OREM — Two schools of dancers, the Crawford and Shelley Schools of Irish Dance, have come together to present "Rhythm of Ireland" in Orem.
Riding on the popularity of Riverdance — the energetic dancing troupe from Ireland — the schools present similar Irish dances.
Included are some of the best Irish championship dancers in the state.
The two schools make up the Rhythm of Ireland dance company.
"It was kind of a fluke," said dance director Tina Shelley.
She and dance instructor Jill Crawford joined forces to put on the annual Utah State Feis, a statewide Irish dance competition that draws dancers from throughout the Western United States. Then they put on a fund-raiser using their top dancers.
"That planted the seed for the Rhythm of Ireland dance company," Shelley said.
Every year the young troupe performs at corporate events, theaters and high school auditoriums. They've performed as far north as Logan and now as far south as Orem.
Performing gives the young girls a chance to get out of the high pressure arena of competing and just enjoy their dances, Crawford said.
"It's not a high pressure environment. Competing is mostly out of state so they don't have to worry about that," she said.
Crawford and Shelley are both Teasigicoir Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha-certified through the Irish Dance Commission of Dublin.
Shelley began teaching dance nearly a decade ago in Orem with her sister, but her school became official in 2000 when she received her certification. Today her studio is located at 9804 N. Canyon Rd. in Cedar Hills with some 100 students.
Twenty of those dancers are in the SCERA show.
"This year a handful are open championship dancers. They've competed on the regional and national level," Shelley said.
The performance also features the Rhythm of Ireland Celtic Band, the White Peaks Centennial Pipe Band and special guest artist Joe Perry on the Uillean pipes.
The show ends with the popular hard shoe rhythmic dancing that is usually the biggest draw, she said.
Costuming celebrates Irish culture. Dresses are based on the Irish peasant dresses of 200 centuries ago, most adorned with Celtic designs. The dances themselves emerged from informal gatherings of neighbors who took the time to dance, play music and tell stories.
Crawford's school is in Salt Lake City. She is nationally certified with the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America. When she was 10 she qualified for the World Championships in Ireland and has been teaching since 1999 in Colorado and in Utah since 2002. Her school has performed with the Chieftains, Utah Symphony and Olympic events at Washington Square and Olympic Village.
The company also is actively involved in the Living Traditions Festival and other festivities during the year.
If you go . . .
What: "Rhythm of Ireland"
Where: SCERA Center for the Arts, 745 S. State, Orem
When: 7:30 p.m., Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Jan. 4-12; 2 p.m. matinee Jan. 12
Cost: $10/$8 children 3-11
Phone: 225-2569
Web:www.scera.org
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com