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WORLD CHAMPION IRISH DANCERS CELEBRATE
ST. PADDY’S DAY AT HOME IN THE O.C.
A full day of music and dancers featured at 4th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival at the Orange County Market Place
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2/23/2010 : February 22, 2010, Costa Mesa, CA--Three Orange County based Irish dance schools, all of which have produced regional, national and international champions, will bring a bit of Irish and Scottish culture to the stage during the 4th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival on Sunday, March 14 at the Orange County Market Place in Costa Mesa, the weekend swap meet at the O. C. Fair & Event Center. The Festival runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is included in admission.
Each school will perform twice on the Westside Stage during the day long celebration, with each academy in distinctive colorful costumes showcasing their styles of jigs, reels, and soft and hard shoe dance numbers.
Kicking off the dance numbers will be students from the Lake Forest Claddagh School of Irish Dancing performing at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The Claddagh School has eight schools throughout Southern California and one in Salt Lake City, Utah and is under the direction of Máire O’Connell--- also a dancer--- who moved from Galway, Ireland to California in 1978 to establish the company. Her school now boasts more than 100 North American championship Irish dancers in solo and team events as well as several international champions.
Most recently they captured two world titles at the 2009 World Irish Dance Championships, which marks the third time Claddagh dancers have returned from the World Championships with a title.
The Lake Forest studio is under the direction of Katie Darlington, a credentialed teacher and championship dancer.
Next on stage will be students from the Aniar Academy of Irish Dance of Laguna Niguel with shows at 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Theresa Thomas LaBlanc and Christine Byrne, co-directors of the Aniar Academy, are credited with bringing Irish dance to South Orange County. Established in 1995, the school has grown to over 150 students and boasts numerous championship dancers. They will be sending dancers to the World Championships in Scotland this April.
The word “Aniar” is Gaelic for “from the west.” According to Byrne, “we like to think that Aniar Academy is the best evidence that Irish culture is alive and well here in the western United States.”
Butler-Fearon O’Connor School of Irish Dance of Mission Viejo will round out the Festival dancing with shows at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Considered one of the top Irish dance schools in the world, it was founded in 2003 as a result of a merge between the world-famous Butler-Fearon School of Canada and California, and the O’Connor-Kennedy School in California. The directors of the school are Rose Fearon, Vincent O’Connor and Kathleen O’Connor, all of them dancers since childhood. The school was named the number one dance school in North America by Irish Dancing and Culture Magazine for 2005.
Their students have won numerous titles, including North American, Great Britain, All-Scotland, All-Ireland, and World Champion. Several senior dancers with the school have toured with or are currently touring with shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.
They were the first school in the western United States to have a World Irish Dancing Champion: Marnie Smith, 17, of Irvine from the Mission Viejo school. The school recently took nine solo titles at the Western Regional Competition in Denver, Colorado.
In the US, the school has locations throughout Southern California, Northern California, and Las Vegas, NV. In Ontario, Canada, classes are located throughout the greater Toronto area, as well as in Kitchener and London.
On another stage (ACE Stage presented by KSBR radio) electric cellist Marston Smith will perform old Celtic favorites from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Smith uses a unique six stringed electric cello of his own design mounted on medieval battle armor to play what he calls songs of epic romanticism. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, at Cirque du Soleil, in Las Vegas casinos and at several international jazz festivals.
Additionally he has recorded with the Back Street Boys, KISS, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart and opened for the B-52’s and Michael Buble. He has been featured in films including Out of Africa and Officer and a Gentlemen and entertained for the openings of Harry Potter movies and Lord of the Rings. He has recorded more than a dozen CD albums.
Strolling entertainment includes Celtic attired stilt walker Joy Halverson of Mission Viejo from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Jeff Abbit of Irvine as Abbit the Average Leprechaun performing Irish magic and comedy from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Green mint ice cream and green lemonade will also be offered.
All entertainment is included with swap meet admission, which is $2, or free for ages 12 and under. Free parking is available. Preferred parking is $5.
The Market Place, which features nearly 1,000 vendors each weekend, is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also included is an artisans and crafters area, fresh produce, used luxury car sales lot, an abundance of unique products and services, food products and much more in a massive outdoor setting.
Additional information may be obtained by visiting www.ocmarketplace.com or calling (949)723-6660.
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