Believe it or not, this is actually a question that I have wondered about off and on for a few years. That and how do the girl dancers get their hair into such tight curls? Well, now I finally have my answers, thanks to a friend of mine who recently sent me an email regarding an upcoming open house by the Kinsella Academy of Irish Dance.
The Kinsella Academy is having an open house on Saturday, April 21, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The open house will be at their studio at 3410 W. Forest Home Avenue. An event for the entire family, you will be able to meet instructors, learn about Irish dancing, and see demonstrations and performances by some of their world-class dancers. Additionally, Kinsella Academy is now accepting registrations for its spring beginner classes. Classes will begin in May and will be offered on Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. No prior Irish dance experience is needed.
Why, you ask, would I ever even wonder about stuff concerning Irish dancing? It started a few years ago when I noticed a young, Asian girl dancing with the Irish dance troupe at the Holiday Folk Fair in Milwaukee. Each year, when I saw her, the same questions would pop into my head -- especially about the hair because, generally speaking and from my own experience, Asian hair is usually stick straight and defies holding curls almost as soon as the curling iron is removed.
So, according to my friend Kathy (or rather Kathleen), you do not have to be of Irish heritage to participate in Irish dancing. (She wanted to know if I wanted to sign my daughter up, and we are definitely sure there is no Irish blood in our family.) As for the hair, call me naive, but I did not realize it was all wigs -- a disappointment for me to learn since I thought Asians the world over could benefit from Irish curling techniques.
Kathy signed her own daughter up after attempts at soccer and basketball failed to really capture her interest.
What I like about [Irish dancing] is that it offers both the opportunity to compete and to perform, to achieve as an individual and as part of a team, and to study an art form while getting a great workout. Oh, and I love the music. But most of all, Irish dance is just fun. It is wonderful to see how much the kids improve in a short period of time, and to see what close friendships they make with the other dancers. -- says Kathy.
The team on which her daughter participates took first place at the regional competition, and older teams from Kinsella recently took 5th place at the World Irish Dance Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
For more information about the school,
click here or go to www.kinsellaacademy.com. To register, you can send an email to info@kinsellaacademy.com, or you can call the school at 414-384-7632. The school will then contact you with additional details about registration.
