Irish Dance
The worldwide success of Riverdance has made Irish dance popular.
Troupes of Irish dancers have sprung up all over the United States.
It's thrilling to watch their lightning fast footwork. The girls
dress in beautiful costumes with hand-embroidered Celtic designs
and their curling wigs bounce as they launch themselves high into
the air.
Our guest cook Maggie has been studying Irish dance since she
was just 4-years old. She is one of the Burke
Irish Dancers.
We visited them during a practice session and learned that more
people are involved in Irish dance in the United States than in
Ireland.
The Burke Dancers compete in regional and national competitions.
It's hard work to get your feet to fly like that. These young
women are true athletes and push themselves to their limits as
their teachers encourage them to kick their legs higher than their
heads.
The History
of Irish Dance is fascinating but its just one part of the
rich Irish
culture.
We've picked out some websites that we thought you might like
to explore:
Learn
the meaning and origins of Irish names
Irish
stories for children
The
story of St. Patrick
Learn
why some Irish emigrated to the United States
Irish Pride doesn't end on St. Patrick's Day. There are Irish
Heritage and Celtic Music festivals in major cities around
the US.
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