Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Coatbridge dancers are world champions
Irish dancers display their fancy footwork
Coatbridge dancers’ eyes were smiling after securing silverware at an international Irish dancing contest on the Emerald Isle.
Fleet-footed soloists and teams from the Peter Thompson Gallagher Academy – based at the Greenhill Business Centre studio – stepped out in style and brought home trophies from the prestigious world Irish dancing championships in Dublin.
The talented over 16s troupe expertly performed their routine in unison to scoop the coveted Unmixed Invented Dance title.
And soloists Cara McVittie, 15, won fourth place in the under 16s category, while St Ambrose High pupil Ellis McLaughlin, now 14, picked up fifth in the under 14s event.
Not to be outshone by the youngsters, senior ladies Kayleigh Sands, Caitlin Welsh and Danielle MacDonald collected seventh, eighth and 10th places respectively.
Dance teacher and choreographer Laureen Gallagher told the Advertiser: “It was amazing for the team and the two soloists; I’m thrilled with the result.”
The week-long Gaelic extravaganza saw thousands of young hopefuls of all ages competing from all over the world in a bid to impress the judges.
Laureen explained: “Sixteen members of our over 16s team performed and won the Unmixed Invented Dance title and are now world champions.
“Only two of the girls in the team had won before, so the whole team were absolutely delighted.
“And two of our soloists, Cara and Ellis, came in fourth and fifth place in their categories.”
The team had picked up the title in 2014 and the school – which has been running for over two decades – has 20 world and all Ireland titles under its belt.
In preparation for the Dublin contest, the enterprising Coatbridge youngsters raised over £10,000 for vibrant new team dresses through a variety of fundraising events.
And the determined young dancers practised tirelessly four times each week in the lead up to the big competition.
Laureen went on to say: “There was a lot of commitment from everyone.
“Some of the older girls have work commitments and have to give up a lot of their time to compete.”
The 29-year-old, who now lives in Robroyston, has been passionate about dance from an early age.
And she joined the Coatbridge school as a teacher, after graduating from the An Chomhdhail school of dance earlier this year.
She enthused: “I started off dancing with the Peter Thompson school when I was three and now I’ve progressed to becoming a teacher myself. It had always been my dream to become a dance teacher.”
And senior teacher Peter Thompson – who opened the school 23 years ago – secured the all Ireland championships four times during his competition days, and now dedicates his time to supporting his young protégés.
The hugely successful Coatbridge dance academy holds classes on Tuesdays and Sundays at their new state-of-the-art dance studio, where it caters for youngsters from the age of four up to adult members in their twenties.