Did you know that some professional football players take Irish dance to help with agility, improve kicks, and other skills?

They sure do! There have been published articles and videos of interviews with NFL players over the years. Two that you can google search are Daniel Whelan and Alex Collins, to see how they say Irish dance improves their skills in the game. Their stories are inspirational for boys around the world.

Did you know that you don’t have to be Irish to Irish dance?

Yes, that’s true! Irish dance can be found in over thirty countries around the world and has several thousand dancers competing. Many dancers do it for the love of the sport and actually have no Irish family roots. Some countries that have Irish dance schools that might surprise you are Germany, Russia, and Mexico!

Did you know that the famous show, Lord of the Dance, was imagined and brought to life by an American Irish dancer?

Michael Flatley, the creator, choreographer and lead in the original show, learned how to Irish dance at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance in Chicago from instructor Dennis Dennehy. The Dennehy School still exists and is lead by Dennis Dennehy’s daughter, Kathleen.

The school has produced many champion Irish dancers over the years, and is still going strong today. Isn’t that an interesting fact that the famous show that made Irish dancing so popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, was actually created from an American?

Did you know that there is no age limit to compete in Irish dance?

Anyone that is able to dance, no matter the age, can compete. Competitions start with the wee little ones and go right on up to senior adults, including everything in between.

Competitions are set by age and level, but you are never “too old” if you would like to start dancing. Over the last decade, the adult age groups for solo dancing have really become popular and continue to grow in numbers.

Catherine Duplisea was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She danced for and now assistant teaches for the Burke School of Irish Dance. Catherine attained her Bachelors degree at John Carroll University, Ohio and earned a Masters of Education: Applied Digital Learning degree from Lamar University, Texas. She taught elementary education for ten years, served as a curriculum STEM coach for teachers for five years, and currently supports principals in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.