ARTS 58
IRISH
from page 54
you have to be bright to do this.” The physical exertion required to perform Irish dances was evident during a recent rehearsal. Several female dancers and one male dancer wearing hard shoes stood in two lines, quickly lifting their feet up and down, striking the floor and twisting their feet into different positions. They jumped off the floor and kicked their legs high into the air. Bracken carefully watched them, reminding them, “You cannot be on the wrong foot.” While he said he is strict when he needs to be, Bracken also smiled, joked around and told the dancers they had made progress. He was a senior administrator and dean of discipline at a high school in England and a high school teacher for 17 years. “I run a tight ship,” Bracken said. “As a former world champion dancer, I know what it is to be a team player. All my kids cheer for one another. There’s so many learning experiences. There’s a special bond with these girls.” Many of Bracken’s dancers study with him for a long time, and sometimes become teachers themselves at his school. Colleen Kelahan-Pierson, 22, of Phoenix, started taking dance classes from Bracken 18 years ago. She now teaches new and advanced beginners at the school. While Kelahan-Pierson said another Irish dance school is closer to where she lives, she makes the longer commute because she loves Bracken’s style. “He’s great,” Kelahan-Pierson said. “He keeps it traditional with a little bit of flair.”
A senior at Arizona State University, Kelahan-Pierson and the other dancers spend long hours together practicing for shows and competitions and form close friendships, as do their parents. Bracken said he has attended many weddings of his students’ and is proud to have been part of the “best moments” of their lives. Verlee Richey, 17, of Chandler, a junior at Chandler Preparatory Academy, has been dancing at the Bracken school since she was 11. “My favorite thing about Irish dancing is all the different rhythms you get to try out and do everything in unison with your friends,” Richey said. “My best friends are here.” Molly Ruley, 13, of Mesa, an eighthgrader at Arete Preparatory Academy in Gilbert, who also takes dance classes at Bracken, said “everyone here is super friendly.” “I like all of the culture,” Ruley said. “I was the 2018 Irish Lass,” she added, referring to the title she earned as part of the Arizona Colleen and Rose of Tralee Program. The Arizona Irish Lass program chooses girls of Irish descent ages 13-17 for the honor. Linda Ruley, Molly’s mother, said her family likes the “friendly teachers” at Bracken. “They work hard to prepare the dancers for competitions and performances,” Linda said. “The teachers help new parents with what to expect with their child’s first feis (competition). “The experienced parents always help out new parents with tips and helpful advice to the new families as well. It truly is a community experience. The best part
is being able to watch your child get their first first place win, and their second first, and their third first, and so on and so on. The dancers all support each other even though they compete with each other.” One of the youngest dancers, Sofia Allen, 10, of Gilbert, enjoys the challenges of Irish dancing. She has been dancing at the studio for five years and competed at the Open Championship, the highest level of competitive Irish dancing. “I like dancing with the older girls and I like doing harder stuff that it takes a while to get good at,” Allen said. Sofia’s sister, Emilia, 7, has been dancing for two years at the school. Their mother, Tina Allen, said their family loves the school. Tina said Emilia was “incredibly shy” when she began dance classes and “dancing has helped to build her confidence and has allowed her to feel empowered to get out on stage.” “Both my girls enjoy dancing and learning about their ancestral tie to the Irish culture; dancing has provided that connection,” Tina added. “They also really enjoy the friendships they’ve made through dance and enjoy traveling with each other and participating in the team aspect of dancing.” She added that the teachers have dancers’ “best interest in mind and always show patience while focusing on getting them prepared for what is needed to achieve their goals.” “Tina is also the chairwoman for social media for Damhsa, the nonprofit organization within Bracken School of Irish Dance that helps raise money to fund dancers’ trips, costumes and other needs.
SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 7–20, 2018
Linda Moore, another parent of a Bracken student, also praised the studio and Bracken. Her daughter, MacKenzie Moore-Kosslow, 16, a junior at BASIS Chandler, has been studying with Bracken since just before she turned 8 years old. She started taking Irish dance at age 3 from a private teacher who was friends with Bracken. “It’s always been a passion of hers,” Moore said. “From the first time she took a class, she just seemed to love it… There are so many other activities and choices that children and school students can pick, but this is something that she’s dedicated to for many years. We’re very lucky to be at the Bracken studio because Thomas shares that same passion.” MacKenzie has qualified seven times for the Irish dancing world championships. She has gone to the world competitions three times: in Belfast, Ireland the first time, then Glasgow, Scotland and last year in Dublin. “It’s a grueling sport,” Moore added. “There are so many big injuries. It requires a lot of dedication and hard work and she’s super dedicated. I love to watch her dance. She’s a beautiful dancer. She’s learning to overcome adversity.” Parents, dancers and Bracken said they believe anyone in the audience, even if they are not familiar with Irish dance, will enjoy “Step Into Spring.” Ciara Archer, who was the 2016 Arizona Colleen & Rose, will sing at the Step into Spring performance. Archer is now chair/center director of the Arizona Colleen and Rose of Tralee program. The Irish band Stilicho will also play at the show. Tickets and information: higleycenter.org.
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