Go Feis - The Irish Dance Blog

Thursday, April 5, 2012

New England's Melissa McCarthy from Harney Academy clinches World Irish Dancing Championship

Melissa McCarthy
2012 World Irish Dancing Champion Girls 15-16
Photo: McCarthy Family

Melissa McCarthy climbed to the top of the World Irish Dancing Championship podium Tuesday with the quiet confidence of the young lady who won her first North American National Irish Dancing Championships in 2011! The 15 year-old from Harney Academy in Massachusetts beat 2012 All-Ireland and 2010 and 2011 World Irish Dancing Champion Ann Paige Turilli from New York in the Girls 15-16 competition at Belfast's Waterfront. McCarthy is also an eight-time New England Regional Irish Dancing Champion, having competed twice in the under 8 event.

Turilli, the 2012 All-Ireland and 2010 and 2011 World Irish Dancing Champion, placed second. Mackenzie Mahler, from the Blakey School in Western Canada rounded out the Top Three. So far, this is the only competition at Worlds that has seen three North Americans in the Top Three!

Melissa McCarthy, 2011 North American Irish Dancing Champion
with friends Tayler Nunes and Grace Schiller from Harney Academy.
Photo Feis America LLC

Liam Harney, TCRG, ADCRG, was overjoyed with his Irish dance student's win and to the delight of his friends and fans, performed a little victory dance on stage. Harney himself is a two-time World Irish Dancing Champion, having won the Junior Men's event in 1984 and the Senior Men's event in 1987.

Harney said, "I always knew I would be happy to have a student win the Worlds but I had no idea that I would be this happy. I have been hit with a wave of proud and happy emotions that seem to be with me each day when I wake up! It's true, she did it! Melissa actually did it! She's a World Champion!"

World Champion teacher and student!
Melissa McCarthy with Liam Harney, TCRG/ADCRG
Photo: McCarthy Family

According to Harney Academy, "It is Liam's dynamic style and positive attitude that has propelled the students of the Academy into world-class distinction. His personal commitment and spirited personality invigorate and fuel the schools' dance programs. His skills as a choreographer coupled with his extensive performing arts background transcend the school and immerse students [with] progressive and traditional dance numbers."

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Brogan McCay defends World Irish Dancing Championship title

Feising in the Desert with the Bracken School

Irish Dancers Cross Train with Ballet

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Melissa McCarthy is grateful to her teachers Liam and Sally Harney, with whom she has been dancing since age four. She says, ""It was just so amazing and I couldn't have done it without the help and support of my teachers and friends! I was so glad to be up there with my two other North American girls... all the girls up there are amazing!"

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!

World Irish Dancing Championships Quinn Defends Title Top 10 Boys 13-14 Results

Defending World Irish Dancing Champion Jack Quinn
with #2 Owen Luebbers and #3 Jordan McCormack
photo Alannah Lynch

At the World Irish Dancing Championships hosted by An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha in Belfast this week, the Top Three Boys 13-14 confirmed that they belong on the box with three spectacular rounds of Irish dancing before a panel of seven international adjudicators. The Worlds stage is not new to any of them, and their competitive records speak for themselves.

The Top 10 in this competition included exceptional competitors from Australia, England, Ireland and the United States of America. Coincidentally, four of the Top Ten are named a variation of Conor!

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Read more:

Irish and American share World Irish Dancing Championship title

"Jig"'s John Whitehurst reclaims World Irish Dancing Championship

John Lonergan clinches 5th All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championship
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Jack Quinn from Scoile Rince Uí Shé in County Leicester, Ireland claimed his third consecutive World Irish Dancing Championship Monday in the Boys 13-14 event. Quinn also holds the All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championship for his age group since 2010 and the Oireachtas Rince Laighin regional title. He won the Great Britain Irish Dancing Championship in 2011.

Owen Luebbers from the Broesler School of Irish Dance in New Jersey, placed second, and is the current North American National Irish Dancing Champion for Boys under 13, having won every year since 2009. Luebbers also is a six-time mid-Atlantic regional champion.

Jordan McCormick, who placed third, is from Lambe Academy of Irish Dance in County Connaught, Ireland. McCormick consistently places second after Quinn at both of these major Irish dancing championship events, having won the All-Ireland title in 2009. McCormick is also the Oireachtas Rince Chonnact regional champion.

2012 World Irish Dancing Championships
Boys 13-14 Awards
Photo Rhiannon Gilvarry

Top 10 Results for Boys 13-14

2012 World Irish Dancing Championships

Champion Jack Quinn - Uí Shé, Leicester, Ireland

2 - Owen Luebbers - Broesler, New Jersey, USA

3 - Jordan McCormick - Lambe, Connaught, Ireland

4 - Curtis Long - Doherty, Ulster, Ireland

5 - Nathan McGhee - Coleman, Connaught, Ireland

6 - Conor Norton - Aaron Crosbie, Southern England

7 - Conor Reagan - Inishfree, New York, USA

8 - Conor Rodgers - Doherty, Ulster, Ireland

9 - Connor Patrick Sullivan - Petri, New York, USA

10 - Jonty Moore - Aisling, New South Wales, Australia

For up-to-the-moment commentary, visit Feis America on FaceBook! Top 10 results, photos and interviews will be added here on Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog frequently all week as well.

