I had the opportunity to spend the first day of my writing
journey with some very good friends. Many of you know that Irish dancing has
been a driving, dynamic force in my life for over twenty years. Those of you involved in it know the depth
and breadth of the influence of the Irish dance world, and many of you have
made incredible, lasting friendships over the years. I am no exception.
While I can trace the start of many friendships to a
particular moment in time, it is harder to pinpoint the inception of many of my
Irish dance friendships. This is true of
my friendship with Kevin and, subsequently, his entire family. I remember seeing Kevin, his parents and his
sister at dance competitions, and at some point now indistinguishable, we
became acquaintances and, later, good friends.
About six or seven years ago, Kevin asked me to dance in a
show at a fundraiser for his alma mater, Carmel High School, and I have since
performed throughout the Chicagoland area with Kevin, his sister Kelly, our friend Mary, and various others. A year
or two ago, Kelly dubbed us “The Celtic Drifters.” The name lent us a certain legitimacy, and we
have since entertained thousands (ok, maybe not quite thousands) with our
killer moves and Kelly’s fabulous emcee skills.
When I go months without performing, I quickly forget how
much I enjoy being on stage. Dancing,
however, is very much like riding a bike and, while I don’t ride as well as I
once did, I can still stamp and treble with the best of them. Often, I even garner what I hope is sincere
applause.
Similarly, when I don’t see my friends for some time, it’s
easy to forget how wonderful they are.
They are warm, welcoming, hospitable, hysterical, and altogether amazing
people. I am so lucky to know them. Kevin, Kelly, Mary - it was great sharing the stage with you
again. I know my hamstrings will hate me
in the morning (they are already screaming) – but it was worth it.
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