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[rapid tapping] [dramatic string music] ♪ ♪ [vigorous rhythmic tapping] - my name is brogan mckay. i'm ten years old. i dancefor the mcconomy at derry. and i'm going to the worldsfor the very first time. - my name is julia o'rourke.
i live in new york, and i dancefor the petri school. this year is my first timeat the worlds, and brogan ismy main competition there. - i'm irish, and i really didn'tknow this whole world existed. i--you know, nobody in my family has ever doneirish step dancing and-- at least as far as i know. maybe over in irelandthey did.
- lisa's two nieces danced. - yeah, they did,uh-huh. - and i used to think,"oh, these people are insane. they pay for flightsto go to feises." - [laughing] - and then the wigsand all this, and i'd say, "oh, no, crazy. "if brogan ever has a talent, i really hopeit's not irish dancing."
[massed rhythmic tapping] [distant tapping] [woman shouting indistinctly] - [shouting indistinctly] - you just give up so much. like, you could be invitedto 1,000 parties, and you can't go. and even, like,birthday parties for some of your familyyou have to give up.
you wouldn't throwa strap over it. you'd be like--you wouldn't be like, "uh, why did i never getto have some freedom?" it's not that. it's like, you dedi-- when you walk in those doorsto dance and you're dedicating your timeand so are the dance teachers... - hundreds of peoplehave said to us, "where didthis wee thing come out of?"
i mean, she come out,and somebody says, "you think you seen the best? watch this.this is the best." [woman humming] ♪ and one, two, three,four, five ♪ you got to do the jump on five. - i make a facewhen i'm dancing. i open my mouth. i go like that.
or something--i don't know. but when i'm dancing,dad'll be all, "you look likean old-age pensioner." mm. [chuckles] so i just be like,"ooh, sorry." it's just, you know,one, two, three-- - you thought wrong, then. because what you thoughtwasn't gonna work.
- rest just like... - and... - dancing for my granny and my mom and daddy and all because they putso much money into it. like, it's unbelievable. my friends say, "whoa, my mommywouldn't let me do that." we could be in a big housewith so much furniture, but they've dedicatedtheir lives to it,
my hobby, you know, so i find itso, like, extraordinary. hi, mommy. - any money that,you know, myself and dan have, it's spent on broganand her irish dancing. i haven't had a holidaysince, what, 2004, did i say? - since brogan started dancing. - [laughing]since brogan started dancing. that's all that i've had. - my mommy sayswhat's a talent wasted, like?
if you have a talent,like, show everybody. - brogan is very nice, even thoughshe keeps beating me. i try to do as muchas she does. like, i always look on youtubeto see how she's dancing, and i always try to perfect itthe way she does it. that's how i got,like, my hop-overs and, like, my front clicks because i found outhow she does it.
- she has a tendencynot to want to do things until she feels likeshe'll look good doing it or competitive withthe other girls, i think. i think that waspart of the thing that we didn't realizeabout her. [rhythmic clapping] - jump back. big cuts, and turn. [rhythmic gaelic music]
- she was extremely quietin the beginning, so shy and so nervous. - yeah. - so when anna lynnhad said to karen they were going to a feis, you know, her firstdancing competition, you had said she's nevergonna get up and do it. - i don't know ifshe'll get onstage, you know? so i went to the competition,
and they were coming outtwo at a time to dance. and the next thing,julia stepped forward, and she just performedlike no one's business. and my mouth dropped, and i literally called youin ireland-- - she called me in ireland. - and i was like,"lisa, we got a live one." i was like, "wow." hard, hard, hard, hard!
- all! - big ending, ladies. come on, pick it up! [rhythmic clacking] eight seconds. come on.eight seconds. pick it up!pick it up! pick it up! - we're just in itfor some fun. it's a nice cultural thingto do.
but she kept progressingas time went on. then i saw the wigs, the dresses, and i was like,"what's that all about?" and she's like, "oh, well,that's what they do." - they go to different states,and they drive to-- i'm like, "yeah, psh,i'm not gonna go to connecticut. i'm gonna go local." - connecticut seemed likea little much.
- it's too much for me.i'm like, no. - but you do.you get drawn into it. she's doing well, and you buy the dress,and you get the wig, and you get the shoes,and you go to ireland. - we've gone to scotland twice. it's crazy. - ireland.- ireland. - england.- yeah.
- my name's simona,and i'm from london, and i'll be competingin the age 19 to 21 category at the worlds. [clacking] my main competitors will be suzannefrom glasgow and claire greaneyfrom galway. - we've known claire and suzannesince simona was six, 'cause we've always competed.
- i remember simona back wheni was seven at the all-scotland. i didn't get the recallthat day, and she won it, and i remember thinking,"look at this girl." she was unbelievable. then suzanne won the worldsin glasgow, our very first worlds, and that's the first timei really took notice of her and thought, "oh, my god." - you go.
[sprightly scottishaccordion music] - so i suppose it's just beenthe three of us always in the top five. we've been taking turns. it started off with me and then suzanneand then claire. - we're going straight intothe under 21 men's competition. - my grandparents on both sides,they're all italian, so i've got no irish blood.
- [panting] got on my back legs. i was really born into it. i started dancingwhen i was 3. and, well, i'm 19 now, so 16 years. it doesn't feel likethat long, though, at all. - i'd meet simona's motherand suzanne's mother at the competitions,
and, you know, while we'd be allsecretly hoping for our own, we wouldn't begrudge itto the others. - i don't think it'sany different to anything else. i think if you do sport, if you want to win,you got to be focused. it becomes your life. i mean, horse riding people aretraveling all over the country, and it's the samewith irish dancing. it's just, we wear wigsand funny dresses.
