IT’S A BUSY MONTH FOR LOCAL IRISH DANCERS
The local San Diego dance studio Clan Rince School of Irish Dance is performing at more than 30 locations this month in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Clan Rince teaches traditional Irish dancing as it has been passed down through the decades. Jeannie Thornton, who opened the school in 1997 in Kensington, was encouraged to take lessons by her Belfast-born mother and fell in love with the art form. She won the North American Irish Dance Championships at the age of 15 and went on to earn her Teagascóir Coimisiúin le Rinci Gaelacha (teaching certificate) and Ard Diploma Coimisiúin le Rinci Gaelacha (adjudicator certificate).
Every instructor at the school has a different story about how they got started in this unique style of dance.
My life changed forever after seeing “Riverdance,” the Grammy Award-winning musical about Irish and international dance. I started taking lessons in 1997 at the age of 17. With hard work, I caught up to dancers who had started as children. I placed in the top five in the Western United States for four years and was a national finalist and world championship qualifier. I received my teaching certificate in 2006 and adjudicator certificate in 2018.
Rori Ritchie is another instructor at the school. She began lessons as a child in Los Angeles. Irish dance class was a happy place for her. She looked up to her teachers who are still part of her life today. She was a very athletic dancer and reached the highest ranks of competition, placing second in regional championships and becoming a world championship qualifier. She passed her teaching certificate exam in 2002 and the adjudicator certificate exam in 2022.
We all spend a lot of time with our students. Twentyfive years after opening, the school boasts over 120 students and has two studios and three credentialed instructors, each with more than 20 years of teaching experience. The name Clan Rince is Gaelic for “dance family.” The school prides itself on being welcoming to all and meeting each student where they are. Irish dance is not just for the Irish. The students come from various backgrounds. They are Latino, Filipino, Japanese and African American.
Throughout the year, Clan Rince students train for competitions, and some travel internationally to compete in prestigious events like the World Championships. The school has had many regional champions as well as national and world finalists. Judging these competitions is a somewhat subjective process because adjudicators have their own tastes. However, they are always looking for the basics: Dancers must have excellent posture, no use of the arms is permitted except in team dancing and the feet must be turned out and pointed with legs crossed at the knee.
Dancers must remain on
My life changed forever after seeing ‘Riverdance,’ the Grammy Award-winning musical about Irish and international dance.
the balls of their feet, and rarely allow their heels to touch the ground even when leaping high into the air. Clan Rince dancers can be found in the studio up to 10 hours a week in addition to their home practice and cross training. Each year, around Easter, Clan Rince sends a group of students to the World Championships, which is a huge honor. Dancers must qualify for this event by reaching a top placement in the Regional Championships. Students have visited places like Dublin and Belfast in Ireland, Montreal in Canada and Glasgow in Scotland to participate in the Worlds.
This July, Clan Rince will send 20 dancers to compete at the North American Irish Dance Championships in Nashville. This event is open to dancers worldwide, and many attend from Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Clan Rince hosts its own local competition called a “feis” (pronounced fesh) each year in February here in San Diego. This family event attracts hundreds of dancers from all over the Southwest and even a handful from Canada.
The St. Patrick’s Day season affords dancers the opportunity to share their love of Irish dance without the rigors of the competitive stage. Performance locations include nursing homes, school auditoriums and retirement communities. So while you enjoy your Guinness this St. Patrick’s Day, keep an eye out for local Irish dancers. You may be inspired to get up and dance a jig!
You can see photos and videos of Clan Rince in action at clanrince on Facebook and @clanrince_irishdance on Instagram. Highlights so far this season include the San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade held on March 11 and a performance at a San Diego Gulls hockey game at Pechanga Arena.
Dosch has been Irish dancing since 1997 and has been a registered teacher with Clan Rince since 2006. She lives in La Mesa.