Episode 2 Jigs and Wigs: The Extreme World of Irish Dancing

The world of Irish dancing is one that's constantly evolving

and with the advent of global success stories

like Riverdance and Lord Of The Dance,

it's an art form that's been thrust onto the world stage

over the past 20 years.

But it's not all about timing and fancy footwork these days.

Increasingly, the life of an Irish dancer is a glitzy one,

filled with multicoloured sequins,

curly hair pieces, and layers of fake tan.

And the grown-ups have decided it's no longer just for kids.

I'm Cathy Desmond. I'm 50 years old.

I'm an Irish dancer

and I dance with the Olive Hurley School of Irish Dancing in Dublin.

I'm a Mum of three. I have an 18-year-old and 13-year-old twins.

They keep me busy -

school runs, homework, cooking, cleaning, the list is endless.

Cathy took up Irish dancing as an 11-year-old

and showed great promise.

But she disliked competing and gave up again at the age of 17.

I'd always had a bit of a gra for Irish dancing,

but not so much that I'd go back to dancing,

but when I turned 40 I had a birthday party

and my friend went to the DJ with a CD with Irish music

and said, "She does Irish dancing."

So I was in complete shock,

because at that point I probably hadn't danced in about 25 years.

So, I was coerced onto the floor anyway

and I got up and did the most basic easy reel ever.

And it was embarrassing,

because I knew in my heart and soul that I was capable of a lot more.

So, that kind of gave me the incentive to maybe,

before I got a bit too old,

to go back and explore going into dancing again.

OK. So, may I have the adults at the back, please,

the little ones in the front.

After some research, Cathy joined the Olive Hurley School of Irish Dancing,

and quickly began to impress her teacher.

The first day Cathy came into my class,

I saw this little lady, say 4'10", 5', walking in,

and she'd a little bag and long hair and glasses.

She came along, and I noticed she had very good rhythm.

But, as far as I was concerned, she was just in to, you know,

enjoy coming back to dancing and keeping fit.

La la la la, la-la, la-la.

I think, initially, the children in the class,

they looked as if, "Oh, someone's mum has just started to dance.

"Why is there a mum dancing?"

I think they were wondering why I was there

and I was starting to wonder why I was there as well.

But once I started to dance, and then they saw,

"Well, you know, she's one of us."

And I was very accepted into the class then.

Then, the girls were doing feises, and the boys,

so Cathy tapped me on the shoulder one day,

about six months after she started,

"Could I go to that feis?"

So I said, "Why not? Yes, of course."

And so, she went. I think it was over 16, or over 18.

And of course, Cathy told everybody she was 41

and she did six competitions,

she got straight firsts in the whole lost.

So, she beat all these beautiful 16-year-olds

and then she went into the next level,

which was the intermediate level, and did the same thing again.

And so, everybody was looking at this older lady

who came back to dance,

and she's sweeping the boards in front of all these beauties.

For Cathy, the pinnacle of her competitive dance career came at 45,

when she qualified for the World Championships.

I'd try to qualify several times before then,

but that year in particular was very important to me.

My dad passed away in 2007 and he knew what my dancing dream was,

and I tried to qualify in the November of that year

and for the first time ever, I qualified.

I just firmly believe that it was his parting gift to me.

I would imagine Cathy has made history by qualifying at 46,

or whatever she was, to dance at the Worlds.

I don't think anyone else ever did that.

Cathy has failed to qualify for the Worlds since 2008

but having recently reached her 50th birthday,

she remains determined to keep trying.

It's not a vain attempt to hold on to my youth.

I do it for the love of dancing.

And if it was something else I'd do it just as enthusiastically.

This morning, her friend Sue arrives for a catch-up and some practice.

-Hi.

-Ready?

-Come on in.

Oh, you have your mag!

They're saying the older groups

are going for simple, sophisticated dresses.

-They don't know me at all.

-That's me!

I have a simple, sophisticated dress. I'm happy.

What do you think of the blue? It's a bit much, isn't it?

-How can you have too much sparkle?

-It's too glitzy.

How can it be too glitzy?

Yeah, but you see at my age, you know, you have to be a little...

-You're only as young as you feel.

-Ah, no, but still.

My dancing buddy is a girl called Sue. She's 28.

And we pretty much do everything together. We help each other out.

We learn steps together.

If she doesn't know something, I'll teach her, and vice versa.

