Colorado Wedding Features Irish Dancing Bride and Friends

Weddings are always happy occasions but when you invite your Irish dancing friends, all your guests enjoy a special treat! Lisa Anderson started Irish dancing with the Bennett School of Irish Dance in Denver, Colorado at 15 years old and fell in love instantly. She quickly rose through the competitive ranks to Preliminary Champion, but an injury forced her to stop.

Lisa Irish-danced a little in college, but it just wasn’t the same, she says, so she stayed involved with the Bennett School as much as possible between semesters. She enjoys teaching the 5-6 year olds and as a graphic designer, has created many fun t-shirts for Bennett School Irish dancers for competitions and events.

Lisa met her husband Isaac Hess at a church activity about 18 months ago while home between semesters. When she finished college, the two began seriously dating, fell in love and planned to marry quickly. Lisa tells us, "One of our dates was actually taking him to my dance studio and dragging him into learning some ceili dancing!".

At their wedding a few weeks ago, Bennett School Irish dancers including teachers Bill and TCRG Molly Bennett, and a host of friends, danced for guests.

Lisa says, "Isaac told me he isn't much of a dancer but he picked it up really fast which is why we ended up dancing together in a group dance at my wedding! Nothing brings two people together like dancing does, especially when neither of you remember the steps and end up laughing the entire time."

With the wedding behind them, the newlyweds have a little more free time. Lisa looks forward to getting back into shape and competing at the Open Championship level again. Feis America and Irish Central congratulate the happy couple and thank them for sharing their photos and story with us and Irish dancing fans here on the blog.

Have you been to a wedding where Irish dancing was a special part of the ceremony or celebration? Share your stories here at Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog.

Subscribe to North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine, Feis America and get stories like these and photos from Irish dancing events across the U.S., Canada and Mexico delivered to your mailbox every other month! A subscription makes a terrific gift for your favorite Irish dancer or teacher!

Photos courtesy of Bennett School of Irish Dance's Debbie Newton and Kristin White

Feis America Irish Dance Magazine Review

The July/August issue of North America’s favorite Irish dancing magazine, Feis America, is about to be mailed out to subscribers. With a whopping SIXTY big full-color pages all about North American Irish dancing, this issue packs inspiration, motivation, dedication and celebration from Western Canada to Florida, New York to Georgia and makes a quick journey across the Atlantic for a look at the North Americans who rocked the World Irish Dancing Championships in Dublin this year. The final chapter in Rod Vick’s “The Day the Feis Stood Still” serial will thrill you and three articles shout-out scholarship winners from the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America, North American Feis Commission and the Southern Celtic Music Association.

See follow-ups and photos from the Big Apple Feis, Peach State, Orlando, Southern Florida, Vancouver, Connecticut Shoreline and the Garden State! The feature article by Patricia McNamara, “Sorority of Seniority” highlights the achievements of several Irish dance schools who are able to retain female dance students through the teen years into adulthood with great results. Learn about the Culkin Family, a dedicated group of adult Irish dancers jigging and reeling their way through life.

A sneak preview of Ireland-The Show which opens in Santa Barbara, CA on July 17th and thoughtful ‘hindsight’ looks by a long-time Irish dancer and an Irish dancer’s grandma round out the editorial in this issue.

Subscribe or renew today to ensure you get your copy of the July/August issue fast and first!