Dancing all over the world

'Ceilí classes in Milan and feiseanna in Vladivostok are commonplace and while it has always been a big enterprise in the United States, there are now more Irish dancing teachers on that side of the Atlantic than there are in the rest of the world, combined.' So how does a man who admits he has two left feet come to play such a prominent role in the dancing fraternity? 'My involvement in Irish dancing stems from the fact culture was always something we promoted at the school during my years there,' he said. 'We introduced the children to set dancing at an early age so that by the time they left school they had the basics such as the Siege of Ennis and the Walls of Limerick and regardless of whether they ever learnt another step, they would have those dances with them for life. 'Back in the early 1990s I was asked by the Connacht regional council to attend a world commission meeting in Dublin as a delegate. 'By 2000 I was chairperson of the association's examination body, which assesses candidates in the dancing teacher exam. 'Then four years ago I was elected chairperson of An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha for a five-year term, so I'm heading into the final year of my tenure now. 'The commission has 108 members who meet three times a year in Ireland, and these meetings are very intense as there's a lot of work to be done when you're bringing members together from around the world for such a short time.' The American influence on the activity has led to a growing criticism of the pageantry that is now associated with Irish dancing, whereby costumes have become more intricate and expensive while hair and makeup requirements border on the extreme. John concedes the culture is at risk of being subsumed by commercial interests but he insists that at local level, the emphasis remains on the art form of the dance. 'The business end does seem to be taking over from the cultural heart of Irish dancing and there is a danger that it will get swamped by commercial interests,' he said. 'At local level the paraphernalia has been pulled right back to where children are dancing in plain blouses and skirts,' he said. 'I agree that the finals pageantry stems from the US but at local level we have done our level best to keep it basic. Nowhere on the adjudication sheet is there a section to judge the competitor on how they look, it's all about the dance.' Parents can spend up to €2,000 on competition costumes and many will travel to Belfast where Gavin Doherty is based, who is considered the top dressmaker in the world. 'Parents say the wigs are a more convenient way to prepare their children for dancing as they say it's handier than sending their children to bed in rollers the night before the competition,' said John. The evolution of Irish dancing, since the cultural phenomenon that was Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, has seen other forms of dance penetrate the competition in recent years. 'Regions are constantly pushing the boundaries and you will find elements of gymnastics and ballet in Irish dancing nowadays, but the traditional dance steps remain in about 95 per cent of schools, world wide,' added John. The growth of Irish dancing in recent years has seen participation levels spiral to the point that there are only three venues in Ireland big enough to host the event, City West in Dublin, the INEC in Killarney and Belfast's Waterfront Hall. This year's event was held in Belfast where the St George's Market building had to be used as a supplementary venue as the three main halls in the Waterfront Hall couldn't accommodate the 4,500 competitors taking part. Contracts have been signed up until 2018 for the hosting of the championships and next year will see the event go to America for the first time, where Boston will have the honour of staging the competition. 'It will cost €1.3 m to stage next year's event but then this year's championships, which were held over eight days and brought 30,000 people to Belfast, was worth €22 million to the economy,' said John. 'There is the argument that the event should never be held outside of Ireland, but the way things are going it's hard to argue when the options are limited, and financial assistance from other areas is so good. 'And there is no denying the huge numbers involved in America where they have to hold an elimination round before they finalise qualification for the World Championships, so big are the numbers competing nationally. 'The changing face of Irish dancing will always have its detractors but at the end of the day it's a skill and a talent that by introducing to children at an early age instils a discipline in them that they will carry through to other areas of their lives. 'It was very apparent in school that those who took pride in their dancing had the same commitment to their school work, much in the same way kids who are into sport tend to have better academic results and that is down to the discipline of training.' Over the coming month's John's duties will bring him to Chicago and Adelaide and already this year he has been in St Louis, Missouri earlier this year, as well as Belfast for the 2012 championships in March. 'Irish dancing has changed massively in the four years I have been chairman, to the effect that we now have an office in Dublin with four full time staff which reflects the professionalism that is required,' he said. 'We are trying to get all the regions and councils worldwide to introduce an identity card for their members so that we can track dancers world wide and get an idea of how big this is in real terms. 'It has been a tremendous opportunity for me as I have travelled the world and got to meet some extraordinary people, all of whom are part of the huge gathering that is the Irish dancing family.'