- and a big round of applausefor our top three. [cheers and applause] - i'm john,and i'm ten. and i've got five brothers,and i'm the only one who dances, and this year i'm going forworlds for my very first time. stepbrother's cordelay, and my brothers are-- the oldest is dean, ashley,
and then it's may, and then it's thomas,and then it's james. i like dancingten out of ten, and football,about two out of ten. - we're not irish. you know, we don't knowirish dancing. and we went to a feis, and we walked in, and it was like--
it was like a shirley templeconvention, wasn't it? there was teenagersand youngsters, and they'd got the wigs on and really brown legs. - [laughs] - really made-up faces. and then these wigs--it was like-- you just find yourself,like, staring at people for a very long time,thinking,
"i'm glad i've got a boy." [indistinct talking] [boys shouting indistinctly] - ♪ point, two, three, four ♪ ♪ squeeze and point ♪ ♪ bend your legs ♪ darcy, you're not pointingyour toe to the back. ellie, you're not pointingyour toe to the back. may, you're not even listening.
- there's quite a lot of peoplewho tease me and call me names. but i just ignore themand walk away 'cause they don't knowwhat they're talking about. - it's not as badas it used to be. used to be terrible out there. people would be, you know-- "hey, johnny says--he's called me gay," or, you know,and that lot.
but we used to say,"well, just take no notice. just go and show themwhat you can do." - as a parent,you want to go out there, and you want to say to him,"don't call him gay. you know, michael flatley'snot gay and"-- but then you haveto stop yourself because, you know--and we'd-- - i tend to go out thereand throw a blizzard. - ♪ lift, lift ♪
♪ put your elbows in ♪ ♪ step, two, three ♪ ♪ two, two, three ♪ ♪ three, two, three,and four ♪ ♪ up and go ♪ - it's the rhythm and the music. and the shoes. i like the shoes. - ♪ one, two, three, four ♪
♪ tuck, kick, down ♪ - when he first learnedhis sevens, which is, like, one ofthe first things you learn, he was, like,up on his toes like this. and i was like,"oh, god, he's gonna be good." ♪ go, stretch,and one, two ♪ ♪ up kick ♪ now watch your arms, john. if john was at classfour or five times a week
like the restof his competition, probably, then i'm sure he would bepretty much unbeatable. but unfortunately, you know,he's one of five. they're all playing football, going in different directions, and dancing's expensive. move. - my wages basically payfor john's dancing.
i go away and freeze and everything come weekendsor the ta. and at the back of my mind... [laughs] at the back of my mind,i'm thinking, "this is for john." - ♪ up is down,up is down ♪ up now.now head to body. ♪ and kick, two, three ♪
♪ and up,and a-one, two, stretch ♪ now right up. push, kick down. that's better. hands above upper back. ♪ up is down, up,three, click ♪ ♪ one, two ♪ now, straight legs. ♪ stretch, push, up,kick, down ♪
♪ stand, point,stand, point ♪ tense, pull in here. five, six, seven, eight. when he hits itand when he's on form, you know, i think he's,you know, probably unbeatable. two, three, four. ♪ and a-one, two, stretch ♪ ♪ two, three, push ♪ now really stretch it out.
out, out. there, that was better. - i've been makingsilly mistakes and stopping. but hopefully this year,it will all go. - he just tends to forget things and, you know,do something silly or, you know, just stopeight bars before the end. and then i'll say,"what were you thinking?"
"i don't know.i forgot." right, who's next?mitch. - how are your blisters? - all right, yeah. - still got your plasters on? - it is frustrating 'cause he could be so good. i think he's gotthe potential to win worlds,definitely.
he's a completelydifferent dancer to joe. he has to have somethingfor a long time, and when it's polished, and when he knows it,and it's drilled right, it looks great. but, you know-- but then he might forget itanyway. but whereas joe, even on his worst day,
will never forget it,and he'll never, ever stop. - i would like to dancelike joe, but he's strong. he's confident, and... i just love the way he dances. - ♪ now stretch it out,and three, four ♪ ♪ up and downand stretch ♪ ♪ push up and down ♪
pull the back leg up. shoulders back.stretch. ♪ stretch, two, three, four ♪ ♪ up and down,step down ♪ ♪ one, two, three, four,up and down ♪ ♪ stretch, push upand down ♪ pull that back leg up. and stretch. ♪ stretch,two, three, four ♪
♪ up and down ♪ ♪ push, cross, cross, cross ♪ arms back. ♪ arms, two, three, four ♪ push up! ♪ kick and dance,now point ♪ point, stretch those legs out. feet, feet, feet. ♪ kick and kick and one, two ♪
up.put your shoulders, john, up. up, up. ♪ kick and downand stop there ♪ - john'smy best dance teacher ever. he's really good at dancingas well. and he shouts not a lot, but he shouts. but not loud. not that loud.
- get the feet turned downand the toes pointed. your heelswill automatically hit. that's better, but now let'sdo it without the dodgy head. two, three, go. ♪ treble up and toe,hop and step ♪ ♪ kick, kick, and down ♪ you know,i am quite hard on him, but he can take it. you know, he never cracks.
he's very, "mm-hmm,okay, mm-hmm." getting strongon these treble backs. ♪ treble and back step,treble and down ♪ ♪ treble and down ♪ showing me the insideof your ankle all the time. okay, arms tight.five, six, seven, go. bang, bang. ♪ treble and back step,treble and-- ♪ no, come on, that's just it now.concentrate.
