Little Jane Richard is an Irish dancer. She lost her leg in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombing. Her brother, 8-year-old Martin, passed away.

News of the Boston Marathon bombing was bad enough, but we learned today that a little Irish dancer and her mother were seriously injured in the blasts, and her brother lost his life.

Jane Richard, a 7-year-old dancer for the Clifden Academy in Massachusetts, reportedly lost her leg in the bombing that occurred near the finish line at the Boston Marathon. Her brother Martin Richard, 8, died in the blast. Media outlets report that their mother sustained brain injuries.

Amid all the sadness, many supporters of the Richard family have stepped up to help however they can. A bank account has been established for the family, and donations are being accepted, according to Irish Dancing Magazine.

Donations can be sent to:

Meetinghouse Bank:
2250 Dorchester Ave
Dorchester Ctr, MA 20124
USA
Checks should be made to: The Richard Family Fund

Anyone who would like to send card to the family can do so by mailing them to:

Saint Ann Parish Neponset
243 Neponset Avenue
Dorchester, Mass. 02122

Fusion Fighters are a mysterious group of elite Irish, tap and hip hop dancers.

Last week, the Fusion Fighters, described by an anonymous representative of the group as “an elite performance crew, utilising and combining various characteristics of dance, music, comedy, technology and film” released a video on YouTube that prompted laughter, awe and a little confusion.

Who are these dancers in combat gear, faces covered, waving swards through the air?

They’re “world class dancers, each a leader in their respective field, who have been trained to combine multiple high energy dance disciplines,” the representative said. “Without ever revealing their true identities, each project the Fusion Fighters undertake will involve advanced performance video technology, breathtaking choreography and a limitless range of music collaboration, creating a mysterious and elusive vibe and spectacular performances.”

The Fusion Fighters will make their live performance debut Sunday (St. Patrick’s Day) in London’s Trafalgar Square.

For the last few weeks, Irish dance troupes from around the world have been uploading their own renditions of the viral video craze to YouTube. I’ve posted a bunch of those videos below, including the one that my fellow Buffalo, NY, Irish dancers and I shot a few weeks ago for Buffalo.com. It’s the first — and arguably best — video posted below

Shamrock Shake – original

The original Irish dance class version

Southern region Harlem Shake

Dayton Irish dancers’ Harlem Shake

Another Shamrock Shake

Men of Trinity Harlem Shake

Sure, we’ve all seen the Irish dancer Christmas ornaments, but it’s annoying when the tiny dancer’s feet aren’t crossed or pointed. Or maybe the apparel isn’t entirely historically/culturally accurate. Irish dancers are picky, right?

Well, lucky for us, the Internet has made shopping for the Irish dancer(s) in our lives so much simpler. There exist beautiful notebooks, adorable iPod cases, fuzzy slippers and so much more.

Without further ado, I present my Irish dancer Christmas list:
FeisFeet slippers, $29.99

Ursula Celano notebook and bag, €5.95 and €36.00

iPod cozy, $10

Irish dance cookie cutter, $4.99

poodle sock monkey, (DIY!)
This Rince Go Bragh creation is so cute — and handmade! I don’t know about you, but I love creative gifts from the heart.

Personalized ghillie necklace, $45

“Jig” DVD, $10.19 at Target

Diddlyi subscription, $9.95/month

Over the course of 10 days, show directors Paula Goulding and Shane McAvinchey taught more than 50 dancers the ins and outs of Irish show dancing. The majority of the dancers came from competitive dancing backgrounds, having — in general — little to no show experience.

In June, I had the pleasure of chatting with both Goulding and McAvinchey about the development of the show and how the two came to collaborate. The video below follows up on the show, interviewing the directors and some cast members just a few days before the show’s Dublin debut.

According to a Guardian article, Flatley came up with the idea for the “World Dance Awards,” and Weinstein was all over the idea, too. So the two decided to team up and announce the award show concept at the Mipcom conference in Cannes.

“It’s going to be a game changer for all the networks that buy the show,” said Weinstein, who compared the show to the Grammys. “This is going to be a ratings blockbuster that the people who buy it early will have year after year after year.”

“It’s a dream come true which has taken too long to happen,” Flatley told ScreenDaily. “We hope it will appeal to millions and millions of kids from around the world who dance, of every nationality. The best thing about the show is its large demographic – from five to 95, dance appeals to all ages.”

The YouTube teaser’s info says that the special will follow five American dancers to the World Irish Dancing Championships in Belfast.

In April, a talent scout for the show had reached out to me, and I wrote a post about it right here on RincePop.com.

“Big Jig” will air Oct. 9 on TLC.

Watch the trailer below:

New York Times

In June, the New York Times published a gallery  featuring Irish dancers at the World Irish Dancing Championships in Belfast.

Some of the photos accurately depicted the image of an offstage dancer before/after she competed. The tan lines, overly made-up faces, outrageous wigs — it’s all captured and presented to the world.

Now, the misery on the dancers’ faces — that, to me, is inaccurate. As a former child dancer myself, I know that most Irish dancers’ gut instinct is to smile like a maniac when a camera is near. The world championships can be stressful, I’m sure, but also joyous days for dancers who get to see their friends who’ve traveled from across the globe to be present. I’m interested in learning how and why photographer Kenneth O’Halloran instructed the dancers to pose the way they did.

Friday, the New York Times’ 6th Floor Blog published the article, “What’s up with those Irish Dancing Costumes?“

The Times reporter went to Dr. John Cullinane, known historian of Irish dance costumes and respected dance master.

He addresses the costumes, tans and wigs — which, we all admit, can be a little out of control — and the makeup. For some reason, Irish dancers are targeted for wearing lots of colorful eye shadow. Other dancers get away with wearing “stage makeup.”

Cullinane explains that Irish dancers, too, use stage makeup:

“Competitions are held in huge auditoriums, on stages that measure about 40 feet wide, and the lighting required to light those stages is tremendous. Irish dancers, like all performers, get made up. So there’s nothing unusual about making up the dancers. But the extent to which it’s done is surprising, particularly with the young children.

We do have competitions in which children at the early ages are not allowed to wear makeup and must wear simple dresses. We try to control it, but it is a very parent-driven thing.”

So, now that one issue’s cleared up, can anyone explain to me why the Times is suddenly interested in likening Irish dancing to “Toddlers in Tiaras”? There is a HUGE difference here: Irish dancers have talent.

Dancers Ciaran Plummer and Zach Klingenberg’s first Irish dance dubstep video amassed more than a half-million views on YouTube since being posted to YouTube two months ago.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Plummer and Klingenburg for IrishCentral in early May. It was the duo’s first official press interview as TapTronic.

This new video, posted below, is entitled “Cracks TapTronic Remix.” The song to which they dance is “Cracks,” remixed by Flux Pavilion.

The video was directed by Bojan Vanovac; audio production by Jared Hancock;  and the video was produced by Brian Doherty.

From the official Noctu Facebook page:

Dear all,

I’m about to make my final decision around the casting of “The Rite of Spring”, but would still be interested in seeing more male dancers.
If you are interested and free for the summer periods listed below, or if you know anyone who might be a good candidate, contact me at bdegalla@gmail.com. I may have one final audition, and that would include those who have expressed interest already and/or have been auditioned already.

Dancers would have to base themselves in or near Dublin.

Those dates are …

June 22 – 26
July 16 – August 8
(These dates are not set in stone)

Regards,

Breandán