>>> EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER,
I DON'T KNOW, I'VE BEEN DANCING.
I WAS IN MY FIRST COMPETITION
AT 3 YEARS OLD.
I HAVE BEEN COMPETING
MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I LOVE THE WHOLE FEEL
OF THE STAGE AND THE LIGHTS.
THE PRESSURE, I GUESS IT GETS
TO YOU, BUT IT'S FUN.
>> THE ROOTS OF IRISH DANCE RUN
DEEP.
FOR CENTURIES,
THE STEPS HAVE BEEN PASSED
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
♪♪
IF THERE IS A GENE FOR DANCE,
THESE WOMEN HAVE IT.
CHRISTINA RANUM IS A CHAMPION
DANCER, RANKED 16th
IN THE WORLD.
HER SISTER ALISA HAS GONE PRO,
TOURING INTERNATIONALLY
WITH THE TRINITY IRISH
DANCE COMPANY.
BOTH SISTERS TRACE THEIR TALENT
BACK TO THEIR MOTHER PATTI ANN
AND GRANDMOTHER ANN HEALY.
SINCE THE EARLY 1900s,
THE HEALY FAMILY HAS TAUGHT
TRADITIONAL IRISH DANCE
IN SAN FRANCISCO.
>> YOUR GRANDFATHER.
>> YES, MY GRANDFATHER CAME
OUT FROM IRELAND AND HE WAS
BORN IN KILCORNY, CORK.
AND HE BROUGHT OUT THE STEP
DANCING.
HE TAUGHT HIS FAMILY,
AND HE TAUGHT HIS FRIENDS
AND SOME OF HIS NEIGHBORS.
AND MY DAD, OF COURSE, CONTINUED
ON WITH THE DANCING.
>> AS A YOUNG GIRL, ANN HELPED
HER FATHER TEACH HIS DANCE
CLASSES, EVENTUALLY, OPENING
HER OWN STUDIO.
OVER THE YEARS, HER STUDENTS
HAVE WON TOP PRIZES
IN COMPETITIONS ALL
OVER THE WORLD.
AND TODAY HER DAUGHTER AND
GRANDDAUGHTERS ARE CARRYING
ON THE TRADITION.
>> ALL RIGHT, GIRLS.
LET'S START WITH SOME SPRINGS.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA START BOUNCING
IN PLACE FOR ABOUT 16 BARS.
UP HIGH ON THOSE TIPPY TOES
AND THEN PUSHING IN THE AIR
SIX COUNTS.
>> TONIGHT, WE'RE GONNA BE
SEEING A PRELIMINARY AND OPEN
CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL CLASS.
THESE ARE CHILDREN THAT HAVE
BEEN DANCING SINCE THEY WERE
PROBABLY AROUND 4 YEARS OLD
AND THEY'RE VERY HARD WORKERS.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME
GREAT DANCING.
>> HEELS TOGETHER.
GET YOUR LEFT TOE OUT, SHEILA.
GIRLS, THE FEET STAY IN A V!
>> IRISH DANCING IS PHYSICALLY
DEMANDING.
IT DIDN'T USED TO REQUIRE
THE ENDURANCE AND THE STAMINA
THAT IT TAKES NOW.
AND A LOT OF WHAT YOU'LL SEE
IN THE BEGINNING OF OUR CLASS IS
FOCUSED ON BUILDING STAMINA.
♪♪
>> GIRLS, CLOSE YOUR TWO, THREE.
ONE KICK OUT.
>> WHEN I WATCH THE KIDS DANCE,
I'M CONSTANTLY ON THEM
FOR POSTURE, KEEPING
THEIR SHOULDERS BACK, THEIR ARMS
IN, AND STANDING STRAIGHT --
BASICALLY, LOOKING LIKE THEY'RE
NOT MOVING , FROM HERE UP
THEY'RE NOT MOVING AT ALL, IT'S
JUST THEIR LEGS.
CUTS, WHERE DO CUTS GO?
TO THE HIP.
DO THEY GO TO THE KNEE?
>> THE LEVEL OF CONCENTRATION
TONIGHT IS INTENSE.
THREE DAYS FROM NOW, THE HEALY
SCHOOL WILL BE COMPETING
IN THE ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO
FEIS, AN EVENT THAT DRAWS SOME
OF THE BEST TALENT FROM ACROSS
THE STATE.
>> ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS
STUDENTS HERE IS 16-YEAR-OLD
MEGAN ANDERSON.
LIKE ANY DANCER WITH DREAMS
OF MAKING IT TO THE TOP, MEGAN
HAS GIVEN UP HER SOCIAL LIFE
AND AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES,
COMING TO THE HEALY'S STUDIO UP
TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK
AND PRACTICING TWO HOURS A DAY
AT HOME.
>> SHE HAS DEDICATED HERSELF
TO IRISH DANCING.
SHE'S ALWAYS PRACTICED AND TRIED
HARD AND WORKED HARD, AND SHE'S
ALWAYS BEEN, LIKE,
AT THE REGIONAL COMPETITIONS.
SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
SHE'S GOTTEN FIFTH ABOUT FOUR
OR FIVE YEARS IN A ROW AND THIS
YEAR SHE WON FIRST PLACE.
>> BUT GETTING TO THE WORLD'S
TAKES MORE THAN HARD WORK
AND PRACTICE.
13 YEARS OF LESSONS, SHOES,
AND COSTUMES ARE ADDING UP
TO A CONSIDERABLE INVESTMENT
FOR MEGAN'S PARENTS.
>> SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS I
THINK WE'VE
BEEN DOING WEDNESDAY NIGHTS.
AND THIS IS HOW I, YOU KNOW --
DOING WORK IS HOW I SUPPORT
MEGAN'S HABIT.