♪ and treble and back step,treble and cross, cross ♪ ♪ heel and toe sharp,two, three, treble and back ♪ ♪ treble up and back stretch ♪ ♪ stretch it out,two, three, push ♪ ♪ push, push,push it right up ♪ ♪ now for the back ♪ ♪ treble and step,up and step ♪ - if i don't come in the top ten or a recall,
i won't be okay. but it would just show meif i haven't danced my best. - stretch your legs out!chin up! nowadays, because so many peoplewant to win, there's a lot of peoplethat probably don't have a lot of natural talent but have just workedso damn hard at it that they're actually winning because they'reso technically correct.
so peoplewith natural talent now have to put the work in. you know, there's no roomfor error now. you have to put be foot perfect. out. in. down. right, left, right, right,out, in, down. when i was growing up,
riverdance and lord of the dancedidn't exist, so no one really knew about itin england. from there, you go out. so, yeah, i didn't really tellanybody at school that i did it. and then after i wonthe world championships, i think i was on the news. and then so i wentinto school the next day, and i was walkingaround the corridor, and everyone was like, "i sawyou on the news last night."
and i was like, "did you?" it was like, "i didn't knowyou did that dancing." i was like, "oh, yeah, yeah." - i don't really talkabout irish dancing outside irish dancing, like,my mates from irish dancing. and it's just normally, like,football and american football. - work on your arms. yes, of course. okay, let's go.
[loud clacking] okay, cross,over, over, over, over. bring it on back. come on, straighten this elbow.tighten it a bit. lower back. cross, cross, cross. the back foot out more,out more. ♪ da da da da da ♪ bring this arm in tighter.
cross.now, ready, the other one. ♪ treble up and treble ♪ ♪ da da da da da da ♪ here's the fast ones. back foot. left flat. left tap. ♪ da da da,da da da ♪ right.[laughs]
right. he just hasa complete understanding of every kind of rhythmthat i throw at him. even from a very young age,i was always giving him stuff way harderthan other people his age. ♪ one, two, three,da da la da ♪ cross. ♪ da da la da da ♪ that's better.good.
[rapid clacking] do that one again. up, kick, kick,and toe. right up, right back. - joe's desire to pursue dance was phenomenal. it was living and breathingdance for him. and i--it was like a snowball that i couldn't stop.
- ♪ up, kick, kick,and toe ♪ ♪ kick, kick, and toe,cross ♪ ♪ back and cross,da da la bum bum ♪ yeah, that wasn't too bad. just looked a little bit better. ♪ up, kick, kick,and toe ♪ ♪ feet and kick, kick, kick,and treble and back ♪ that looked much better. - there was just that intensityabout him.
he'd spend seven hoursin the living room with the carpets rolled up and the furniture moved, and that reel would playover and over. - [chanting rhythmicallywith clacking] ♪ out, out, out, sharp ♪ - when he started out, you know, he was likeeverybody else, hop, two, three.
but he won the first 17 eventshe entered. and he found outhe was pretty good at this. - we're a lot alike,joe and i, so i think that there was a point in time when i realized i had to help himmanage himself without being-- i couldn't push him;let's put it that way. but in my own way,i orchestrated things, no doubt.
- i had heard rumorsthat this california boy was thinking about movingto england to dance. and i just thoughtit was a little bit crazy. but then, you know,that's-- dancing has grown so much thatpeople take it so seriously. you know, even thoughthere's no money involved in it, it's quite prestigious, and people wantthat world title. - we are a little mad.
so, you know, you hear aboutfamilies who up and move to florida when they havea good tennis player. - i had a very successfulmedical practice. i pretty much gave that up. i livedin a wonderful neighborhood and â£5 millionand â£6 million houses. the weather hereis certainly nothing compared to california. - i know, yeah.
it's always rainingin this country, though. god. - ♪ five, six, seven,heads move, two, three, four ♪ when joe first arrivedfrom america, he was maybe spoiled. ♪ and sharp, sharp,sharp, sharp ♪ he was this amazing talentfrom when he was younger, and everybody just told himhow amazing he was all the time. and it was like,"oh, you're brilliant.
you're brilliant.you're brilliant." you know, and he was;he's very talented. and then came to our class,and it was like, "this is wrong.this is wrong. you're not doing this.you're not doing this." and i think it was a huge shockto his system, and i don't thinkhe liked it very much. and catch.no, no, no, no. - john carey's justan amazing dancer and teacher,
choreographer--you name it. i mean, he's wonthe worlds eight times, and he'san incredible inspiration. - i definitely have an egoin irish dancing. when you're at the top,it's hard not to. when he tells me something, like, sometimes i'ma little iffy with my listening. - it's interesting to see johnand joe dance together because, you know, i seethis look in joe's eyes like,
"yeah, i knowyou're better than me." and, "give me time." - i just want to be oneof the best that's ever danced, as good as john carey is. i want to be knownfor, like, doing the rhythm and having the set dance, and people will be like, "oh, joe bitter,i remember him. he used to dothose amazing set dances."
