• Ally Gavigan:
• 16 September 2013

How it all started..

Find out why Emily started Irish dancing at the age of 15

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How it all started

I was a student at secondary school when I developed a fascination with the art of Irish dancing. A teacher of mine had a daughter who must have been about ten years old and she danced in one of the school assembly’s. She had an amazing black and blue traditional dress, and she looked beautiful when she danced, the steps looked so intricate and from that day on, I decided I would like to do this sport and see where it will take me.

I went home that day after school and told my mum about Irish dancing. I asked if I could take it up instead of swimming, her reply was yes, but I would have to find a local class. I then looked on the computer for local classes in my area. This took a while to find but I found the Carter school of Irish dancing run by Bernie Carter who has taught me so much over the years.

I was nearly 15 years old when I started and I was the oldest at the local class but I did not mind, I loved it, it made me feel so happy when I danced.

My sister Charlotte took me to my first class. I was so scared but excited at the same time. My teacher Bernie was very friendly and soon got me on my feet doing my first up and back and 1,2,3. I practiced lots of steps during this lesson but the first actual dance which I learned was the light jig. Although everyone else in this class was younger, I did not mind as I enjoyed it and made friends.

When I went back to class every Thursday I looked forward to it as I was able to express myself through Irish dancing in a completely different world. I could get away from everything else around me and not have any other worries on my mind than getting my steps right so I could practice them at home.

If you are a teenager or an adult and would like to start Irish dancing, there is nothing to be afraid of.

So what if you are the eldest there?

Enjoy it, feel good about yourself that you can do it- you can dance your heart out to the world to see. Sometimes, it can get you through a difficult time of your life and for me, to escape all of the problems that I had was the reason I have carried on dancing and I will never stop.

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