So, what do you think? Will we have a look at the set?

-Will you fix it for me?

-Change to the new way, yeah?

TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS

CATHY HUMS ALONG

Despite the fact there is a 22-year age gap between myself and Sue,

we get on really, really well together.

So, if Sue doesn't come to class, I don't really feel right going over

and sitting with the 15, 16-year-olds.

I'm just a little bit out of my depth.

Even though I get on really well with them,

it's just to have someone a bit nearer to my age

to hang out with in class, basically.

Yeah, OK.

At 50 years of age, Cathy is unusual in the Irish dance context.

But on the Continent, she would hardly stand out.

In Munich, dancers from all over Europe are preparing to

descend on the annual feis, which is

one of the biggest competitions of the year for adult dancers.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS

When I first came here it was in '92, and Riverdance came in '94,

and my whole thing was, well, I'll open a class of children.

But adults came.

So when I advertised, it was adults that came

and because they saw the show Riverdance,

it was, "I want to learn this, I want to do Riverdance."

TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS

My name is Marco. I was born in Germany and I grew up in Italy.

I dance for the over-30s. I'm 48.

I'm not a dancer, generally,

but I love Irish dance,

due to this...sequences of steps

and the rhythm of music and it's good, also, for fitness.

I think, at my age,

I can't be a champion, but we will see.

The adults, they want to compete because they want to get better.

So, they take it that seriously.

They actually work out, they practice.

Some of them do even fitness clubs alongside,

just for their Irish dance, to get better.

The first time that I saw the Irish dance was Riverdance,

and it was unbelievable.

Actually, we were very far from the stage, but at the same time,

I felt like as if I was there on the stage, it was feeling incredible.

At the same time, when I am on the stage, actually,

I feel like a young boy.

I mean, I'm a bit nervous.

My legs becomes soft and I know that it seems strange

that a man of 52 years old can feel like that,

but it's a strange sensation when you are there in front of the judges.

It's not just about dance. They're learning everything about Ireland.

They want to learn our accent,

they want to learn the way we walk, the way we talk.

What we do after a feis, you know,

maybe go to the Irish pubs afterwards, things like that.

I love the music and all the steps, crossing and jumping

and flying across the floor.

A lot of people think that she's Irish.

Once we were in St Stephens Green Park,

and there were some Japanese and Italian tourists

that were taking pictures of her,

thinking that she was Irish and we just pretended to be Irish.

We just said, "OK, don't speak!"

And they took pictures and maybe they went back home showing the

pictures of a typical Irish girl that instead was Italian.

And it's not just the Italians who have discovered

a love for Irish dancing later in life.

Yuri is a 40-year-old businessman from Moscow

who has been taking private dance lessons for the past five years.

When I found an internet site about Irish dancing in Moscow,

more than ten years go, I decided,

"I'm almost 30, I'm very old for dancing. It's not for me.

"I will just play music, Irish music, and that's all."

I'm a general director of a company producing automation devices

and now, I've about 100 employees there.

And they don't know about his dancing

because he is really serious.

He doesn't smile himself in the mirror.

He is always serious, and he goes like, "grr,"

so he just can't dance. He can't!

When such a serious man like a general director came to dance,

it's not very good!

It's minus ten for image!

# I'll hear you and I will sing to you... #

When we came to Ireland, it was raining. But he was smiling.

It was so strange.

So, I decided I could bring some Ireland to Russia.

But I'm really jealous person,

so it was difficult to me to find a school with a male dancer,

because they didn't like all the short skirts and all the make-up

and all these girls around,

so I was trying to find a male dancer to give some private lessons.

And it worked, because the male dancer was the best one in Russia,

so he trained him good and in half a year, he got his first medals.

Hopes for more silverware are high,

as Yuri and his family make their way to the competition.

The adult dancers competing here take the event very seriously,

and Yuri is suffering from pre dance nerves.

In my professional life,

I had a chance every day to make speeches and discuss any questions.

But this competition,

every time, it's harder for me than any hard business conversation.

Yuri squeezes in some last-minute practise,

and across town, another group of hopefuls from Norway

are nervously heading to the feis.

I actually started when I was 16 but because I was in school

and I didn't live in Oslo, I didn't have a school to go to.

I didn't know where I could do dance.

So, I just had like a workshop here and a workshop there.