- i'm ana. i'm russian. i live in moscow. and i'm a part of a ceilidh teamof eight dancers. we are all adults. we started irish dancingwhen we were in our 20s. you can practice a lot, for a week, for two weeks,
for two months, for a year, and still youcannot do something. and then one day,you just go to the class, and you can do it,like magic. and it makes you so happy,so proud. you're like,"whoa, look, look here. look, i can do it." - i'm based in munich,
and then my weekendsare usually away teaching in poland or russia. over the three countries,we have 500 pupils. i've got three daysof workshops with all the dancerson the ceilidh team. and we've got about 25 hoursof classes lined up. hopefully we'll be able to get the last-minute practicein before the worlds. - i think i probably spend
about half of my salaryirish dancing because we travelto many countries. it's very expensive. people keep asking usabout irish dancing. "why? "you are russians. "you live in moscow. why?" i don't know.
because i like it. it's a gamefor adult people. - you know, in russia, the winter lastsabout six, seven months. could be rather depressing. - when you come dancing, no matter what mood you are in, you're always leaving the classin high spirits. only irish dancingallows you to fly,
really to fly. - chin up, class, yeah. - [speaking russian] - shane is a wonderful dancer, a brilliant teacher. - up a bit more,sasha, up. jump, two, three. jump-de-dump-de. - stop, stop, stop.
[speaking russian] - i would definitely thinkof the russians as the hardest-workingirish dancers that i've ever met. and you're not lifting... they love it.they really do love it. and they enjoy dancing it. so we're really tryingto brighten them up and make them showthat they enjoy it.
and four, five. iri and vera, you look likeyou're having a terrible time. ♪ one and two ♪ drop three,round the feet. - even that timewhen i was watching, it was just vera and ana who held thisall the way throughout. the rest of you weregoing through the motions. and we need eight of youto be doing that,
'cause it can't bejust one or two on the team, and the rest of you alljust hanging on behind. i want peopleto look at you and go, "wow, they're cocky;they know what they're doing." so i think all the timewhen you're dancing, dance it likeyou are world champions. your hands are perfected.your feet are good. now we need to work onthe actual presentation of it. ♪ and three ♪
♪ and four ♪ ♪ and five ♪ ♪ and six ♪ katya, you look miserable. chins up.wait, wait, wait. we lost the personalities. eight unhappy russians. [laughter] imagine you're like--they're hot fingers.
like, you can't hold onto them for too long, 'cause i saw a few times--you see this, like, sticky fingers... hands. hot fingers,like, ow. you know,you can barely touch them. you touch themand you're gone. but they're really hot. go!
♪ up, two, three ♪ move it, move it. ♪ jump, two, three,four, five ♪ and go! move!come on. go, go, go, go. go.go. hot fingers. - if they are not nervous, if you do no stupid mistake,
if you look happy, i think we have a chanceto get a recall. - coming up for our major,i practice almost every day. i like the privates the most because you get to seewhat you do the best. they always tell youspecifically. they're always watching you. at the private,my mom takes notes about what i have to fix.
- thank you. - she writes it down so she knows whatto practice the next time. - oh, no, i don't have privates. - ♪ one, two, three ♪ - 'cause we're so together. we're like one big family,the mcconomys. - the reason we don't doprivate lessons is because we've got 90%in our class
who just couldn't afford it. - it's not fairfor any of the older children, 'cause if i got private, like,my friends in my age group, they wouldn't get it. so it's just not right. we don't do that. - yeah, other side. good? [bones cracking]
- if you do it wrong,you have to get it right. you can't just leave it. - [grunts] - my mom, she's very strictabout that. - there you go. okay, see the leaningon the shoulder? just relax your shoulder. push it back and relax. - she had been dancingon a broken foot.
and the daythat her mom said that they were goingto the doctor, julia was like,"oh, you know what? it doesn't hurt so much," 'cause she realized we wereleaving for scotland soon, and she didn't want to miss. - straight. good. - one, two, three, four,five, six, seven, eight,
nine, ten... i remember when i hurt my footbefore the all-scotland, i just moved on. my mom was like,"you can't dance steps." like, "aye, i can. i can.watch me." there's so many injuriescoming up to the worlds too. it's, like, unbelievable. my friend, she broke her lega couple days ago.
and you're like, "whoa." but luckily she's not goingto the worlds 'cause she didn't qualify. but she still broke her legat dancing? you're like, "whoa." - when i hurt my foot, that was just the best timeto strengthen it and to make it betterand better for competitions. - we want to work the musclesin the lower leg as well, okay?
so the inside part of her arch, she uses one muscle calledthe posterior tib, the other muscle calledthe flexor hallicus longus. are you having any painover this area? - no. - okay. just drape one right here. if it gets too cold,you let me know. nice and supple.
there's no knots in them, so that's a good thing. are you gonna win? - it's gonna bea tough competition. - okay, you be confident. and you have to have funwith it. - okay.- watch the player. i realized how good julia was, and i thought,"you know what, brogan?
you're not gonna winthis world easy." do it again. step it over. step over. over, step, back. and move. hit that step!come on! execute!make it wider. that's it.then go.
- stay on the gray. - dance classes,they've got tougher. rosetta's making us do,like, loads and loads of jumps,like, 2,000 and stuff. - stop, stop.stand your toes. put the right down. right up. hop and set, aye?do them up. i had three sons.
i had one daughter. and i wanted herto be a world champion. i didn't care if she couldn'tread or write. i know a lot of people said,"that's ridiculous. her education's more important." but to me, it wasn't. irish dancing was the mostimportant thing in my life. - you see how they tear you all, and you just want to workto make them happy again.
and you want to make them proudbecause they work so hard. they take their time off. - dance on. hat. - you danced it that time. no, she danced it that time. - well, it's just her,she's-- - either do it right,or don't do it at all. you looked as if you weregoing for a walk,
a cheese, and on i go. you're not goingto world dancing like that. get it right,or take it out completely. - when simona was tiny, it was herthat wanted to do it. now i probably haveto push her a little bit more because i think she's olderand there's other interests. - i started just getting fed upwith it. i thought, "what's the point?"
