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Health & Fitness

Irish Dancing: Put A Bit O' Irish In Your Step Today

An interview with a young local Irish Dancer hopes to put an extra Irish jig in your step this week.

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday known for parades, shamrocks and all things Irish. From leprechauns to the color green, it is a day filled with fun and festivity. For Kate Welborn (Carlsbad, CA), it is a day filled with dancing.

Kate is an Irish Dancer. While traditional Irish Dance competitions are year round, this is her busy season. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, she and her studio, Butler-Fearon-O'Connor School  (Carlsbad location) are performing at local churches, libraries, schools, senior citizen resident halls and other community centers. In total they will make about 12 appearances in less than 14 days. On St. Patrick's Day, they are performing in the St. Patrick's Day Parade at Balboa Park (the largest St. Patrick's Day Parade on the west coast), as well as at St. John's Catholic School (Encinitas, CA) and at Barfly LaJolla for the American Ireland Fund Party. 

To watch Kate in action, it is easy to see why her form of dancing is in such high demand. Irish dance embodies athletic prowess and joyous energy interfused in age-old tradition and culture. Dating back to the 12th century, traditional Irish dancing emphasizes the feet which move in a thunderous pace. The arms and body remain mostly stationary. The steps are complex, lightening quick and difficult. Other factors such as the height, turn-out, toe stance, extension, reach and speed of the kicks all go into the intricate skips and hops that make up the rhythmic jigs.

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Kate started dancing at the age of seven and has been now dancing for over four years. She started when she traveled to Ireland and Scotland to watch her neighbor compete at the World Champions. She was hooked. While active in other sports, she says that her primary focus is dancing. She loves Irish Dancing because it feels like "a family" to her. She simply enjoys dancing with her friends. Kate's parents couldn't agree more. Originally they signed Kate up because they felt it was a fun way to stay active. They are still involved because of the people. Nancy Welborn, Kate's mom, actually refers to Kate's dancing friends as her "dance school family." She says, "It is amazing how natural the friendships develop. Everyone is so warm and welcoming and social. You walk through the studio door and are instantly greeted by friends." Nancy also appreciates the down-to-earth aspect of it. The Welborns were originally introduced to the studio through their neighbor. "And we were instantly sold by the modesty of the dance moves and costumes," claims Nancy. In an age where girls are trying to grow up all too quickly, Irish Dance is a breath of fresh air. Literally.

The costume are not tight or revealing. In fact, the costume worn by Irish dancers today commemorate the clothing of the past. Each school of dancing has its own distinct dancing costume based on the Irish peasant dress worn hundreds of years ago. The girls at Kate's studio start out performing wearing the school jumper displaying the school's color and Celtic designs. As they progress in their classes, they move up to a school dress and eventually work their way up to a solo dress. Kate's solo dress is red and white. While short enough to display her legs that are the focus of the dance, it remains modest and appropriate for her age.

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While dancing, Kate looks exactly like an eleven-year-old girl. With blond ringlets, porcelain skin and sparkling blue eyes, Kate looks like she easily could be dancing down an Irish country lane. She also looks like she is having the time of her life. Smiling comes easily for dancers and audience members alike. Irish dancing is fun. And fun is exactly what what her school emphasizes. The goal of the Butler-Fearon-O'Connor School (located in several Southern California locations, including Kate's studio in Carlsbad, CA) is to teach Irish dance and make it a "wonderful and memorable experience." That doesn't mean that the school isn't competitive. Ranked the top North American School and 2nd in the world, students in the Butler-Fearon-O’Connor School have won numerous titles, including North American, Great Britain, All-Scotland, All-Ireland, and World Champion. Several senior dancers with the school have toured with or are currently touring with shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Currently 60 students are preparing for Worlds.

Kate would love nothing more that to follow her mentor's footsteps and perform on the international world stage. But for now, she is content to be doing what she loves best. She is dancing with her friends in front of a smiling crowd. And she is enjoying every skip, hop and drum of her feet. For the parade, she will leave her red solo dress hanging in her closet. Instead, she will be wearing a green school shirt in honor of all things Irish.

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