Warwick youth perform at regional Irish dance competition
Warwick. Dancers from all around attended the competition in Philadelphia in November, including two Warwick students.
Warwick /
| 01 Dec 2023 | 02:42
Teagan McNamee and Addison Cohen have fun performing Irish dance together. (
)
Teagan McNamee holds her second place award. (
)
Addison Cohen is ready to dance! (
)
Warwick residents Teagan McNamee, age 6, and Addison Cohen, age 10, love to dance, and already have years of practice and competition under their young belts. Most recently, this passionate duo represented the Sheahan-Gormley School of Irish Dance at the regional Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas held in Philadelphia the weekend of November 24.
Teagan placed 17th for the “Trad Set Under 7” competition, performing a St. Patrick’s Day dance, earning an overall score of 99 (out of 300), and placed second in the “4-Hand” dance for her age group. Cohen placed 26th in her age group, again for the St. Patrick’s Day dance. Both girls qualified to dance at the national competition slated to take place in Texas in July 2024.
According to Teagan’s mother Jennifer, Teagan, a Park Avenue student, has been dancing for three and a half years. Jennifer added that Teagan’s favorite dance is St. Patrick’s Day, and while she mostly dances for the fun of it, she is already eyeing the world championship.
Cohen, a student at Warwick Valley Middle School, has been dancing for four years. She enjoys performing the “slip jig.” While she enjoys dancing as a hobby, her mother said that Cohen has also considered teaching dance when she grows up.
Aside from Irish dancing, these two performers also enjoy cheerleading, horseback riding, and volunteering within the Warwick community.
The two friends enjoy dancing together and can be seen performing with the Sheahan-Gormley School of Irish Dance, which has classes in Warwick, Florida, Greenwood Lake, Monroe and Milford, Pa, among others. Be sure to keep an eye on these talented two, as they will surely continue to impress the community at large.
What is Oireachtas?
Pronounced “o-rock-tus,” Oireachtas is an annual regional championship Irish dance competition that also serves as a qualifying event for the national and world competitions. The Sheahan Gormley School of Irish Dance is part of the Mid-Atlantic Region, one of the seven regions in North America. In the context of dancing, the Irish word “oireachtas” means “gathering.” The Oireachtas includes two competition categories: solos and teams, which are further broken down by age group and gender.
For more information about Irish dancing, visit the school’s website at SheahanGormleyIrishDance.com.