenced around the trad music scene, but they are definitely artists and popular culture icons who have influenced Mangan, a 27-year-old Brooklyn native.
Mangan, who made his Riverdance debut on Broadway at the young age of 16, has been soaking up sounds his whole life, having been raised in the New York borough and surrounded by the constant cadence of the city.
"Even just walking down the street," Mangan said, "there's music coming out of cars and open doors. And there are so many amazing opportunities to hear live music -- the best of the best are always in New York."
So for Mangan, a two-time all-Ireland fiddle champion who began playing acoustic violin in kindergarten, the combining of classics with urban influences just seemed natural, innate.
"I'm very much into the real old style music, and at the same time, I don’t see a conflict in breaking off and experimenting in something very different," he said, adding that whatever music he creates "will have a bit of that Irish in it."
Lucky for Mangan, he's not alone in his folk-meets-modern mindset. He regularly performs with Hammerstep -- Irish show dancers who mash up step dancing with other forms of urban street dance and hip-hop choreography -- doubling as both electric violin player and DJ in the music-and-dance stage shows.
"They're on some next level," Mangan said of the Hammerstep dancers, remembering their recent St. Patrick's Day performance at London's Trafalgar Square where they entertained an audience of approximately 18,000.
He's also constantly surrounded by other creative types while touring with Riverdance, and he gets to travel the world, affording him a unique opportunity to learn about the world's cultures and various forms of music.
With Riverdance wrapping up stateside, Mangan's focusing on a different way to expand his international visibility. He's taken to YouTube to post everything from live performances to studio sessions to professional-grade music videos. His latest upload, "Strings for the Street," is both audibly and aesthetically enticing. The backdrop is Mangan's native Brooklyn, a colorful street setting for a musical mix.
He said, much like the TapTronic dancers expressed in a recent IrishCentral article, that he really just wanted to create a video reflection of himself to float around to interested parties.
"I’m hoping that things will organically continue down this path," Mangan said. But he admitted that he wouldn't mind having someone like Jay-Z watch it and maybe want to collaborate on something. (Hey, we have any members of Shawn Carter's entourage reading Irish Central?)
Mangan is currently on tour with Riverdance in New Zealand, but he plans to perform live in the states upon his return to America. His music -- loads of Irish dance tunes, by the way! -- is also available for streaming and purchase online. And, of course, you can check him out on YouTube.
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Hate to admit it, but Irish dancers are inevitably bored by the same traditional dance tunes, and it turns out feis musicians are, too.
Anthony Davis and Liam O'Sullivan -- better known as musical duo Anton & Sully -- provide the perfect antidote to musical monotony. Known for jazzing up slip jigs and infusing whimsical romance into heavy jigs, the two musicians aim to create a sound that gets step dancers pumped up and performing energetically -- oh, and it's fun for them, too!
Anton & Sully released two popular Irish dance CDs, "The Feis Album" and "The Feis Album, Volume II," along with side project "The Bootleg," an album they recorded with fellow musician Steve Byrnes (together, they form trad group Kayna). The duo also plays at major dance competitions, so they know exactly what gets a dancer jumping high and feeling the beat, and they also understand what uplifts the audience.
"There's a position during a feis, normally after a really long set of hornpipes or heavy jigs, when the whole room is yearning for something different, something with a little more energy," O'Sullivan, an accordion player, said of his experience playing at competitions. "A feis musician can really change the mood of the whole hall."
"Playing the same tune over and over again, I get bored and impatient," said Davis, a piano player who avoids such an occurrence by maintaining a fresh repertoire of tunes to keep things exciting.
That's important for engaging the dancers on stage, too, O'Sullivan said. He and Davis pay close attention to a dancer's style, explaining that there's a collaboration between dancer and musician during competitions.
"The relationship between the musician and dancer is so linear," he said. "Especially during a slow hornpipe."
This skill -- the ability to adapt music to the dancer's energy -- is one that Davis and O'Sullivan have developed and translated impeccably to "The Feis Album" and its follow-up CD.
Davis said that infusing different genres is key to creating music that is identifiable and enjoyable for any audience.
"I just try to adapt Irish music into something that everybody will like, because traditional isn't everyone's cup of tea," Davis said. "We are trying at the moment to keep Irish dancing as hip-hop as possible but still having that traditional vibe."
Besides hip-hop, Anton & Sully's albums reflect loads of unexpected musical influences -- everything from Jamiroquai to House of Pain to Calvin Harris. Those particular influences are more obvious in the presentation tracks produced by the duo. These are the songs played before results are announced at major competitions.