'cause i really wantedto win a world, and that's whyi was doing it. and when you're not gettingthe results, it's really hard. - she was thinkingof knocking it on the head but didn't want to'cause of me, 'cause she knewit would upset me. [machine whirring] that is way too big.
i've remortgaged twice, not just, i suppose,for the dancing, but most of the moneythat i earn does go on the dancing. see, it lookslike it matches there, but when you look at iton there... it's expensive. that's why i startedmaking costumes, 'cause i couldn't affordto buy one.
looks wide, sweet pea. - i just checked. - that is not the same as that. - and people say,"did you win anything?" you say no, and they go,"well, why are you doing it?" and it's not the money. it's--you want to win the world. i mean, if you've doneirish dancing for all those years,
the top prize that you can getis the world. and that's whatthe kids strive for. - i won the world championships for the first time in 2002 when it was the first yearin glasgow. the next year, i was second. and a year after that, then i won three worldsin a row. - well done.
okay, standing very well,katherine, lovely. - and we had a breakin the summertime 'cause class was closedfor a month, and suzanne and a coupleof other girls who dance with her said, oh, they couldn't waittill, like, sunday for the class to reopen. - that's right. - we were enjoyinga month's holiday,
and they couldn't waitfor the dancing to start again, you know? in fact, suzanne had an injuryabout four months ago. she was on crutchesfor a couple of weeks, but she came to every class. - with her crutches, yeah. just to watch. - she was using her crutches to demonstrate wee basic steps.
[ethereal pan flute music] - here's the da-da-da-da-da,dum-bum. you're doing the diddly dums, your back footcould be more out. yeah, push the heel forwards. do that again. ♪ dum-dya-bum-bum ♪ - really smell it off them. - yeah.[laughter]
you can, yeah, yeah. - you see it in the legs. the beautiful legs. legs are so important. i love legs. legs are just that. - dum, diddly, dum. - yeah, you're rushingthose toes a bit. ♪ da-da-da-da-dumda-da-da-da-dum ♪
- claire i think will find ithard to give up the dancing because she loves it so much. i do think that dancingwill always be part of her life. - i don't think you'd lastin this unless you love it. no matter where you go,you'll find yourself, you know, this kind of thing. en masse, it could be this way. you start thinking. i lie in bed--if i can't sleep,
i'll start making up steps. the duvet could be jumpingup and down. that's just it. that's the mental side of it. - it is my life. it is my passion. i've sacrificed so muchin my life to be an irish dancer and to be where i am right now.
- inside that skinnylittle body of hers, she has such determination. - if you're at the top, the onlyplace you can go is down. and you really don't wantthat to happen, so the pressure is always thereto stay at the top. - they just pulled out.did you see that? - i did.and i'm glad you saw it. you're not turning here? - yeah, why?
- i thought youwere going straight. - i'm not going that way. - i'd be happyif she goes to the world and dances really well. and i know she's capableof winning it, but then that doesn't meanshe will. - claire's gonna go therewanting to keep it 'cause she won it last year. suzanne's gonna gowanting to get it back.
and i haven't won it, so i just really wantto win one. - i'm sandun. i'm this sri lankan guywho lives in holland, and i'm irish dancer. they call methe flying dutchman. i want people to say this year, "flying dutchman is inthe top five of the world." when you go toirish dance class or to a feis,
you stepinto this other world. i really see it like that. [rhythmic scottishaccordion music] - the first time i lookedat irish dancing was riverdance, and i didn't like it at all. then i took home a video, and he watched itthree times a day, four times a day,five times, like little kids watch cartoons,the lion king.
and he watched riverdance. - it's like a drug. irish dancingis like a drug. i mean, tough sport--it's not good for your body. get injuries everywhere. but at the same time,it gives you this nice feeling. [blunt punching sounds] - he's absolutely determined,if he wants to. he can also be a lazy bastard.
- i would be seeking thrillseverywhere. i think probably,you know, if someone would be like,"hey, take this joint," or, "take this little pill,"i'd do it. but now i want to,you know, perform good, and you can't do thatwith drugs or an over amount of alcohol. [both conversingin dutch] - sandun is the only boyin the school.
- you have no one else to compare yourself withduring classes. you have to do itall by yourself. - he made his own mix because he's cocky enoughto think... that he knows best for himself. - sandun cocky?- yeah. - and what is very funny is, irish dancingis a girl's sport.
more, it'sa white girl's sport. you don't see colored peoplein irish dancing. i know there are thousandsof people, and i've seenfive colored people, something like that. and he feelsperfectly comfortable because people accept himfor what he does dancing and not for who he iscolored or non-colored. [speaking dutch]
- being adopted,for sandun, it's very difficult because he grows upin a white environment, being a child of white parents, and that's not howit should have been. he should have grown upin sri lanka with his own parents. being given up by your own mom, that's not easy to cope with. we had really rough timeswhen he was younger.
that's why irish dancingwas very important to us. something that made him feelvery good about himself. even in the rougher momentsof our lives, we went to dance practice, and that alwaysmade it right again. - that's been a difficult path. it's not been impossible, but sandun has many interests, and now he's gone to puberty,
and it's not helpingto be... - yeah, he wants to go outand stay up late and drink. that's very normalfor teenagers, but that doesn't combinevery well with the sport. - i don't wantto be like, "sandun came, he got seventh,and that was it." no, i want to be like,"sandun got tenth. "then he got seventh.then he got top five.
