Not much puts you in the St. Patrick's Day spirit quite like traditional Irish dancing. At Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, they stomp the hard shoes with the best of them while also empowering young women along the way.
"I started Irish Dance when I was five," Anne Blume, Associate Director at Trinity Academy of Irish Dance said. "One of the things that sticks out in my head is the female instructors and the strong women they were, how much I looked up to them. Being a part of a teaching staff of primarily women, we pass on those skills we learned from our instructors. The confidence it takes and the resilience and the ability to tackle what's thrown at them."
Blume teaches dance at the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance but is a former World Champion Irish Dancer from there as well. She says it helped shape her into the woman she is today.
"From being shy when I was younger and to go up on stage that first time, it really in an instant changed my confidence completely," Blume said. "Just seeing they're good human beings and that they're kind and gracious and good competitors, that's what we teach here."
As they dance in unison, the girls are smiling ear to ear. So while they're having fun, they're also learning a lot about coming together as well.
"I feel more confident in myself," Gracie Peters, a dancer said. "I've never been a shy kid, but if I was, Irish Dance has made me more outgoing and I love doing it."
The team is going to be performing all over the Milwaukee area during St. Patrick's Day and will be offering free lessons to those wishing to learn how to do Irish Dance.
You can find more information on their website.
