By Eleanor Wilson
It may not be the most common dance form in Australia, but a group of Beaconhills College Pakenham students have Irish jigged their way to the top of their craft at the 2023 Australian National Irish Dancing Championships.
Forming part of a team of 36 dancers from The McAleer Irish Dance School, Beaconhills College competitors Lyla, Amelia, Emma, Indiana and Shona took out every category in the Under 15 competition, including the two hand, four hand, eight hand and figure dance events.
McAleer Irish Dance School principal Fiona Holmes said the students performed particularly well at this year’s championships, which were held in Sydney in September.
“We’re pretty fortunate. The kids on average win five national titles a year, but this year they won 14 as a collective school, which was the most of any school in Australia this year,” she said.
But the pool of trophies did not come without plenty of hard work, with the girls training four to five hours every day in the week leading up to the national competition.
“It’s hours and hours of work. Irish dancing is very precise, especially team work,” Fiona said.
“They have to all be dancing at the exact same time, with the music, doing the exact same movement with their body, it’s very synchronised.”
“That week before nationals it’s tough because we do a lot of hours each day but once you get to nationals it is all worth it,” Lyla said.
Fourteen-year-old Lyla has been Irish dancing since she was two years old, while her teammate Amelia first got involved six years ago.
“I like competing and I really like dancing in teams, it is really fun,” Amelia said.
The girls’ performance at nationals has earned them a spot in the World Championships in Glasgow next year, but most of them will not make the journey to Scotland to compete.
“It’s a very costly experience and they have to qualify as a soloist and in a team,” Fiona said.
“That’s the long term goal, to continue qualifying at this level, being the best in Australia and then if the stars align and they’re all a bit older and more experienced and we’ve got the funds, we’ll head to worlds.”
McAleer Irish Dance School has a 50-year history in Australia, started by Fiona’s parents when they immigrated to Australia from Ireland.
The school moved its base to Pakenham 10 years ago and has since built a growing community of enthusiastic dancers.
“The children here are such hard workers, they really want to be successful together so I think that has made a big difference,” Fiona said.
“They’re just so passionate; they motivate and inspire me to want to keep doing it as well.”
“My mother came here to Australia with my dad and they built this legacy and that’s the best part, that I get to continue that and hopefully a new generation will one day keep it going.”
Amelia’s mum Saasha Bugeja said her daughter’s participation in the sport has helped her build resilience and confidence.
“From a parent’s perspective, your kids, whatever age they are, put themselves out there on that stage to be judged and when the hard work and the commitment and the hours and the long days and nights, when that all comes together it’s pretty incredible,” she said.
“There was a time where I couldn’t imagine Amelia getting on stage and demonstrating the confidence to not care about what anybody thinks and to just do it because she loves it, I’m grateful for that.”
