Presented By

NTIF 2011 Dance Performers

First, a word about compeditive Irish Step dancing. Competitive Irish dance is governed by a board in Ireland, An Coimisiún le Rinci Gaelacha, and is serious business amongst the participants.

The Fèis

The Fèis, roughly pronounced as fesh, plural Ffeisanna (Irish) or Fèisean (Scottish) is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival.

In Ancient Ireland communities placed great importance on local festivals, where Gaels could come together in song, dance, music, theatre and sport. The largest of these was the Aonach, the great festival at Tara, which was then the city of Ireland's Ardrí, or "High King". These feiseanna were a rich opportunity for storytellers to reach a large audience, and often warriors would recount their exploits in combat, clansmen would trace family genealogies, and bards and balladeers would lead the groups in legends, stories, and song. Feis

In the modern Fèis there are 6 levels of competition at local Feisanna structured by age groups: Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Novice, Prizewinner, and then the champion levels of Preliminary Champion and Opens Champions. Each level has requirements of the number of 1st places that must be achieved for each dance (reel, light jig, single jig, slip jig, treble jig) in order to move up to the next level through the grades, the first 4 levels. Once those levels are mastered one moves into Preliminary Champs were a minimum of two 1st place wins must be achieved before one can move into the Opens level. The standard of competition at the Preliminaries and Opens is very high and the dancers are truly amazing to watch.

Feiseanna are held all over the world, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, all over Europe, South Africa, the USA and Canada. The local Fèis, that takes place at the same time as NTIF, is called the Texas State Championship Fèis and is run by the McTeggart Irish Dancers of North Texas. This event was born at the NTIF and for the first few years was an integral part of the festival. It's growth over the years forced it to relocate to larger facilities at the DFW Sheraton where it attracts compeditors from many of the surrponding states as well as Texas.

In addition there is at least one major competition that dancers want to compete in - the Regional Oireachtas (the word "oireachtas" literally means "gathering" in English). The Southern Region Oireachtas took place the first week of December in Washington DC and dancers from Texas there were working to qualify to compete in the North American Nationals Competition to held in July 2011 in Nashville, and the biggest of the big - the World's Irish Dancing Competition (Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne) to be held in Dublin, Ireland in April of 2011. Less than half will qualify for Nationals and only the top few dancers in each age competition will qualify for Worlds. In the Irish dancing sport, World's is their Olympics.

Worlds were held in Glasgow in 2007, Belfast in 2008, Philadelphia in 2009 and returned to Glasgow for the 40th Anniversary in 2010. The World Oireachtas (Oireachtas Rince Na Cruinne) is typically held Easter Week.

In order to compete at a Fèis in North America, a dancer must be registered with An Coimisiun le Rince Gaelacha and its subsidiary the Irish Dance Teacher's Association of North America.

In Texas we are fortunate to have some of the best dance schools in the country, and naturally some of the best dance students. At any given North Texas Irish Festival we have World's level competitors and World Medal Holders dancing for us.

Cass Academy of Irish Dance

Since being established in 2005 by director Erin Cass, TCRG, Cass Academy has been captivating audiences in the Houston area and beyond! Traditional Irish Dance lessons are offered in three locations for girls and boys of all ages- The Woodlands & Katy (Houston) and Cedar Park (Austin).

Cass Academy's competitive success has led their students to compete at the local, national, and world levels. You don't want to miss this electrifying performance group!

Emerald School of Irish Dance

The Emerald School of Irish Dance was first established in 1968 in Vermont, moved to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in 1977 and has been teaching and promoting the art of Irish dance in North Texas ever since. Directed by Emily Touzin, a native Dubliner, and Leslie Touzin Middleton, TCRG, Emerald dancers have performed in shows throughout the North Texas area, including the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center with the world famous Chieftains, the Bass Performance Hall with the Trinity Irish Dancers and the North Texas Irish Festival, to name a few. Emerald dancers can also be seen throughout the year at local pubs, schools, corporate events, festivals and weddings.

This award winning schools students enter Irish dance competitions throughout the US and Ireland, placing in the top 10 in both solos and figures at the Southern Region Championships held every year in December. Their dancers have consistently qualified for the World Championships and the North American National Championships.

The Emerald School is host to the Emerald Bluebonnet Feis, May 6 & 7, 2011 at the Westin Hotel D/FW Airport which is a competition for Irish dance, music, singing, art, and even baking.

Classes are open to children and adults - for fun or competition - in Dallas, Lewisville, and Arlington. They are happy to dance at the NTIF 2011 where they have performed since the NTIF first began.

Jackson Irish Dancers

Jackson Irish Dancers, founded in 1998, is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to spread knowledge, enjoyment and understanding of traditional Irish dance through instruction, performance, and social gathering. In other words, we started this group so we’d have more folks to dance with ... so far, it’s working!

We offer classes and are available for performance bookings or to call your next céilí. Our performances feature traditional Irish set dancing, céilí dancing, and solo dancing, under the direction of Catherine Sherer Bishop, MFA, TCRG.

Maquire Academy of Irish Dance

Darren Maguire relocated to Tucson in the summer of 2006 to open the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance after hanging up his Riverdance shoes. Having danced with the world-renowned show for ten years, Maguire performed on the world’s most notable stages, including Radio City Music Hall, The Kremlin and the Great Hall of the People in China. Darren is an accredited ADCRG, certified to adjudicate Irish dance competitions under the rules of the Dublin, Ireland-based Irish Dancing Commission. Darren’s championship record is long. Before joining Riverdance in 1996, he had earned first place at many regional and National competitions, including the Great Britains, All England, All Ireland and the Regional Oireachtas. He also earned a second place in the World Championships.