"then he got top three. then, bam,yeah, number one." - i was born in glasgow, and it's funnyfor me to be here at the 40th world championshipsand be hosting the event. there'll be somewherejust over 6,000 competitors. it brings in all throughthe week 20,000, 30,000 people. and everything culminates here in three 35-second performances,if you're lucky.
some of them only getto perform twice at this event, and you get called-- only 50 people getto do the last round. so really, all these childrenare practicing all year round for six minutes of dancing. - this morning,he was up at half five. and tomorrow he's boundto wake up as well early. he's got that excitement andnervousness all rolled into one. there's, like, a coiled spring.
- when we get to the hotel, are we gonna practicea little? - no practicing, no. it's just stretching,a little stretch. - yeah, that's what i mean. - yeah, no, no dancing. yeah. that's gorgeous. - that is beautiful.
costumes cost $2,500 american. - give you a ton of roses. - wow. - you have to see the headband. - oh, that's perfect. - you like it?- yeah. - she got a new dress in july. she's worn it four times,maybe. - no, more than that, babe.
the little feises, you mean. - the--with the white skirt. - uh-huh.four times. - four times? - yeah, yeah. - uh, maybe five? - okay, i don't know. i thought it was more than that. - but she grew.
- it's beautiful. - it's gorgeous. see what i meanabout this white, that it's likethat really shiny-- - yeah, shiny. - almost, like, iridescent. - and you have socksthat are diamante, right? - yes,- obviously. that's a silly question.
- feel comfortable in those? feel ready? [both laugh] - this last year,brogan hasn't had it easy 'cause mom passed away. mom was diagnosed with cancerin june, so brogan was finishing upschool in the june. so we moved more or lessup to sligo for that summer.
- my granny was just so,so ill. it was unbelievable. she was all, like,oxygen and everything. it was just so, so sad. but, like, she--every day, she would, like,be saying to me, "do your best and all." so, like, and i knowshe would have just wanted me to do my best.
so i just kept goingto qualify for the world. - the ulsters was a big thingthis year because this was her qualifierfor the worlds. so for about the weekbefore mom died, we knew she wasreally, really sick. - and she was going, "rosetta,i have to just qualify for the world to go back andtell grandma so she can die." - brogan won. and then i rang my sisterin sligo,
who's in hospitalat the moment. i said, "just whisperto her now that she's won and she's gone throughto the worlds." and i went back up home, and that morning,she died then. - it was like she just wantedto find out that i qualified and then, like, rest. i was sad,but i was excited to hear that she found out.
everybody was, like,so upside down, like, and it was terrible. but we pulled through. [rhythmic pan flute music] - push those knees down flat. stomachs should be flat downon you guys. push it down. - [humming] - my hand, see how all the bloodgoes out of my hand.
sticking up that hand. let me see the... beginning of the last jump. - and relax. top half,you're dancing fabulous. i'm really, really happy. - my dress is so special to me. my granny bought it for me, and i say she's alwaysdancing with me.
she got me this dress, and she's my wee guardian angeland all. it's not really about dresses, but it willmake me feel confident. - ladies and gentlemen, we are now ready to commencecompetition 31, the girls' championship,10 to 11 years. competitors 177, 178, and 179.
[ambling scottishaccordion music] competitors 119, 120, and 121. - beautiful. it was really, really good. really good. - where's lisa and karen? - they're in there.did you want to talk to them?
- are you happy now? it was beautiful,beautiful. - ♪ one and two,four ♪ ♪ up, two, three, four,five, six, seven ♪ ♪ and turn, two, three, four,five, and hat ♪ their first roundis in the heavy shoes. it's all about rhythmand moving. their second roundis the soft-shoe round. that's more about lifting.
it's quite balletic, maybe. there's a lot of flyingaround the floor, high kicks and jumps. and then the marks are added upfor those two rounds, and the best thirdare recalled back to do their set dance. and it's in heavy shoes again, and it's basicallyyour showpiece to show off what you can do.
- the night beforea competition, i sleep with these two. and this one's usuallyat the end of the bed. this one's usuallyby the pillows. but they keep me warm and comfortable. - [chuckles] oh, and his toothfell out, didn't it? - trying to open a bottle. - put it under your pillow.
- i'm up at 6:00 in the morning, and i'll goto the venue at 7:00. well, john has to gothrough the steps. my new year's resolution was, i'm gonna concentrate. - he's just likea little firecracker. everyone's like, "oh, you'rea little cheeky fellow. i love watching him dance;he's so good." and i was like, "yeah, when hedoesn't stop, he's brilliant."
want to tell youwhat we're doing. think about your head, think about your left foot, and think about pushingthat click right above your head, okay? - good luck. [speaking indistinctly] - our first competitors,numbers 104, 105, and 106.
- whoo! was that good? - yeah, very good. he coveredthe stage really well. - can't breathe yet. he's smiling now. - i did watch himin one of the feises, and i thoughthe danced brilliant. and the guy next to me said,"he's won, he's won, he's won."
well, he came third, i think,or second. and i got a bit annoyedabout that, you know? i thought--you know,i was saying, "well, they've got it wrong." but i don't know, so... they know what they're doingup front, don't they, the judges, i presume? - each band will be judged by a different groupof five judges.
and those judges havea total of 100 points to awardto the first place winner. we put them in here becauseour art form's very subjective, so therefore we don't encourageconsultation. they're not allowedto speak about the competition. and they arevery heavily policed. so we actually have a systemwhere our judges are chaperoned. we don't have such a thingas fault penalties. we try notto restrict the judge.
