Michaela Hinds Clinches Fourth World Irish Dancing Championship Title

Teachers from Butler-Fearon-O'Connor School of Irish Dance
poses with 4-time World champion Michaela Marie Hinds.
Photo: Mackenzie Goggin-Wade

Michaela Hinds, who dances with the Butler-Fearon-O'Connor School of Irish Dance in Eastern Canada won the 2012 World Irish Dancing Championship for Girls 16-17 Wednesday with a perfect score of 800. Hinds now holds the distinction of being the only North American to have won four consecutive World Irish Dancing Championship titles.

Four-time World Irish Dancing Champion Michaela Marie Hinds
from Butler-Fearon-O'Connor Eastern Canada
Photo: MacKenzie Goggin-Wade

Hinds, whose trophy collection includes the North American National Irish Dancing Championship, the All-Scotland Irish Dancing Championship, the All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championship and the Great Britain Irish Dancing Championship, is also a seven-time Eastern Canadian Regional Irish Dancing Champion.

------------
Read more:

North American dancers clean up at All-Ireland Irish Dancing Champs

Canada: 2 regions and 52 regional Irish dancing champions

North American National Irish Dancing Championship 2011
------------

Cathy Hinds, proud mother of Michaela Marie Hinds, shares the stage in Belfast.
Photo Mackenzie Goggin-Wade

Hinds started competing at Irish dancing in 2003.  Practicing at the dance studio in Brampton, Ontario and at home up to forty hours a week, Hinds is also an exemplary high school student. The trip to Belfast this year is a return home to her mother Cathy's birthplace.

Michaela Marie Hinds with Sarah Campeau
Photo: Catie Clancy Ortiz

Michaela enjoys teaching jigs, reels and hornpipes to other students at Butler-Fearon-O'Connor and serves as a role model to many of the younger dancers.  Surrounded by friends, including some of the girls with whom she has been competing against all these years, Hinds beams and looks forward to celebrating back at home with the friends there.

Michaela with friends Laura Pastor, Claire Gallibois,
Justine Bongers and Mackenzie Goggin-Wade in Belfast.
Photo courtesy Mackenzie Goggin-Wade

Hinds also has an ultimate fan in Mitchell Ferris, who posted on her Facebook page after awards: "With a perfect score for a perfect girl, I am so happy to be able to share this with her in Belfast".


Stay tuned for the next installment... more articles and results every day here on Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog!  Follow daily commentary on Feis America's Facebook page for up to the moment World Irish Dancing Championships results and progress.

Check back here for news, results, photos, interviews and more! Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like Feis America Magazine on FaceBook, Tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below. THANK YOU!