In the spring of 2007, Maguire Academy of Irish Dance opened a branch in Dallas, TX. Maguire Academy teaches classes for dancers ranged in age from four to adult. This past December 18 dancers from Maguire Academy competed in the 2010 Southern Region Oireachtas regional championships, winning one Oireachtas Championship, as well as a large number of dancers earning medals and qualifying to compete in the 2011 North American Nationals, as well as the 2011 World Championships Competitions.

The Maguire Academy Dancers have performed all over North Texas for many local schools and nursing homes, private corporations and for the Dance Council. In the fall of 2009, the Maguire Academy Dancers were honored to be chosen to perform at the opening of Dallas’ newest premiere performance venue, the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

McTeggart Irish Dancers

The McTeggart Irish Dancers perform throughout the North Texas area, and compete against dancers from all across the United States when they attend a Fèis. Qualifying students also compete at the Southern Region Oireachtas, the North American Nationals and internationally in England and Ireland. Students of all ages are welcome to join for instruction in both competitive and non-competitive dancing.

The McTeggart School of Irish Dancing was established in 1939 in Cork, Ireland. The first director was Peg McTeggart, the eldest of four sisters, all of them champion dancers. The school soon spread throughout the whole of County Cork due to the efforts of younger sister Maureen McTeggart Hall, TCRG and ADCRG. In 1958 Maureen McTeggart Hall and her family immigrated to the United States, bringing with them the art of Irish Dancing and introducing it to the Western Region of the United States.

Maureen McTeggart Hall began teaching in Denver in 1976 and has built one of the most respected schools in the nation. McTeggart schools have consistently qualified dancers for the World Championships in Ireland and proven to be a top school in competitions. A past chairman of the Western Region, Maureen McTeggart Hall is a vice-president of the Irish Dancing Commission and has adjudicated at the North American and World Championships.

Shandon School of Irish Dance

Instructor Kay Brown LaGreca T.C.R.G. began dancing in County Cork, Ireland at the age of five. After moving to Texas, she grew to love Irish dance under the instruction of Emily Touzin. She continued to dance with Emily until she met Eoin O'Maoileidigh in April of 1994.

Kay attended her first competition under Eoin in June of 1994 and swiftly began to work her way towards championship levels. In March of 1995, after less than a year of dedicated practice and class time, Kay entered her first preliminary championship competition where she won third place. She continued competing successfully for the next three years during which she won the Southern Region Oireachtas and qualified for Worlds.

In January of 1998, Kay's beloved teacher Eoin moved back to Ireland and left the school to Kay. The school was supported by Colm O'Maoileidegh, T.C.R.G. until Kay became T.C.R.G. certified in October of 2001. The school now known as the Shandon School of Irish Dance has enjoyed many successes over the years including regular recalls and qualifications for Worlds at the Southern Region Oireachtas and recalls and placings at the North American Irish Dance Championships also known as Nationals. Shandon is proud to announce the success of Jason Hickman in placing 3rd in solos and Qualifying for Worlds at the 2010 Southern Region Oireachtas. The Shandon School of Irish Dance also currently holds the titles of Southern Region Champions in the Adult Ceili Mixed and Ladies 8 hands.

Catherine Sherer Bishop

Catherine Sherer Bishop holds a M.F.A in Dance from SMU and a M.A. in Ethnochoreology, with an emphasis in Traditional Irish Dance, from the University of Limerick, the latter of which she earned on a Fulbright grant. She also holds a teacher certification from both An Coimisuún le Rincí Gaelacha and Cairde Rince Céilí na hÉireann.

She has studied, performed, and taught Irish dance in multiple locations, including Ireland, France, Germany, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia, and South Carolina. In addition, Catherine has called the céili for the North Texas Irish Festival, The Celtic Heritage Festival, the Austin Celtic Festival, and various other céili in Ireland, Texas and Mississippi. This year for NTIF she will be conducting a dance workshop prior to the céili.

Michael and Susan Harrison

Spurred by Riverdance and the spotlight it shone on Irish dance, Michael and Susan began taking Irish céilí and step dance lessons from the Emerald School of Irish Dance in 1997. They were hooked. Travel to Ireland in 2001 introduced Michael and Susan to Irish set dancing, which they study and practice locally and via dance workshops in North America and Ireland.

Susan is a certified céilí dance teacher, having obtained TMRF certification from An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha in 2007. Michael and Susan teach traditional céilí and set dancing via recreation centers and workshops. They also call the Celtic Céilí dances for the Southwest Celtic Music Association at the ArtCentre of Plano, monthly céilís at Trinity Hall in Dallas, and the Saturday evening NTIF céilí annually.

Lone Star Ceili Band

The Lone Star Ceili Band was born out of the Richardson Sessions at Cafe Brazil. It is a union of the members of two bands, Happensdance and the Irish band known as Jigsaw. More could be said about these musicians than could ever be written on this page.

The pioneering efforts of Ken and Peggy Fleming and Kevin Alewine have spearheaded most of what Dallas has seen of Irish music in the past two decades. They have played in several bands known to Irish music lovers and have helped to form many related events such as the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat and the Trinity Hall Sessions, thus fostering the interests of untold numbers of musicians, listeners, and dancers. This Irish powerhouse joined forces with Happensdance members, Mimi Rogers and Allison Hicks to bring the spirit of the Irish ceili to the contra dance floor.

Irish music has long been a staple for the bands that have played at the Dallas contra dances and never has it been played with such accuracy and ease and with such respect for the tradition as with the LSCBand. This band is splendid addition to our growing wealth of music.