Six members of a Maple Grove’s Rince Nua Irish Dance team will show off their moves on the very land their craft was founded. Five of the girls, ranging in age between 10 and 14, will compete in the Cumann Rince Naisiunta (CRN) Irish Open Championships in Dublin in May. One will be competing in the World Open in Wexford in June.
Lauren Adams-Plehal (Orono), Irelandrose Langer (St. Michael), Kiana Erickson (Maple Grove), Ava Licht (Maple Grove) and Calleigh Cogswell (Maple Grove) will compete in the Irish Open. Alyssah O’ Neill (Buffalo) will be competing in the World Open. Fourteen of 27 girls who auditioned at Escalate’s Irish Dance Studio qualified to go, but only the select group decided to make the trip.
“I was just so thrilled that they had qualified,” says Erin Cooney, Rince Nua Dance instructor. “I don’t think they really understood what that meant at first, but when families took into consideration the opportunity, they were all really excited for the girls. And I think they’ll add to our program when they see the level of dancing [at the international level]. We’re all just so thrilled!”
CRN, The international governing body of Irish dance, holds the rules for competition and decides the future of the art. To qualify for the CRN Irish and World Opens, the girls had to place first, second or third at national competitions in their age group. Both competitions take place in Dublin and all of the girls will be performing individually.
“When I found out that I qualified, I was so excited. It was really fun just to hear my name,” says Adams-Plehal, 13. “I am a little nervous, but I’ve performed so much that a lot of the time I get used to my nerves. But it’s still a little scary.”
All of the girls say that they’re very excited to be able to go to Dublin and meet people from all over the world but also know the competition will be intense. The girls will be adjusting to a new culture, new food and a new time zone on top of competing against some of the top dancers in the world.
“There are a lot of expectations,” says Erickson, 11. “But I expect myself to have fun and do what I can and keep going. And my parents expect me to do what I can and do what I love.”
Since the competition is for individuals, technical skills have more weight than the performance factor in the final score.
“Performing is more like you have to be smiley and energetic, while competition is more focused on having perfect pointed feet and stuff,” says Langer, 12.
Licht, 11, agrees.
“The biggest challenge will be the technique because there’s so much of it when it comes to steps,” she adds. “Sometimes there’s so much of it that you can’t keep them straight, but it’s fun. I like doing hops and leaps in the air.”
Though the girls are mainly going to Ireland to dance, their families are also planning to make a trip out of it. Some of the girls will travel with moms, dads, siblings and grandparents. Most of them plan to stay in Dublin, though some are going to travel to Scotland. Others are worried that their travel companions will make them eat things like Haggis. Cogswell, 10, herself is hoping to kiss the Blarney stone.
But when it comes down to it, all of the girls have a passion for Irish dancing.
“I like to dance when I’m happy, when I’m sad and when I’m upset. I just throw on my hard shoes and go to the basement,” says O’Neill, 14. “I love it because I’ve worked so hard and it’s gotten to a point where I can get somewhere with it. It’s given me something to work at and strive for.”
For more info on the national and world competitions, visit the CRN's website.
Read the story Maple Grove Magazine ran in March 2010 about Erin Cooney and Maple Grove Irish Dancers.
