Scotland’s top Irish dancing stars launch the All
Scotland Irish Dance Championships in Glasgow
Glasgow is preparing for an explosion of dance and colour
this weekend when one of the premier events on the international
Irish dancing calendar arrives in the city.
The All Scotland Irish Dance Championships open at Glasgow Royal
Concert Hall tomorrow (Friday, February 22) and conclude on Monday
(February 25).
Almost 2,000 competitors, aged between eight and 25, have
arrived in the city for the four day contest representing some 300
dance schools from across the world, including Scotland, Ireland,
France, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Canada and the USA. A
further 2,500 spectators, comprising coaches, family and supporters
have also made the trip.
This is the fourth year that Glasgow has hosted the All Scotland
Irish Dance Championships in their 29-year history, with the
competition having been held at City Halls in 2009 and 2010, and at
the Royal Concert Hall in 2011.
Scotland’s top Irish dancing stars, Suzanne Coyle (21) and Sean
Downes (16), helped welcome the event back to the city. The pair,
who have won an incredible 10 world titles between them, will be
competing in Glasgow this weekend – Suzanne in the senior ladies
category and Sean in the under 17 boys category.
They were joined by Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of
Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
(GCMB), and James McLaughlin, Vice-President of An Coimisiún le
Rince Gaelacha – the governing body which regulates Irish dancing
worldwide.
The All Scotland Irish Dance Championships is the last major
event on the competitive Irish dancing calendar ahead of the World
Championships, which this year will be held in Boston from March
24-31.
The ‘Worlds’ – the largest and most prestigious Irish dancing
contest, which has run for more than 40 years – will return to
Glasgow for a fourth time in 2016 after the city concluded a
lengthy bid process and fought off stiff competition from Montreal,
Washington DC, London, Belfast, Dublin and Killarney to secure the
coveted event in 2011.
Glasgow was the first city to stage the Worlds outside Ireland
in 2002 before hosting it again in 2007 and 2010. More than 14,000
dancers and supporters will travel to Glasgow in March 2016 for the
event, which will boost the city’s economy by around £14 million.
Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council and
Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “I’m delighted to
welcome the All Scotland Irish Dance Championships back to the
city’s Royal Concert Hall and it’s fantastic to think that many of
the skilled young dancers competing this weekend will be returning
to Glasgow in 2016 with the aim of securing world titles.
“Irish dancing is a globally admired and historic aspect of
Irish culture andGlasgowhas earned an enviable reputation as its
second home. The fact that the organisers of both the All Scotland
and World Championships have chosen Glasgow for a fourth time is a
strong vote of confidence in the efforts the city has made to make
past events such a success.
“The staging of such prestigious events in Glasgow further
reinforces the city’s world-class cultural credentials and
demonstrates our ability to deliver major events which provide a
significant boost to the city’s economy.”
James McLaughlin, Vice-President of An Coimisiún le Rince
Gaelacha, said: “Without a doubt, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is
the best venue in the world to host an Irish dancing contest – no
other venues comes close to offering the quality of facilities that
are available here.
“Alongside Ireland, both Glasgow and Scotland have great
reputations as hubs for emerging world-class Irish dancing talent,
which is why events here attract such huge numbers of overseas
competitors.”
After competing at the All Scotland Irish Dance Championships
this weekend, current under-17 boys’ world champion, Sean Downes,
from Motherwell, will be heading to the Worlds in Boston next month
to defend his title.
The Our Lady’s High School pupil mixes studying for his Higher
grade school exams with training four times a week at the
McCutcheon School of Irish Dancing. He has competed in 80 Irish
dancing competitions around the world in his career to date,
winning 20 major titles.
Sean said: “I first got into it when I was about eight as my mum
is an Irish dance teacher and she would take me along to her
classes – I haven’t stopped dancing since. I love competing
inGlasgowand, while I’m always nervous, I feel prepared and can’t
wait to get on stage on Sunday.”
Suzanne Coyle, from the city’s Southside, is the current world
champion in the senior ladies category. She had an on-screen role
in the acclaimed Irish dancing documentary film ‘Jig’, which was
shot in Glasgow to mark the 40th World Championships in
2010, and she has recently completed a degree in Sport and Physical
Education at Glasgow Caledonian University.
She said: “I think I was born with Irish dancing in my blood.
All my family are dancers and I knew from about the age of three
that I wanted to follow in their footsteps; I don’t know what I
would do without it. The highs of competing and the friendships are
amazing. I’ve competed across the world, but wherever I go I always
think that the Royal Concert Hall is the best stage to be on.”
This year’s All Scotland championships will feature a special,
non-competitive, performance from Irish dance sensations Prodijig,
who shot to fame last year after winning Sky TV’s ‘Got to Dance’
competition. They will take to the stage on Sunday evening before
returning to the Royal Concert Hall on May 1 to perform their new
show, Footstorm, as part of their UK and Ireland tour.
Tickets for the event can be purchased on the door.
Ends
For more information, contact:
Graeme Watson
Senior Marketing Communications Manager – Corporate &
Digital
GlasgowCityMarketing Bureau
Tel: +44 (0)141 566 0835 / 07534 982 312
E-mail: [email protected]
(Or)
Tricia Crosbie
Corporate Marketing Communications Executive
GlasgowCityMarketing Bureau
Tel: +44 (0)141 566 0838
E-mail: [email protected]
Notes to Editors:
About Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB)
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) is the official destination
marketing organisation (DMO) for the city of Glasgow. As custodian
of the Glasgow: Scotland with style brand, GCMB works
with partners, stakeholders and businesses to position and promote
Glasgow across national and international markets as one of
Europe’s most vibrant, dynamic and diverse cities in which to live,
work, study, invest and visit. For more information, visit: www.seeglasgow.com.