Pleasant Prairie Teens Win Big- Head to World Irish Dancing 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.”

Emily Barclay, Age 11 took 16th place at the Mid-America Oireachtas over the weekend. She has been dancing with Trinity Academy of Irish Dance for 6 years. Emily is from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin where she attends Mahone Middle School and is a parishioner at Good Shepard Lutheran Church. She will be attending the World Irish Championships in Glasgow, Scotland March 20th-27th. This is her fourth Oireachtas.

Jayson Chrapla, Age 13 took 6th place at the Mid-America Oireachtas over the weekend. He has been dancing with Trinity Academy of Irish Dance for the past 8 years. Jayson is from North Prairie, Wisconsin where he attends Kettle Moraine Middle School. He will be attending the World Irish Championships in Glasgow, Scotland March 20th-27th where he hopes to place in the top ten. When he isn’t dancing, he likes to play basketball and golf. His brother, Ryan Chrapla also competed and placed 2nd.

Ryan Chrapla, Age 15 took 2nd place at the Mid-America Oireachtas over the weekend. He has been dancing with Trinity Academy of Irish Dance for the past 8 years. Ryan is from North Prairie, Wisconsin where he attends the High School for Health and Sciences at Kettle Moraine. He will be attending the World Irish Championships in Glasgow, Scotland March 20th – 27th where he hopes to place in the top ten. When he isn’t dancing he likes to play basketball and hang out with his brother. His brother Jayson Chrapla also competed and placed 6th.

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.