20,000 Calgary Stampede Visitors Enchanted by Irish Dancers for 10 Days Straight
CALGARY - This year is Alberta's Centennial Year and there have been many celebrations throughout the province to mark the occasion. The world famous Calgary Stampede was no exception, with a budget running just under $3.5 million.
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SALLY HOUSTON with Nigel Lew third place winner boys Under 13 years at the North American Championships. Kim Houston Kinash and Kerry Houston teachers of Scoil Ard Na Greine Calgary.
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As part of the big birthday celebrations, the grandstand show had a special multi-cultural section which included Irish dancing.
The Scoil Ard Na Greine School of Irish Dance under the direction of Sally Houston, had just returned triumphant from the North American Championships in Nashville, Tennessee, when they arrived on stage to participate in the event.
After the intense competition in Nashville, the dancers arrived home and hit the stage at the Stampede the next 10 days straight. While this might seem daunting to some, these dancers took it all stride... the youngest dancer being 10-year-old Alexia Bell.
Each evening they arrived bright-eyed and ready to perform to the huge delight an audience of approximately 20,000 people each evening. Teacher Sally Houston said, “what a great way to finish up our dancing year!”
When they arrived back in Calgary, the dancers were still riding a wave of elation with their accomplishments in Nashville. Among the winners was a new National Champion. It was an amazing victory for dancer Emily McDonnell who held on to her first place title for a second year in a row.
Nigel Lew placed third at the North American Championships and also placed fifth at the World Championships in Ennis earlier this year. Nigel has now held the top three positions at National Championships.
Colin Casey also placed eighth at the North American Championships and 15th at the World Championships. An amazing job for Colin as this was his first visit to the Worlds.
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MUSICIANS, Merv Bell of Edmonton, Pat King of Toronto, Brian Glynn, Chris McLoughlin and Michelle Bergin of New Jersey, celebrating the completion of the North American Irish Dance Championships. Winning smiles from Nigel Lew, Scoil Ard Na Griene Calgary, who won third place in boys Under 13 and Rebecca Bell of the Matteirin School of Edmonton, who placed 10th.
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Other Scoil Ard Na Greine dancers who placed in solo competitions were Jenna Scott and Brittany McLeod. It was a magnificent achievement for these dancers and their teachers who have trained so many successful dancers over the years.
Approximately 26 dancers representing Calgary attended the North American Championships with three ceili teams and a senior figure choreography as well as many solo competitors from the school.
The Senior Figure Choreography presented by Scoil Ard Na Greine was entitled Ireland’s Travelling People and was choreographed and directed by Kim Houston Kinash and Kerry Houston. It placed fourth in one of the most prestigeous events of the weekend.
In the Under 16 Mixed Ceili category, the school placed third with some very excited dancers taking the podium for their medals. The Senior Girls Ceili placed tenth which was fantastic as they didn’t make the medals last year.
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DANCERS FROM SCOIL ARD NA GREINE Calgary participating in Grandstand Show at Calgary Stampede.
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With all their success in competition there was more excitement when they learned that Deirdre McDonnell (National Champion Emily McDonnell’s sister) is off to Asia with Riverdance as dance captain.
Meanwhile, Emily has been offered a position with the show too. Cara Casey continues as understudy with The Boyne Company touring North America.
Calgary is now well on the map in the Irish dancing world with a new National Champion... A huge congratulations is also extended to Ian Gott from The Irwin School on placing First in Nashville. That’s a total of three national champions in Calgary in the last two years. Well done dancers!
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For more information about the Scoil Ard Na Greine School of Irish Dance, call (403) 286-5380, or visit their website at: www.scoilardnagreine.ca.
[Many thanks to Pat McCay of ProCoat Coatings of Calgary who suggested this story. He was among the audience who were charmed by Scoil Ard Na Greine dancers at the Calgary Stampede.]
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