Dancer of the Month Bonus Content
Mid-August/September ’24
Many of you recently danced at World or National championships and evaluated your dance costume. Do you need a new one? Should you buy new or pre-loved? What colour or style should you go with? Maybe you just need some new bling to update your current costume? Our 2024 Fashion Special (p. 17–36) has you covered with the latest trends in dance costuming. Take your time with this section to make an informed decision about your next costume!
Next, I’d love to give a special shoutout to Alan Murphy for his stellar ‘Dancing with the Stars’ feature (p. 6–7). His current column ties in perfectly with this issue’s fashion theme – don’t miss it!
For all you budding fashion designers out there, our LONGEST-RUNNING and most popular contest is back, and we are absolutely delighted and honoured that Gavin Doherty of Eire Designs is this year’s contest sponsor. One lucky dancer will be able to collaborate with Gavin on bringing their winning design from concept to product. Seeing your costume brought to life by Gavin will be the experience of a lifetime and the winner will receive a FREE costume from Eire Designs. This is a HUGE prize! Check out p. 30–31 to enter now!
Finally, don’t miss nominating a dance teacher for Irish Dancing Magazine’s 2024 Global Irish Dancing Teacher Awards. Learn all about these awards on page 39
Until next month,
Denise Keane
Dancer
of the Month
06 DANCING WITH THE STARS
Alan Murphy reveals how an Irish Dancing dress got the Repair Shop treatment
09 BUSINESS NEWS
Transform your dancing with the new Move With Meg app and sign up for an exciting new online course with the University of Limerick
11 DANCER OF THE MONTH
Comeback queen Caitlin Murray takes us through the ups and downs of her fantastic career. Plus – get more from our bonus online content!
18 FASHION SPECIAL –THE DESIGN PROCESS
It’s our 2024 Fashion Special, starting with a look at the custom costume design process
20 DOS AND DON’TS OF STONING
We could all do with a little more sparkle in our lives – bring on the bling!
22 LOOKS WE LOVE
Take a look at these dancers sporting on-trend fashions – maybe you could take some inspiration and feature in these pages next year!
30 DESIGN-A-COSTUME
Get creative and YOU could be the winner of a custom-made costume courtesy of Gavin Doherty of Eire Designs!
Many
What’s
J What are your favourite things about Irish Dancing Magazine, and do you think it has helped your dancing in any way?
My favourite part of it is that it allows people to get an insight into top dancers’ lives. You can find similarities between your dancing life and your inspirations through the magazine. Irish Dancing Magazine also allows people to get help from other dancers through tips and tricks. People in the dancing world can find a place to help their dancing. IDM brings together dancers and experts to help one another.
J We noticed that you didn’t dance at the 2018 and 2022 All Irelands. Could you share why you missed these competitions? Adjudicators connected to my dance school were judging these years, so therefore I was not allowed to compete.
J Have you participated in any dance camps?
I participated in the Riverdance Summer School in 2019 – it was the most amazing experience ever and I was lucky enough to get to perform in the matinee show with some of the cast. I can’t wait to do more dance camps like this and broaden my experience in dancing by beginning my journey into the professional world of dance.
J Do you have a hand in deciding your choreography or is this something your teacher decides for you?
Photo credit: Lee Simpson Dance Photography
Making a comeback to win the 2024 Worlds after placing 11th in 2023 was the thrill of a lifetime!
“I want to be involved in dancing for the rest of my life and help others achieve their goals”
This is something I love about MCBDA. We’re always encouraged in the school to come up with choreography that we think suits our dancing and shows off our style. Our teachers always remind us that no two dancers are the same, so we have to put our own style or pieces into the steps. Our school really helps produce amazing teachers as they help our imagination grow by allowing us to have a say in the creative aspect of dancing. When I first started dancing with MCBDA, I didn’t really know how to make up steps, but thanks to the amazing teachers, I’ve been able to discover my own personality in dancing. I love coming up with new choreography and getting my teachers’ input on how to improve each step.