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!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

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.

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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
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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!

Brogan McCay from "Jig" Defends World Irish Dancing Championship

Brogan McCay brings home the gold again
from the 2012 World Irish Dancing Championships!
Photo Dance.Net

The 42nd World Irish Dancing Championships, hosted by An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, started March 31st and runs through Easter Sunday, April 8th. An estimated 25,000 competitors, teachers and fans of Irish dancing have enjoyed four days of solo and team competitions thus far. Monday's competitions included Boys 12-13 and Girls 12-13, to the delight of thousands in attendance at Belfast's Waterfront Hall.

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"Jig"'s John Whitehurst reclaims World Championship title Boys 12-13

Win Tickets to Riverdance's Final Performance on Irish Central

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Brogan, who dances with Scoil Rince McConomy Bradley in Derry, Ireland, defended her 2011 World Irish Dancing Championship title Monday in the Girls 12-13 competition. The Worlds title is the capstone in a streak of wins for McCay in 2011 which includes the British National Irish Dancing Championship and All-Scotland Irish Dancing Championship titles.

Brogan McCay, Girls under 12
2011 All-Scotland Irish Dancing Champion
Photo courtesy Claymaker52

Brogan McCay swept Irish dance enthusiasts around the world off their feet in Sue Bourne's highly-acclaimed documentary "Jig" with these few words: "My name is Brogan McCay and I'm ten years old and I'll be going to the Worlds for the very first time". For the first time ever, the public is given a glimpse into the journey to what is virtually the Olympics of Irish dancing through the eyes of champions like McCay and her friendly-rival, Julia O'Rourke from the Petri School in New York. In the film, O'Rourke wins the 2010 World Irish Dancing Championship title with McCay taking second place.

Brogan McCay starred in "Jig" the documentary film about the 2010 World Irish Dancing Championships.
Photo:Wellpark Productions

Brogan McKay said, "I love my teachers from Scoil Rince McConomy Bradley!"

And suffice it to say, they surely love Brogan too!

For up-to-the-moment commentary, visit Feis America on FaceBook! Top 10 results, photos and interviews will be added here on Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog frequently all week as well.

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!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Irish and American share World Irish Dancing Championship title

Co-Champions Cyra Taylor and Melanie Valdes with their teachers
2012 Girls 13-14 World Irish Dancing Championship
Photo courtesy On The Feis

Cyra Taylor from Scoil Rince McConomy Bradley in the Ulster Region, Ireland defended her 2011 World Irish Dancing Championship title Monday, with one caveat. Taylor, also the 2009 World Irish Dancing Champion (then as a McConomy student), shared the podium for the Girls 13-14 title with Melanie Valdes from the Petri School in New York. Tied at a score of 700, the friendly rivals were reunited as it were, having shared the All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championship podium in 2011.

Cyra Taylor, 2011 World Irish Dancing Champion
Photo Feis America LLC

Taylor recently claimed the 2012 All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championship for Girls 13-14, her third All-Ireland title since she first competed at the event in 2008. She also has only ever placed first or second in the World for her age group since she was eligible and qualified to compete starting 2009 and has won nearly every major competition she has ever entered. Taylor, the youngest of three girls, started dancing at age three and never looked back, according to her mother, Gina Taylor in an article in the Belfast Telegraph.

Melanie Valdes, who clinched the prestigious North American Feis Commission's Minor Belt in 2011, first competed at the All-Irelands and Worlds in 2009. Often placing 2nd to Taylor's 1st at major competitions (2009 Worlds, 2008-2009-2011 All-Scotlands), Valdes won the 2010 All-Scotland Irish Dancing Championship, beating Taylor for the first time.

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World Irish Dancing Championships Girls 11-12 Top 10 Results

A Look Back at 2011's Top North American Male Irish Dancers

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Both Taylor and Valdes are multi-time regional and national champions. Valdes holds the North American National Irish Dancing Championship for her age group since 2009; Taylor reigns as the Ulster Region and Great Britain Irish Dancing Champion as well as the British National Irish Dancing Champion for several years.

On Facebook, Taylor said, "So happy!! Can't believe I have won the Worlds four years ina row!! I couldn't have done it without my two fabulous teachers Elan and Rosetta [McConomy-Bradley]!"

Melanie Valdes, 2012 World Irish Dancing Co-Champion
Photo: Gil Valdes

As many who know the girls well have said, they clearly inspire each other - and the other dancers in their competitions - to dance the very best on every occasion. The joy they have shared in past achievements is simply the icing on the cake of a unique friendship between two outstanding young athletes.

