Local Teens Win Big - headed to Irish Dance World Championships in Scotland

Elmhurst, IL (December 2, 2015) The results just in! While millions of families sat down to give thanks this past weekend, members of the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance struck gold at the Mid-America Regional Irish Dance Championships, known as the Oireachtas (prn: Ore-Ach-Tas), held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Dancers ages 6-20 from the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance with locations throughout Chicagoland and the greater Milwaukee and Madison areas, won a whopping 8 gold medals in competitions with as many as 180 entrants, and led all Midwest schools in categories including most World Qualifiers, most National Qualifiers, most Top Ten, Top Five and Top Three placements.

Break out results came from within Trinity’s renowned “Men of Trinity” program where eight male dancers won podium placements, six of which were in the top three. In addition, for the first time in over a decade, 100% of Trinity’s teams secured a spot in the top of their competition. 94% of those teams held a spot on the podium which is more than twice of any other participating dance school.

This puts Trinity, winners of unprecedented world titles, in a strong position as they prepare to represent the United States at the 2016 World Irish Dance Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, March 20-27.

Trinity Instructor Anne Blume states, “This level of competition is where kids learn the resilience that will make them successful leaders in life. I couldn’t be more proud of the hard work, team spirit, and graciousness I saw demonstrated by the dancers this weekend. I am a very happy coach.”

Annie Doyle, Age 15 placed 4th at the Mid-America Oireachtas over the weekend. She has been dancing with the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance for 11 years. Annie is from Villa Park and attends Benet Academy. Annie is the fourth of seven children, all of whom have danced or currently dance with Trinity. This was her 9th trip to the regional championships, and her second time qualifying for the World Championships, tying for 4th place out of 110 competitors.

She has been a driller and assistant teacher since she was 12 and loves mentoring the younger dancers. Annie loves performing as well as competing, and is an understudy for the professional Trinity Irish Dance Company. Outside of dance, Annie enjoys cross country and swimming, and she hopes to play soccer in the spring. She is an avid sports fan and has her sites set on someday being a professional sports broadcaster.

Claire Kennedy, Age 16 placed 10th at the Mid-America Oireachtas over the weekend. She has been dancing with the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance for 11 years. Claire if from Elmhurst and attends Immaculate Conception High School. Claire is thrill that her hard work paid off and garnered her the opportunity to compete on the World Irish Dancing stage—as she worked diligently this year on her goal of qualifying for World’s in Glasgow, Scotland on March 20th-207th. When she isn’t dancing or mentoring the younger children, she enjoys spending time with family and friends.

For a limited time, in celebration of their success, Trinity Academy of Irish Dance is offering a special 8 week children’s Irish dance bootcamp beginning in January. The course will teach children the basics of Irish dance, while also providing students the option to participate in some of Trinity’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities for which the school has well-established notoriety. Information can be found at www.trinityirishdance.com or by calling 855-95-TRINITY.

About Trinity Irish Dancers:

For over 30 years, Trinity has thrilled audiences with their inspiring showmanship and been a flagship for dance programs worldwide. From humble beginnings in church basements to sold-out performance tours across Europe, Asia and North America, the Trinity Irish Dancers have consistently redefined the genre and elevated everyone who has seen them by sharing their undying energy, innovation and passion for the art form. Trinity was the birthplace of “progressive Irish dance” which opened the artistic pathways that led directly to commercial shows like Riverdance. In Trinity’s unique program, instructors focus on the importance of having fun while developing self-respect and confidence in their students. The Trinity program is held together by their powerful philosophy of empowerment that teaches students life lessons both on and off the dance floor. This philosophy, the teachers who teach it and the students who benefit from it have garnered national attention. Soles a PG feature film about the unique love of a father and son set against the backdrop of Trinity’s early pursuit of a World Championship is currently being pitched in Los Angeles. In addition, a docu-series about the Trinity Irish Dancers and its community, produced by noted documentarian Danny Lee, is in the works.