By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
With several wins in both solo and team dances, Hillsborough’s Davis Academy of Irish Dance took home top prizes during the annual Eastern Regional Oireachtas dance championships, which were held Thanksgiving weekend at the Philadelphia Marriott with competitors from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The competition qualifies Irish dancers for the North American Championships and the World Championships of Irish Dancing.
By the end of the competition, 14-year-old Hillsborough resident Meghan Corr had placed 37th in the solo under 14 division, qualifying her to compete in the national competition in Orlando in July.
”Getting a recall at the Oireachtas is what we work so hard all year for,” Meghan said of receiving high enough scores in her first two dances to perform an additional one with the opportunity to qualify for the championships. “Being qualified for nationals is the icing on the cake.”
In addition to Meghan’s win, the senior ladies eight-hand team placed sixth in its category, while the senior ladies and mixed four-hand teams both placed eighth. The four-hand teams in the “under 9” and “under 12” categories also placed in their divisions, and all qualified for nationals.
”I am thrilled for my dancers and their accomplishments,” said Davis Academy of Irish Dance director Fedelmia Mullan Davis. The studio opened about 45 years ago, and currently has about 60 students at its Hillsborough location in the Polish Falcons camp, on Falcon Road, in addition to locations in Old Bridge, East Hanover, Clifton and Nutley. “Our ceili teams and solo dancers worked hard to prepare for this major event over the last several months, and I am very proud of them. My students’ wonderful work ethic and practice schedules brought the Davis Academy both world and national qualifiers from the Philadelphia event.”
According to Debbie Corr, local coordinator for Ms. Davis’ Hillsborough studio, the students begin practicing in July through a summer workshop, then continued two to five times every week until the competition.
”We are very proud of their accomplishments,” Ms. Corr said of this year’s wins. “The many hours of practice, hard work and dedication, which just begins during the summer months and continues through the week before Thanksgiving, were well worth the sacrifices the students made to obtain these successes.”
For Meghan, she was excited about participating in the competition with her friends, and had just hoped to meet her goals of qualifying for nationals, which she did.
”(But) my favorite part of the weekend event is watching the different levels of dance, and performing on stage,” she said. “I do get nervous, but whenever I have a few butterflies, it is sometimes a good thing.”
Armed with goals for their performances at the competition, several of the girls said they were looking forward to just participating and having the opportunity to dance.
”My favorite part is practicing and working hard to improve my steps,” said 16-year-old Ale Fantuzzi, of Somerset. “After many years of dedication to my loving sport, I no longer get the jitters.”
Even traveling to other locations makes participating in the competition an exciting prospect for some.
”My favorite part is traveling to many different places around the world to share my dancing passion with different cultures,” said 17-year-old Samantha Clarke, of Lebanon, who has a goal of maintaining a career in Irish dancing and being able to send students to such competitions. “I have been dancing for many years, and I rarely get the tingle of butterflies in my stomach. At my first Oireachtas, I was very nervous, but now I have outgrown the nerves.”
Also participating in the competition were students from Lynn Academy of Irish Dance, on Jill Court, which opened its doors in October after relocating from Cherry Hill, and had 16 students qualify for the North American Championships and seven qualify for World Championships after the competition.