at the end of the day, a lot of it comes downto personal taste. [girls talking indistinctly] [sprightly flute music] - there's been visa problems, so a few of themhave been denied their visas to come into the country. one of the thingswe were trying to do was to make the team stand out
on the stagelike they deserve to be there. and then they're toldthey're not allowed they've just been beaten down,you know, for no reason at all. and, yeah, it's gonna be hardto get them to get thatenergetic performance that we were hoping we would seeon the stage this time. - and we all tried to do it not just for ourselves,
dancing on the stage, but also for the guyswho stayed in moscow. and as anya,the girl who stayed in moscow, she wrote us, "do your best,dance good for me." so we try to do itfor her as well. - instead of kind ofgetting knocked down, give it more of a push. so from today and tomorrow
when we're doingall the practices, keep that focus,keep that drive. let's do it. one and two. nice dancing. stretch it up and back. ♪ and fourand five ♪ ♪ and six and seven ♪ ♪ and eight, two, three ♪
where's the faces? [girls talking at once] - we are now readyto commence the second round of the girlsunder 11 championship. onstage now,we have 120 and 121. 173 and 174. [rhythmic fiddle music] - hey, daddy. there, mommy.
- well done.- oh, thank you. - i thought you just flewaround there like a bird. are you happy with that? - yep. - did you content yourselfthe way you danced? - what? - were you very contentthe way you danced? couldn't have done any better.you were so brilliant. [blender whirring]
[loud cracking] - oh. - that's amazing. - that's it. - [speaking indistinctly] ♪ left foot out,out, out ♪ ♪ chin up and chin up,then push up ♪ come on, up, up, up. arms down, treble across.
- competition number six. boys, 15 to 16 age group. now we have 105 and 104. [sprightly accordion music] - ♪ one and two ♪ ♪ and three and four ♪ okay, and just dothe best you can because you deserveto go up there. okay?
- okay, you ready?all: yeah! [sprightly string music] [all panting] - i'm just going to readto you the recall in numerical order. [giggles] - 127. 136. 139.
140. 146. 151. 159. - just so nervous every time. - yeah, my hands are sweating. - yeah, shaking. - you know, battle on, andyou'll be even better next year. yeah?
okay. let's have a drink. [melancholy string music] - competition is really tough. the top three is, like-- they're like titans. you just can't move them. - between number fourand number eight is about the same level,
and then the first threeare a little step higher. so it could be betweenfourth and eighth, i think. but he has to see improvement. if he becomes eighththis year, that's going to bea huge disappointment. [ambling accordion music] [stirring string music] - next we have the resultsfor competition number five. boys, 16 and 17.
190.5. 174. 203. 847. [conversing in dutch] 796.5. 1,026.5. and 614.5. - [speaking dutch]
- in tenth place... [continues speakingindistinctly] from the netherlandsis number 145, sandun verschoor. ten, boy. well, it's still medal holder. - really terrible 'cause i came for fifth placeor top five, and i got tenth. that really sucked.
should i continue doing this? but what would i doif i won't be dancing? you know, i'm notthat kind of person who would go to universityor, you know... no, not for me. i need to finish something,you know? and that's gonna be dancing. - you know, when she's on form,she's on form. and i just never knowwith simona.
- she's beatenall the other girls at different timesat different competitions. - so hopefully this year, we're due a good world. - arch. it's only a split second. if it hurts,it's a split second. - what i've been doing is just dancing my steps throughin my head,
and half the time,i can't get to sleep, and i'll finish my set dancing, have to go back to my junkand start again. that'll actually end upkeeping me awake about an hour longerwhen i should be sleeping. but i'll probably do thatfor the wee half hour and then go to sleep. - i do it too. i lie in bed doing her dances.
i would love for her to winin glasgow again, and that's her drive. that's her motivationfor this year. - very well done. oh. - i didn't know that-- - oh, my god,that was so amazing, susie. it was absolutely gorgeous. you smiledthe whole way through.
it was just gorgeous. well done. - you're waiting,you're anxious, and you're just hopingthat everything will go well for her. that's all i ask, really, is that she'll havethree good rounds, she danced the wayshe can dance, and that's outof your hands then.
- i'm probably seenas the one to beat because i'm oneof the last three, so it's just--it is a lot of pressure because you just--you can't disappoint, and there's so manyin the competition that are so good. - there's 166hoping to beat you. - slow. [humming along rhythmically]
ooh, jeez. and bang and bang. timing. ♪ da da da da ♪ i ain't gonna dowhat i usually do. that was near flawless. the girl was thereand then just went like that. she handled it well. - adjudicators,
there is no 196. onstage we have 197 and 496. - [sighs] it was good other than that. - you had to pin her. - you couldn't goanywhere there. - well, we kind of just saweach other coming, but we were both,like, doing something. we couldn't move out of the way,
and i was just like-- we kind of just--two of us kind of just went... - i'm nervous, really nervous, 'cause i really,really want to win. i'm getting old now,so i ain't got much longer. so i need to win it soonif i'm gonna win it. don't i? - yeah.[laughs]
14 years we've waited, so it'd be nice to do it... - competitor 148,ramping rate speed 76. - quiet. [tense music] - good job. very lovely. she's crying.she's crying. - now we'll have the ladies19 to 21 years.
107. 249.5. - that's not good. - 108. 91.5. 289. 80. 75.5. 59.
695.5. 651. 1122.5. 546.5. 168. 1179. 343.5. 290.5. 127.5.
- claire, maggie, suzanne,i think. - in fourth place,competitor 148, simona mauriello. - up and stretch. ♪ and one, two, three,kick, and down ♪ up. point your toes.point up. ♪ treble, inside, back ♪ for john, i'm like,
"let's do the same thing "and let's go over it again. "let's make sureyou've got it in your head. have you got it in your head?" and i deliberatelydon't change anything. - shh-shh-shh-shh. this is the final roundof the world championships. next is number 104. - right on.
