Irish Step Dancing with a Star

Her feet gently settle on the marley flooring of a Verona dance studio after hours of calculated, determined practice. The intricate movements associated with Irish step dancing have become a lifestyle for Tara Malone, accounting for hundreds of hours of practicing every month. These seemingly endless days, which begin with attending high school classes like any other 15-year-old girl, extend into late night affairs with rhythmic strides and jigs. Tara’s twelve year journey through the whirling world of Irish step dancing has culminated in her coronation as the United States National Champion for 2021. Her journey to that title required a great deal of support from family, friends, coaches and teachers, all of whom together formed a championship pedigree that now looks to compete on the global stage.

Since she was three years old, Tara has felt the soft leather of her dance shoes tighten around her feet in preparation for that day’s practice. While Tara’s mother, maternal aunts, and sister (Shannon Malone ‘19, who placed 40th out of 92 competitors in her age bracket when competing against individuals from across the United States and Mexico) all had successfully taken to dancing as children, success in the business of Irish step dancing is earned, not inherited. Her dedication to her craft grew throughout elementary and middle school, forgoing other extracurriculars like soccer to focus and hone her skills in dancing. When looking at how much dancing has become a part of her life, Tara spends two to five hours on any given day, seven days a week, in training. These practices do not take into account the Irish step dancing competitive season, which spans the entire year. “Once I get closer [to a major competition]...I will be there [dance studio] twice a day.” Twice a day - up to ten hours of grueling practices that gave birth to this world-class champion dancer.

When COVID-19 came and put the world at a standstill, Tara continued to treble her way through the pandemic in pursuit of a national championship. “I have a room in my basement with mirrors and a special floor, so I was lucky because a lot of people didn’t. We had Zoom classes in which I would continually practice.”

Tara’s dancing coach and Academy of Saint Elizabeth Physical Fitness teacher, Ms. Ciara McGovern, worked extensively with Tara during the pandemic. “Tara showed up to every Zoom class I held. We would also schedule private Zoom classes and physical fitness training sessions too. Tara used to be a petite girl when she first started dancing. It took us two years of training in the gym for her to gain the muscle which makes her a strong, powerful dancer.”

Tara’s hard work throughout the pandemic led to her championship performance at the 2021 U.S. National Competition, the first competition since the onset of the pandemic. Yet this victory is not her first accolade in Irish step dancing. Tara qualified to compete in the world championship “for the first time in fifth grade” and then again qualified “in sixth grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade.” Those who qualify for the world championship competitions account for the top “one percent of Irish step dancers,” meaning Tara has been one of the top Irish step dancers in the world since she was in fifth grade.

With these awe-inspiring dancing achievements, it seems an impossible feat to balance everything else in her life. However, Tara has managed to shoulder both her academic studies at the Academy of Saint Elizabeth (Convent Station, NJ) and her Irish step dancing routines. She not only has become a national champion, but grown as an exceedingly gifted scholar.

At the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, Tara takes highly competitive, advanced honors classes for her course of study. Her rigorous schedule and high GPA are a testament to her well-rounded character beyond the dance floor. While Irish step dancing is ingrained into her persona, it is but a portion of who Tara truly is. The scholarly work she produces at the Academy speaks to the value of education in her life. When asked about her future aspirations beyond dancing, her focus is solely on academic success and attending a competitive college or university. Irish step dancing will always be a part of her life, yet she understands the need for a sound educational foundation. Tara has stable footing in both these aspects of her life and looks only to enhance that standing into her future.

Now that the national championship competition is over, her championship sash can gently hang from her humble shoulders. Tara continues her daily studies and nightly practices as if her national championship never happened. Yet a new, larger goal gleans on the horizon of her eyes: the world championship of Irish step dancing, scheduled to take place in Ireland in 2022. Tara has set foot on the world stage before, but this time a championship sash is traveling with her as a testament to her years of unyielding dedication and God-given talent.

When asked what life lessons she has learned from years of dancing, hectic schedules, and a championship celebration, Tara has one simple answer: “To keep going and never give up. Winning this national championship taught me that if you keep pushing through everything, you can still do well.”

Not only does Tara Malone still do well, she has achieved feats very few people will ever achieve in their lifetime. And at the end of the day, she will continue to lace up her dance shoes and practice harder than ever before on that supple, marley flooring as she pursues the Irish step dancing world championship.