O'Sullivan admitted to channeling his own emotions for music-making inspiration.
"If I ever feel very agitated, sometimes it just comes out," O'Sullivan confided, adding that he's been known to produce a "very sad, miserable heavy jig" or two.
If you're dancer who hasn't already heard either of Anton & Sully's albums, or Kayna's "The Bootleg," you can purchase them online through AntonioPacelli.com. Volume I of "The Feis Album" and "The Bootleg" are also available for download on iTunes. A third feis album is in the works for early next year.
Davis and O'Sullivan will play the North American Nationals in Chicago in July, and they intend on bringing a bunch of CDs to sell, so keep an eye out for them in Chi-Town if you're lucky enough to attend. They also hope to tour the U.S. with Kayna in the future.
Check back here for news, results, photos, interviews and more! Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like us on Facebook, tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below. THANK YOU!
Behind the scenes of "Crave You" video. Photo by Brian Doherty.
In just one week, TapTronic's gone from almost unknown to virtually viral.
Irish dancers Ciaran Plummer and Zach Klingenberg quietly launched a Facebook page last month. On April 27, they posted their first official TapTronic video -- a remixed version of electronic song "Crave You" by Flight Facilities, accompanied by their rhythmic footwork -- and just a week later, it boasts nearly 177,000 hits on YouTube.
"We were caught off guard," Klingenberg, of Columbus, Ohio, said of the video's sudden virality in the duo's first official interview as TapTronic. Although the dancers had an inkling that the video would be "pretty cool," they had no idea what kind of attention it was about to draw.
The video's been featured on the Huffington Post, CBC, MSNBC and blogs around the world. Dubsteppers and step dancers alike are raving about the exciting cultural combination.
"Not that it wasn’t the intention," said Plummer, a Toronto native, of the video's electronic-meets-Irish dance concept and the attention it's receiving, "but it was just as raw as us wanting to make a video."
Klingenberg, 20, describes himself as an avid electronic music listener. He introduced Plummer, 27, more of a rap/hip-hop fan, to the genre, and the two decided to put their Irish dance beats to music. With the help of friends at Surefire Music Group, they recorded their taps to Adventure Club's remix of "Crave You" and shot the accompanying music video at Revere Beach near Boston.
Photo by Brian Doherty.
It was the first time the two world-class dancers had ever choreographed anything together, they said in a Skype interview earlier today.
"It was crazy the way it happened," Plummer said. "We got in [the studio], and after we finished two sessions of choreography, it felt so natural."
"We really tried to pay attention to detail within the song so that at no moment in the song was there a disconnect with what was happening with our feet," Klingenberg said, adding that the rhythms were sometimes as complicated as having to "dissect a four-bar sequence down to the hair."
The decision to wear two different styles of shoes was intentional, too, they said. In the video, Klingenberg wears metal taps to produce a higher pitch, and Plummer dons traditional Irish hard shoes for a heavier sound. Combined, the shoes create a rich percussive beat that highlights both the dancers' personal styles.
Regardless of the shoes they wear or what commenters on TapTronic's YouTube page might believe, they are Irish dancing -- not tapping, not clogging.
Another subject of debate which the lads want to clear up is the speed of their feet.
"That's real-time," Klingenberg said, putting the rumors to rest. Even his brother jokingly suggested adding a disclaimer to the video to reassure viewers that the video had not been tampered with to make their feet appear to move more rapidly than they actually do.
The ability to dance so quickly, Plummer said, is directly related to his Irish dance training.
"It’s the product of our environment, the way we were taught to dance," he said.
Plummer, a two-time Irish dance world champion, learned to dance from his father, certified Irish dance teacher and adjudicator Ron Plummer. Klingenberg, a regional champion and four-time world championship medal-holder, learned to dance at the Richens/Timm Academy of Irish dance. The two met each other while on tour with Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance.
With one wildly popular video picking up steam around the internet, the dancers aren't giving away too many details about their next steps.
"We have some plans in the pipeline," Plummer admitted.
Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Can't wait!
Lead dancer Justin Boros proves size does matter when playing the 'bad guy."
When it comes to professional Irish dance shows, it's pretty unexpected to see a big, burly "bad guy" as the principal performer.
And then comes "Rhythm in the Night," shattering any preconceived notion of what an Irish dance show is all about and what a lead dancer should look like.
"Someone of my size, stature hasn’t been featured in any other show," said principle dancer Justin Boros, who describes himself as "somewhat of a body builder," weighing in at about 300 pounds.
Boros' build doesn't necessarily allow him to play the "good guy" -- he's more of a natural villain based on his appearance -- so he actually plays the "bad guy" with redeeming qualities.
