Some of the best traditional Irish dancers in the south will find their way to the Marriott Marquis Hotel this weekend to
compete against the best the south has to offer.
A traditional art form, an estimated three hundred years in the making, has changed over the years and evolved into
a very dynamic dance style with adherents from all over the world.
Irish dance was made popular by mega-hit shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.
The “Oireachtas” (The Irish word for competition) pronounced ‘oh-roc-tus’, is the primary way an Irish dancer qualifies
for the World Irish Dance Championships, which will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina in April, 2019.
Irish dancers throughout the world are assigned to regions based on where they live. The Oireachtas is the second
largest region for Irish dancers in north America.
The first time in Houston, the Oireachtas has come a long way since its inception in 1995. That event featured
around 180 dancers. This weekend’s event is projected to have over 4,000 in attendance, 2,000 of which will be competitors.
Others include parents, friends and fans of Irish culture.
Starting Friday, November 30, both male and female competitors will don their ornate costumes, and their soft and
hard shoes for three rounds of dancing to determine the champion and also those who will qualify to go to Greensboro.
Local champion-level Irish dancers Becca Bryan (Dickinson) and Sophia Acuna (Katy) have their sights set for success
this weekend.
Top level dancers will spend hours each day, most days of the week training and exercising to be in top form.
“This is my first competition of this magnitude,” said Bryan. “I am really, really excited about it. I have been working
really hard to be ready to compete.”
As will any strenuous activity, injuries can come quick and leave a dancer sidelined.
While preparing for the competition, Bryan says a sudden misstep during a late at of practice led to a broken foot.
The injury left her with a four month recovery and almost kept her competing at the Oireachtas.
“My training has changed a lot since I broke my foot four months ago,” said Bryan. “I went from training one hundred
percent, five-days-per-week to not being able to train at all.”
About a month ago, Bryan was cleared to dance again and has been steadily getting her legs back, fighting for her
shot at qualifying at this prestigious competition.
Bryan says her goals are to dance well, enjoy the experience and not re-injure herself.
Southern Region Board Member Owen Barrington, a former World Champion and past Riverdance troupe member
says for those who are used to seeing Irish dancers at St. Patrick’s Day-type events, this will be a new experience.
“When you walk in the door, prepare yourself if you have never been to anything Irish Dance-related before,” said
Barrington. “There will be lots of sparkle and lots of curls.
With costumes costing upwards of $3,000-$4,000, costume presentation has become just as important as the
dancing itself. “The costumes have evolved over time and have become more ornate,” Barrington says.
Commenting on the skill it takes to teach this level of Irish dance, “The caliber of these dancers is incredible,” he
says. “They train as hard as any Olympian.”
Each dancer could be competing against as many as 100 others in their respective categories. Dancers are entered
by age and gender, and dance two preliminary rounds after which their scores are tallied for a “recall” around. The
combined scores from all three rounds give dancers their placement and qualification opportunity. Many won’t make
the recall round despite their best attempts. Even out of those who do recall, most will still not qualify.
Competition starts 11/30-12-3 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, located at 1777 Walker, St. in Downtown Houston.
Dancing begins at 8 A.M. Each day. The Oireachtas is open to the public.