J Winning your first All-Ireland title in 2024 must have been an incredible feeling. What changed for you between finishing 10th in 2023 and winning in 2024 in terms of your dancing and preparation? I think after getting disappointing results at this competition, any pressure I had put on myself was no longer there. I always had a fear of everyone watching me and not living up to expectations. In terms of dancing, I had no pressure on myself, so I was able to relax and enjoy the performance, which I believe was reflected in my dancing. When a dancer enjoys being on stage, a judge can enjoy watching them. So, I just focused on enjoying the performance when I got on stage, knowing the hard work was done and I had no expectations. In preparation for the All Irelands, I really focused on finding something that would set me apart from the other competitors. I began to nitpick each dance and find ways to show off crossing my feet while having an effortless performance from the waist up.
J Do you have any special rituals or routines you follow before a big competition?
At big competitions, I like to follow the same warm-up routine as it helps me feel relaxed and ready. I listen to a song with friends from MCBDA that helps us relax, and we just let loose and dance. This helps us remember it’s only a feis; we can’t change our results, so we might as well go out and enjoy it and shake off the nerves.
J In addition to dance, are there any other hobbies or interests you’re passionate about that our readers might not know?
My other interests outside of dancing include trad music, as I used to attend a music school where I learnt to play the concertina. I now enjoy practising this hobby in my spare time and love going to sessions where I can listen to and enjoy this style of music. In my spare time, I also love to support my club and county in football. This season, I followed my club, which was crowned All Ireland Intermediate Champions.
J Do you remember earning your first solo dress?
I can vividly remember being told I was getting my first dancing dress; the excitement was overwhelming. At that moment, it was like I had won the Worlds as I got a “big girl dress,” as I called them. My first solo costume was made by Eire Designs by Gavin Doherty, and I was five years old.
J When did you most recently get a new dance costume?
I got my last dance costume in May 2023, and I first wore it at the British Nationals in 2023. It was made by
Eire Designs by Gavin Doherty, and it definitely is a special dress for me.
J Which brand of wig, ghillies and heavies do you wear?
I’ve worn many different brands of wigs, but at the moment, I wear a Camelia Rose wig. I wear Flexi Pros heavies and Hullachan Pro ghillies.
J Which dancer on the competitive circuit that isn’t from MCBDA do you admire?
There are many dancers I admire and look up to, but at the moment, I’m really looking up to Blanaid O’Neill. Her style of dancing is something I really admire and would like to master. She always has new pieces in her steps that catch my eye and make me more intrigued to keep watching and try to learn myself. I also admire how she handles winning so many World titles in a row whilst on the outside never looking like she’s under pressure. I found trying to retain a World title once hard, so she is a real inspiration to me in how she handles any emotions she may feel on a dance day.
J Do you do any other training outside of Irish?
Yes, I have a fitness trainer called Cathy
We predict Caitlin will become a show star in the future!
Photo credit: Lee Simpson Dance Photography
McAleer in Belfast. She helps keep me in top form ready for the competition season. I like to go to her studio once a week, and if I can’t get up to her, I do a fitness session with her over Zoom. I’ve been going to her since 2017, before my first Worlds, and I’m so thankful for all the improvements she’s helped make to my fitness.
J What do you plan to pursue as a professional career, and will you continue onto university to complete a degree?
As a professional career, I would love to tour with a dance company. I think it’s an amazing experience to meet new people and travel the world with your friends whilst sharing your love for dance with the wider world. Performing is what I truly love to do, so I can’t wait to begin this chapter of my dance life. I would also like to pursue dance teaching in my life as this will allow me to share my love for dancing with others and help children’s dreams in dance become a reality, just like mine were. Outside of dancing, I would like to go to university and complete a degree, although I’m not 100% sure what I would like to study yet. At the moment, I’m interested in Sports Dietetics – I find this area really interesting as I can relate to it and it can help further my knowledge on how to improve my performance through nutrition. I’m also interested in Special Education Teaching – I truly love helping others achieve their dreams in any way possible. IDM
Photo credit: Lee Simpson Dance Photography
Winning the All Scotlands back in 2015!
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