"I’ve always had a vision in my head. I wanted to be this bad guy that couldn’t be duplicated," said Boros, who began Irish dancing after becoming "obsessed" with "Lord of the Dance," particularly one number -- "Warriors" -- performed by the villainous male character.
Boros was so intrigued by LOTD that he taught himself all of the show's choreography -- never having attended a dance class in his life -- at the age of 16, and then found a local dance school where he studied for a few months. By 17, Boros had auditioned for LOTD and was accepted into troupe two of the show.
But unlike LOTD where the tough look is achieved through extra-macho costuming, Boros wanted to become the real thing.
"I thought in the back of my head it’d be really cool if there was a big bad guy, like a Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in the main role," he said.
So he took to the gym, bulked up and achieved the dominant, muscular physique he'd envisioned.
Like his size, "Rhythm of the Night" is full of unexpected twists, explained Boros, who is also the show's creator and director.
"The bad guy is actually the good guy, and he's going to be rescued from this evil seductress of the show," Boros said. "Our goal is to provide a good show that’s different."
The show, Boros said, is for the whole family. With music composed by Andrew and Jared DePolo, some of the world's best Irish dancers in the cast and an unlikely plot filled with drama, Boros promises the "most exciting Irish dance spectacular ever to be experienced."
In the coming weeks, Boros will announce tour dates for Rhythm of the Night. Anyone interested in booking the show can also contact him through the show's official website.
Considering Colorado-based Celtic Steps won gold in two figure categories at last year's World Irish Dancing Championships, the teachers' decision to hold back from sending teams to the big show in Belfast this year might seem like a surprise -- or more of a strategic plan to bounce back stronger than ever?
"This gives us a little time to push towards Chicago nationals and Boston worlds (in 2013)," Shaun Casey, ADCRG, said in a recent phone conversation. "Our goal is to really get everyone ready for nationals."
Aside from taking gold in two figure categories at last year's worlds, Celtic Steps placed top-10 in two other team dance categories. Then, at the 2011 nationals, four of the school's teams won gold.
Expect Celtic Steps' teams to reemerge at the 2012 North American National Irish Dance Championships in a big way. Casey and fellow teachers wife Aisling Toal Casey, TCRG, and Eimear Toal, TCRG, are perfecting brand new choreography for their under-12 figure team that will debut in Chicago. They've invested thousands of dollars in new costumes and had music produced by Anthony Davis.
Casey said the movements in the newly choreographed figure will be rapid, sharp and inspired by pom dance -- a style he and his wife mastered while touring with Lord of the Dance. He said that he's devoted to telling the story of the choreography in every piece of the dance, from slight arm movements to facial expressions. "Let the judges see the story play out on stage," he added.
Aside from keeping busy developing innovative competition choreography, the Caseys have also created an original touring show that premiered over St. Patrick's Day weekend. Strictly Irish, featuring dancers aged 18 to 27 from schools throughout Colorado, sold out all 2,000 seats available for its two-show debut.
"We're inviting really high-end, top-quality dancers in our area to dance with us in the show," Casey said.
So, while Celtic Steps won't be dominating team categories at worlds, know that the school's teachers and dancers are doing anything but taking a break. The school is sending 15 soloists to worlds, and there's a batch of teams in Colorado just waiting to show off their moves at NANs.
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The creative minds behind last year's viral St. Patrick's Day flashmob video hope "The Ellen Show" host Ellen Degeneres will take notice of their most recent stealth Irish dance clip on YouTube.
The elite Irish dancers of the Sneaky Steppers have accepted Degeneres' "dance dare," and they hope their video will make it on the show's segment dedicated to dance-bombing unsuspecting people.
"It's pretty much Sneaky Stepping," Sneaky Steppers co-founder Chris Naish said. "So coincidental, but we thought, 'we have to make a video.'"
The three guys clad in skin-tight Irish-themed body suits are Naish, Sneaky Steppers co-founder Jason Oremus and two-time world Irish dance champion Garrett Coleman. The Sneaky Steppers is a street-level initiative that is a branch of Hammerstep, the Irish dance-infusion show and social experiment.
And it's not just the Sneaky Steppers vying for Degeneres' attention this St. Patrick's Day. There are quite a few "dance dare" videos posted to YouTube that showcase legitimate Irish dancers -- as opposed to the multitude of videos featuring wannabe jiggers. Here's a few of my personal favorites:
Earlier today, IrishCentral staff writer Anotoinette Kelly reported that crew members from "The Ellen Show" will travel to Dublin to record footage for a special St. Patrick's Day segment for next week's show.
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