Jana has been dancing for seven years. “My mother also danced,” she says, as did her older sister. “It’s fun. You move a lot. It’s also quite exhausting sometimes,” says Jana. She had started practising for the six categories in which she danced in front of the judges almost two weeks before: the “Light Jig”, Slip Jig”, “Single Jig” and “Traditional set” in the beginners and the “Reel” and “treble Jig” in Primary, the next highest category. And successfully: she achieved a first and a second place.

Irish dancing at championship level is a high-performance sport. Dancing and judging took place in various categories: the solo dance or the “Two Hands” with a partner, the “Ceili” with up to six dancers and hard or soft shoe, that is with or without tap shoes. You have to take part in several regional Feis to be admitted to the German championships, explained Haramis.

There were mainly girls and women in the hall. The Greenwood School currently has only one male dancer. “A lot more boys and men dance in Russia,” said Haramis. In Ireland, you primarily see children and teenagers. “They did not know the concept of also dancing as adults.” And certainly not of first beginning at adult age. And there, the idea of competition is in the foreground. “The Irish first discovered the fun factor through us.”

The Greenwood School did fairly well, with U17 dancer Sara Brazil and U25 dancer Celine Zimmermann winning trophies at the championships. The dance steps were judged, of course, but so was the posture – only the legs dance with the upper body and arms remaining still. “And actually they should smile,” says Haramis,” but often they are concentrating too much for that.” Next year, the Bonn school will host the German Championships. They are still looking for a large enough venue.

(Original text: Stefan Knopp. Translation: kc)