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 … Continue reading »
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Fusion Fighters obliterate Irish dance stereotype with samurai swards
A mysterious group of dancing ninjas is more than meets the eye. 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. … Continue reading »
Irish dancers’ renditions of the ‘Harlem Shake’
It feels like everyone’s jumping on the “Harlem Shake” bandwagon, and Irish dancers are no exception. 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 … Continue reading »
An Irish dancer’s Christmas list
It can be tough buying Christmas gifts for Irish dancers because the options, until recently, have been fairly limited. 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 … Continue reading »
Michael Flatley co-creates ‘World Dance Awards’
Michael Flatley and film industry mogul Harvey Weinstein have created an award show to honor all the best lords and ladies of the dance. 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 … Continue reading »
TLC’s ‘Big Jig’ trailer released — watch it here!
TLC has finally released a sneak peek of its hotly anticipated “Big Jig” special. 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 … Continue reading »
NY Times’ sudden interest in Irish dancing
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 … Continue reading »
New TapTronic video posted to YouTube
TapTronic posted a second astoundingly entertaining video to YouTube this morning. 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 … Continue reading »
New York Irish Dance Company on ‘America’s Got Talent’
The New York Irish Dance Company wowed “America’s Got Talent” judges on Tuesday night’s show, earning the crew a perfect three-star score. The clip featuring the NY steppers lasted less than 30 seconds, but I’m hoping that means the dancers will be making a comeback during a later show. Perhaps this is just an introduction, … Continue reading »
‘Strictly Irish Dancing’ — watch it here!
Originally released as a two-part documentary about Irish dancing, TV3′s “Strictly Irish Dancing” is available to watch in multiple segments on YouTube. Enjoy!