AND HER LOVE FOR THE DANCE.
>> TONIGHT, MEGAN IS FIGHTING
A COLD.
BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO AFFECT
HER CONFIDENCE ABOUT HER CHANCES
THIS WEEKEND.
>> DANCING TAKES A LOT
OF ENDURANCE AND TO GET THAT
ENDURANCE YOU JUST HAVE
TO PRACTICE OVER AND OVER,
AND I GOT THROUGH MY DANCES
AND I STILL HAD SOME MORE ENERGY
SO THAT WAS GOOD.
>> OKAY, GUYS, CLASS IS OVER.
EVERYBODY, GOOD LUCK AT THE FEIS
THIS WEEKEND.
WE'LL SEE YOU THERE, OKAY?
♪♪
HI, MRS. McMAHONUS.
RACHEL MILLS AND
BRIDGET FOGARTY FROM THE HEALY
DANCE SCHOOL.
THEY'RE BOTH CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL
DANCERS, AND THEY DANCED
IN THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP DANCES
THIS MORNING, WHICH IS
WITH THE SOLO COSTUMES.
THEY'RE ALSO DOING FIGURES,
WHICH IS, THIS IS OUR SCHOOL
COSTUME.
SO YOU -- AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN
WE DO FIGURE DANCING, IT'S ALL
GROUP DANCING.
TWOs, THREEs, FOURs, SIXES,
AND EIGHT HANDS AND ALL THE KIDS
WEAR THE EXACT SAME COSTUME.
THE EMBROIDERY, IT'S A DESIGN
FROM THE BOOK OF KELLS, A LONG
TIME AGO, AND WE'VE ALWAYS
HAD IT.
YOU'LL SEE TODAY.
THE COSTUMES ARE BRIGHT.
THEY'RE COLORFUL.
THERE'S SEQUINS EVERYWHERE.
THEY'VE GOT BIG WIGS, BIG
HEADPIECES.
YOU WANT THE JUDGE'S FIRST LOOK,
YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THEM
TO NOTICE YOU FIRST, EVEN BEFORE
YOU START DANCING.
>> THE JUDGES AT THIS YEAR'S
FEIS COME FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.
OVER THE WEEKEND, THEY'LL WATCH
NEARLY A 100 ROUNDS
OF COMPETITION.
>> WELL, WE'RE LOOKING
FOR CHILDREN THAT ARE DANCING
ON TIME WITH THE MUSIC.
CHILDREN WHO CARRY THEMSELVES
IN A VERY RELAXED MANNER,
SO THEY'RE NOT MOVING
THEIR SHOULDERS OR THEIR BODY
AT THE TIME THAT
THEY'RE DANCING.
♪♪
>> I THOUGHT, AS A DANCER, THAT
WHEN I WOULD BE A TEACHER
I WOULDN'T BE NERVOUS AND IT'S
NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL.
EVERY TIME THAT ONE OF YOUR KIDS
COMES OUT YOU'RE LIKE, "OH,
I HOPE THEY DO WELL."
THE NEXT BIG THING IS
MEGAN ANDERSON'S CHAMPIONSHIP.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT SHE'LL DO
WELL.
SHE'S OVER THERE GETTING READY,
PUTTING ON HER WIG AND MAKEUP
AND STUFF.
YEAH, THAT'S THE NEXT THING
WE'RE WAITING FOR.
>> THIS IS THE PIT CREW SIDE
OF THE ART.
>> IT'S GOOD TO GET STARTED.
I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 11:30,
SO IT'S GOOD TO FINALLY GET
THIS GOING.
>> OKAY, LET ME CHECK ZIPPER
AND BACK.
OKAY, I'LL COME SEE YOU BEFORE
YOU GO.
>> GOOD LUCK.
BREAK A LEG.
>> NOT REALLY.
>> NOT REALLY.
>> BECAUSE OF THE SHEER NUMBER
OF COMPETITORS, SOLO DANCERS
PERFORM TWO AT A TIME.
♪♪
SHE'S DANCING A NEAR PERFECT
PERFORMANCE WHEN THE UNTHINKABLE
HAPPENS.
>> IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE THE TWO
OF THEM DID A BLIND TURN,
AND THEN SHE JUST TURNED AROUND
AND THEY JUST RAN INTO EACH
OTHER AND IT HAPPENED TO BE
AT THE HIGH POINT OF HER KICK,
WHICH REALLY HIT HER FOOT
AND INJURED HER.
>> IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS,
YOU KNOW?
IT'S PART OF DANCING,
HARDSHIPS --
I'LL BE BACK FOR THE NEXT FEIS.
I'LL BE BACK FOR WORLDS.
IT HAPPENS.
>> AND IN FIRST PLACE, 822.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> WE FEEL THAT YOU DESERVE
THIS.
>> OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THAT'S VERY SWEET.
>> THAT WAS REALLY NICE OF THEM
TO GIVE HER A TROPHY
BECAUSE THEY KNOW HER.
THEY KNOW HOW HARD SHE WORKS,
AND, YEAH, IT WAS NICE THAT
SHE WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE
SOMETHING.
IT'S QUITE A FEELING TO SEE
SOMEBODY THAT YOU WALKED
INTO YOUR STUDIO AND DIDN'T KNOW
HOW TO DO ANYTHING AND THEN
WATCH THEM PROGRESS
TO THAT CHAMPION LEVEL.
THE BEST THING IS JUST PASSING
IT ON TO THEM AND SEEING THEM
GET EXCITED ABOUT IRISH DANCING
BECAUSE WE WANT TO KEEP IT
ALIVE.
KEEP THE TRADITION ALIVE.
