Mary Bofinger
What is Irish Step Dancing?
Irish step dancing is a form of dancing associated with a stiff upper body and fast moving feet. You typically see Irish step dancing in competitions or performances such as Riverdance, but Riverdance uses a combination of fluid body movements and stiff upper body. In Irish step dancing you use two different types of shoes: hard shoe and soft shoe. Hard shoes are more like a tap shoe where they have heels to create loud sounds and soft shoes are like ballet shoes where they wrap around and form the point of the foot.
How old were you when you started dancing?
I think I was about 8 or 9 years old when I started dancing, which was actually kind of late because all of the other girls in my class were dancing since they were 4 or 5.
What is the uniform like?
When we practice we normally wear athletic clothing, but if we are performing we have two different outfits: if it is for a crowd of people we have a specific dress or skirt that represents the school colors to make us look more professional, but for competitions dancers have their own costumes that are designed to how they like with there own patterns, style, and jewelry, and they are so heavy- it’s almost an extra 10-15 pounds added to your weight.
Where do you train?
I dance at the Vernon Academy of Irish Dance in Mattituck.
What has been the most exciting moment of your dancing life?
I don't have just one exciting moment in my dancing career but I can say the times where I am most excited is when I’m just about to perform for people. We get a lot of requests in March, and it’s fun because of St. Patrick’s day. Everyone gets into the music and claps their hands and afterwards they’ll come up to us and tell us that we did such a good job. It is very rewarding.
Where is the farthest competition you have ever traveled to?
The farthest I’ve ever traveled is to Ireland to compete. Other than that in the states it’s Egg Harbor City, New Jersey.
What do you want people to know about Irish step dancing?
I want people to know that Irish step dancing is not the common stigma of leprechauns and jigs with funny looking dance moves. It’s very fun and very involved and takes a lot of strength to perform. I’m not just saying that because I dance it and want sympathy, but all of the time and effort these dancers put into this sport is amazing and they deserve more credit for their passion. *