9 replies to this topic

[Alexandra]

Kim, if you'd like to try Irish dancing, I'm sure the other dancers will welcome you   

People often make assumptions -- they may just assume that all Irish dancers are from Irish backgrounds, as though being named "McCarthy" automatically gives you fast feet   So saying, "But you don't look Irish!" doesn't necessarily mean they think it's wrong for you to be doing it, but just that they're surprised that someone who isn't Irish is taking Irish dance classes.

Give it a try -- I'll bet they're nice.  If they're not, glare at them and say, "I come from a long line of McGillicuddies" and then dance better than they do

[Alexandra]

It's an Irish last name

[vagansmom]

...and I'm not Irish (Italian descent). I married into the business, fell in love with it (and the teacher of course) and the rest is history. I did lots of folk dance and clogging before I discovered Irish.

I run an annual feis for our dance school. I register every competitor so I get to see all their names. We had almost 500 competitors this year. MANY weren't Irish. There were Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Saudi Arabian, and African American competitors among the many backgrounds. People who worked at our stages and various booths included someone from the Phillipines, Japan, and India. Many, MANY of our students aren't of Irish descent. What everyone has in common is a love of Irish dance.

[Mel Johnson]

There's a good Irish school in our area, and one of the boys is African-American.  He's a sensible young fellow and came to Irish dance via tap.  He thought that Irish "made more sense" somehow.  He faced the "non-Irish anxiety" and I told him to respond, if anybody asked him why he danced Irish, "What's the matter?  Never heard of Black Irish before?";)

[Twinkle_RBS_gal]

Wanna know what i say to your question?????
I think you should just go for it!!!!! If you've got a passion for it and you love it, don't let anything stop you!!! I've done irish dancing, and i'm Welsh, so just go for it!

[vagansmom]

My sister just told me last night she's signing her daughter up for Irish dance lessons where she lives in another state. My sister's Italian, her daughter's adopted from Korea. This little girl can't wait to start her lessons!

[Doris R]

My daughter used to do competetive Highland Dancing -- there were dancers from all kinds of backgrounds (although most are of Celtic descent)  The first few times I saw a very Celtic name and a little Korean or Vietnamese child came out to compete caught me off guard.  But our shared heritage is as much that of their adoptive parents as that they were born into.

On the other hand, my fair-haired freckled-nosed dancing daughter studied Arnis (Phillopino Stick Fighting)  until she became too busy with her dance studies, and was a Junior Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do!