Local Kids Take Top Honours at Western Canadian Irish Dance Championships
VANCOUVER - Five dancers from a single Lower Mainland Irish dance academy have qualified to compete against the best in the world at the world championships of Irish dance to be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland next March.
Of 15 Stewart School dancers who participated in the Western Canadian Championships on November 4 and 5 in Edmonton, five qualified for the Worlds and eight earned a bid to compete in the North American Championships to be held in Nashville this coming July.
Among the top qualifiers, brother and sister duo, Jefferey and Kaitlin Carandang of Richmond. Twelve-year-old Jefferey took first place in his age group, while 10-year-old sister Kaitlin placed third. This will be the first trip to Worlds for both children.
Their appearance on the world stage will be an especially proud moment for their grandmother, Deirdre Ward, also of Richmond, herself a champion dancer who at the age of 11 earned top honours at the competition (then called the All-Ireland) more than half a century ago.
Also headed to Worlds are 19-year-old Melanie Bland (tenth) of Richmond, 18-year-old Shane Byrne (first) of Maple Ridge, and 12-year-old Naomi McCullough (fourth), also from Maple Ridge.
All five young athletes study under Magdalene Stewart at the Stewart School of Irish Dance. Herself a decorated champion dancer, certified dance instructor and adjudicator, Magdalene knows what it takes to excel in an extremely competitive sport.
"At this level of competition, it is the dedication, hard work and commitment of the dancer that determines their progress" says Stewart. "I am extremely proud of all our dancers that competed in Edmonton."
One of the largest dance academies in the city, The Stewart School of Irish Dance has a long history of supporting Irish Dance and Culture in the Lower Mainland. The school offers beginner to champion level classes in Maple Ridge, Vancouver, Richmond and Langley/Surrey every week, as well as a Master Class, Adult Class and Performance Class in New Westminster. For more information about the school, visit: www.stewartschoolofirishdance.com.
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