♪ down, treble, push,up, kick, down ♪ ♪ cross and trebleback above your head ♪ [chanting indistinctly] ♪ cross, cross ♪ ♪ two, three, treble,up and down ♪ next is number 105. - well done, john.- well done, john. oh, lovely. - got this one,big one--that was good.
good, really good. - at least you're gladthat's over now anyway. you can relax for a little bit.well done. - we're now readyto do results of the boys10 and under 11 championship. number 102 in round one, 206.25. 103, 155.5. 104, 431.
- [gasps] - 105, 256.35. 106. 135.5. 122, 295. 123, 199. round two from the top. 170.5.
162.5. 307.5. - oh, dear. that's not as good. 161. 351. - still winning, i think. just about, i think. - 450.
- 214. - 233. - no, he's notstill winning now. - round three from the top. 193. 201. 171. 368.5. 233.
189. - i don't know. - 206. 158. 281. - i think he might win. i think so. - oh, did he?- no, i don't know. shh, don't tell her yet.
- that gets the following totalsfrom the top again. - 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. - 489.- 10. it's close. - 1107. - 738.75. - i think it's really close. i don't know.i can't add it up. i can't add it up.
- 482.25. 790. - i don't know.maybe. - 463. - this is it. - 1100. - yes, he won it. that-a-boy. [laughing]
- number 104.[people screaming] oh, my god. - hi, dad. i won. thank you, dad. shall i pass youback on to mom? love you. - [humming rhythmically] when joe does a set dance,
the whole hall is silent. - john told methe beginning of it, and i was just like,"oh, my god, this is so hard." like, but i just loved it 'cause i knewthat if i would get it, it would be one of the best setsi've ever done. - we're just waitingfor joe bitter's session, because we've beenwatching him practice, and he's amazing.
- there's nothing simpleabout it. if i nail every beat, then it's just gonna beone of the best sets anyone's ever done. [applause] [jaunty accordion music] - [chuckling] - he made me cry. it was the best seti have ever seen.
- oh, thank you very much. thank you.thank you. - absolutely a masterpiece. - i actually started crying... brilliant.brilliant. high play.high play. - you got to set the pacefor the competition, and they've got to live upto you. everything you've got, sweetie.
all right, love you. we are ready to commencecompetition 31, recall set dance. - oh, do you have to go up? - yeah, i'm, like, fourth. - thank you.good luck. - competitor 121, dancing"the three sea captains." [both chuckling]
- let's be fairto all the competitors and the judgeswho are concentrating and focusing. competitor number 177, dancing "drunken gauger,"speed 69. - went all right? - went perfectly. - now the resultsof girls 10 to 11 years. 115, 84.
116, 111.5. 121, 373. - [whispering]yes, i'm winning. - 172, 86.5. 174, 231.
177, 312.5. 179, 72. 203, 120.2. - [whispering]yes. - and now from the top, round two.
- it's okay. - 62.5. 377.33. 206.5. 123. 80.5. 61.5. - [whispering]you're gonna get 373. - 270.
- 377. - 340.5. - my god.- you're in first. - [whispering]i'm in first. - 238. 108.5. 35. 186. - yes.
- [giggling] - and now round threefrom the top. 191. 91. 128. 114.5. 373.75. 291. 160.5.
191.25. 196. 69.5. 236.5. 273.5. 440. - i'm right. - 271.5. 179.
270.5. 23... 89. 84.5. 119, and 204. - [whimpers] - it's okay.you're in first or second. do you know how good that is?
- 294.5. 318.5. 1124.08. 749.5. 364. 287. 487.5. 282. 410.
497. 302. 271.5. 774.5. 1092. [girls screaming] - they're over the moonover there. - [sobbing] oh, my god.oh, my god.
- 824. - in first place,competitor 121. - congratulations. - second place, 177. wah! - i did it. i'm so happy. - thank you.congratulations. you're cute.
- when you saidwhat you said today... - yeah, well done. - thank you. you too. wasn't expecting it. i thought you were gonna win. - oh, no, i knew you would. come here. - good job.- thank you. thank you.
[music swells] - this ismy little wish calendar, which i write down all my, like,expectations for each month. for march,i wrote "the big month." i said, "i really hopei win the worlds this year. "i've been under so much stressand hard work, and i would really likethis title." i do really want it, but i don't mindif i don't get it.
they're just my own wee wishesin my own wee world. - in first place, we have competitor 121, julia o'rourke, petri school, new york,usa. in second place, let's hear itfor competitor 177, brogan mckay, mcconomy school,derry, northern ireland. - ♪ i'll always be here ♪
♪ watching you shine ♪ ♪ i wish you well,my dear ♪ ♪ now heave no sigh ♪ ♪ hold every moment ♪ ♪ close to your heart ♪ ♪ listen to each beating rest ♪ ♪ this is just the start ♪ ♪ but if you feel frightened ♪ ♪ or have fallenfrom grace ♪
♪ it doesn't matter,my dear ♪ ♪ now is still your time ♪ ♪ i'll open my arms ♪ ♪ to keep you warm ♪ ♪ over every mountainyou climb ♪ ♪ my love will show youwhich aisle, i'm certain ♪ ♪ now, oh, now is your time ♪ ♪ you will succeed here ♪ ♪ in every single way ♪
♪ and if somedon't happen to see ♪ ♪ they will some other day ♪ ♪ and we will be proud when ♪ ♪ you leave us behind ♪ ♪ i'll see you soon,my dear ♪ ♪ for now is your time ♪ ♪ now is your time ♪