2012 World Irish Dancing Championships

Girls 13-14 Top 10

Co-Champions Cyra Taylor from McConomy Bradley, Ulster Ireland

and Melanie Valdes from Petri, Mid-Atlantic New York

3-Meghan Bonner from Bonner-Cannon, Ireland

4-Rohan Bole from Caroline Greene, Scotland

5-Ruby-Mae Anthony from Glendarragh, England/Wales

6-Jessica Everitt from Sean Eireann McMahon, England/Wales

7-Taylor-Lee Keating from Cowhie-Ryan, Ireland

8-Katelyn Babcock from Murray, New England USA

9-Caroline Cofoid from Mulhern, Mid America USA

10-Ciara Loughran from King, England

Monday, April 2, 2012

World Irish Dancing Championships Sunday "Jig's" John Whitehurst from Carey reclaims title

2012 World Irish Dancing Champion John Whitehurst
with Beth Monaghan - Carey Academy England
Photo: Susan Gaynor

John Whitehurst reclaimed the World Irish Dancing Championship title he won in 2010 Sunday, to the delight of Jig The Film fans and Irish dance enthusiasts everywhere. The young Irish dancer from Carey Academy in England won hearts and admirers with his story on getting to the 2010 World Irish Dancing Championships. Under the expert tutelage of 8-time World and All-Ireland Irish Dancing Champion John Carey, ADCRG, and with the support and sacrifices of his loving family, Whitehurst is living the dream of every competitive Irish dancer.

Eye on the prize!
2012 World Irish Dancing Champion John Whitehurst
with McKenzie Francis Langford Hodgson - Carey Academy
Photo: Susan Gaynor

Whitehurst also holds the All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championship title for 2010 and 2011; he did not compete in 2012. Gerard Byrne, from McNelis-Cunningham in Ireland, was the 2011 World Irish Dancing Champion for Boys 11-12 when Whitehurst placed 2nd. Byrne is now the 2012 All-Ireland Irish Dancing Champion for Boys 12-13. Whitehurst was also the 2010 North American National Irish Dancing Champion for Boys under 11.

Enjoy this all-star video of the 2010 North American National Parade of Champions which features Patrick Mello from Harney, World and All-Ireland Champion John Whitehurst, Owen Luebbers from Broesler, Macauley Selwood from The Academy, Nathan Dale from Mullane-Healy-O'Brien (now Mullane-Healy-Godley), World and All-Ireland Champion Drew Lovejoy from McGing, World and All-Ireland Champion Joe Bitter from Carey; Lorcan Balfe from Butler-Fearon-O'Connor Eastern Canada and Peter Ryan from Smith-Houlihan.

For up-to-the-moment commentary, visit Feis America on FaceBook! Top 10 results, photos and interviews will be added here on Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog frequently all week as well.

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!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

World Irish Dancing Championships Sunday Boys 10-11 Top 10 Results

Youngest male Irish dancers ready to compete!
Photo Feis America LLC (2011)

Day Two of the 42nd World Irish Dancing Championships held in Belfast and hosted by An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha began with the youngest male Irish dance competitors. Boys from around the globe aged 10-13 were delighted to meet up with old friends and make new ones, and families happily reunited for photo opportunities. Meet 'n' Greets had been planned in advance with moms and sons working out details on message boards and Facebook's Moms to Reel Boys forum.

The newest World Irish Dancing Championships competitors are the Boys aged 10-11. A total of 45 lads from Irish dancing schools in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States were registered to dance, and after two rounds were done, 21 recalled. Of 15 entrants from North America, 7 recalled: Patrick Grant from Butler-Fearon-O'Connor Eastern Canada, Kristian Gudmundsson from Dillon-Gavin, Cameron Lambert from Comerford, Brendan Ours from The Academy, Sean Reagan from Inishfree New York, Henry Sneed from Rince na h'Eireann and Colin Troy from Maguire.

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Read more:

World Irish Dancing Championships Saturday Girls Top 10 Results

World Irish Dancing Champion School McGing Ohio

World Irish Dancing Championships International Judges

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At the recent All Ireland Irish Dancing Championships, Patrick Grant placed 6th and Sean Reagan placed 10th in the Boys 10-11; in 2011, Patrick Grant, in 5th place, was the only North American in the Top 10. In the end, Brendan Ours from The Academy was the highest placing North American in Boys 10-11, with a 4th place coup while Grant placed 8th and Cameron Lambert placed 9th. Sean Reagan placed 14th, Henry Sneed 15th, Kristian Gudmundsson 19th and Troy came in at 21st.

Congratulations to all the competitors! Stay tuned... for more about the Boys 11-12 and 12-13 as well as the Girls 12-13 who competed Sunday at the opening of the World Irish Dancing Championships!

2012 World Irish Dancing Championships

Top 10 Boys 10-11

1- Ruairi McCabe - Morgan - England

2- Ray Shanahan - Kiely-Walsh - Ireland

3 - Ronan McKiernan - Ard Rialla O'Donoghue - Ireland

4 - Brendan Ours - The Academy - USA

5 - Adam McGhee - Coleman - Ireland

6 - Luke Donohoe - Coleman - Ireland

7 - Ciaran Rodden - McConomy Bradley - Ireland

8 - Patrick Grant - Butler-Fearon-O'Connor - Canada

9 - Cameron Lambert - Comerford - California

10 - Dean Gallagher - Geraghty - Ireland