So, I lost a lot of years there. But still, 16, that's old, actually.

That's when people retire in Ireland!

Ase is a teacher at the Ronan McCormack School in Oslo,

and is joined in Munich by some of her dancing students,

Gerd and Eva.

This is my first time doing the Munich Feis.

I've never been there before

and I've been supposed to dance at the Milan Feis two years ago,

but then I got pneumonia, so I couldn't dance.

And then in November I broke my foot one week before the Salzburg Feis,

so, I didn't... This is my first proper feis.

That's a scary thing, you know, when you're an adult dancer -

it's injuries, because you never know if it's going to heal,

or if it's going to heal proper or end.

When you're ten, it's like, you're growing anyway,

so managing a little bit of bone doesn't really matter as much

most of the time, as long as it's not in growth. So it's good.

I feel really like my bones are, you know, little less flexible.

I jump less. It's harder.

It's harder to get warmed up, all in all, but I'm still working it.

And the older you get, the scarier it is.

The older you get the harder it is.

-TANNOY:

-'Change here for the U4 and the U5.'

It's here. This is it. It's here. It's here! We're here!

In Dublin, an adult dancer's worst fear has come to fruition.

Cathy has picked up an injury, and it's throwing into jeopardy

her dream of once again qualifying for the Worlds.

Cathy has been having an issue with her left hamstring,

so she's been getting treated here on and off for the last five months.

She's becoming an awful lot looser.

Her muscle isn't as tight as what it used to be,

but her pain isn't much better,

so there's still a lot more to do with her.

Just try and relax.

-It's better than last week.

-Yeah, I know it is. It's much better.

You know, you're getting up to...

-That's tight, but it's not overly painful.

-Yeah.

Normally, we wouldn't see any 50-year-olds with Cathy's

type of injury, really.

Most 50 rules we get in would have some neck pain, back pain,

more of a wear and tear type of thing

rather than a sports injury or a dancing injury.

But it's common enough that the older you get,

the little bit more time it takes then to get back on your feet,

get back to normal, and get back pain free again, unfortunately.

Ooh!

-Sorry, Cathy. OK?

-Yeah, yeah.

'It's the longest injury I've ever had.

'I've had hamstring injuries before,

'but they've always righted themselves within a couple of months.

'But this one's been nagging at me now since the end of last year.'

-Are you OK?

-Mm-hm. Mm...

Give me a shout if it gets too much, OK?

I suppose in the back of my mind, I have a nagging thought

that maybe it's the end of my career as a competitive dancer,

but not as a dancer. I mean, I'll always dance,

but just maybe the competition end of it might be finished.

But I'm trying to keep my head in the sand about that. I'm in denial.

I'll go through this pain and hopefully it'll make a difference.

CLOCK BELLS CHIME

Its competition time in Munich and Yuri's wife, Maria,

is nervously waiting for him to perform.

It's so difficult to look at him and to know that he can fail any minute.

It's hard to watch, really.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS

And Maria has given her husband and extra incentive for victory.

We probably will have more kids if he dances well.

I like champions, and he knows it. I'll choose the best.

SHE GIGGLES

Meanwhile, backstage, the nerves are building for 29-year-old Ase.

Very nervous. I can't lie to you, no.

It's weird, because it's not really a big deal,

but I won the heat last year and then now I'm back and,

you know, and I have to carry the cup in.

It's like, "Here, this used to be mine, and I'm not getting it back."

That's how I feel. It's like, you know, I should be as good this year.

SHE SPEAKS NORWEGIAN

I feel that I need to prove, you know,

that I'm good enough and that it's worth doing it,

because I spent some much time and so much money, and I'm old.

It's like, "What are you doing this for? Why are you playing around?

You know? So, I guess that's the pressure.

It's like I'm sweaty already from warning up.

-That's nerves for you, darling.

-Ugh!

APPLAUSE

It's prize-giving time in Munich,

as the adult dancers anxiously await the results of their categories.

Two-way tie for third, Stephanie Marbach, Rojahn Academy, and Dina...

And after a nervous wait, there's good news for Yuri and his family.

In first place, Yuri Murashev.

APPLAUSE

I am happy today,

but I think that a lot of work is waiting for me next day.

I'm very grateful for my family,

because they support me and my victory is their victory.

Look at this.

Ase's hard work is rewarded, too.

For the second year in a row,

she takes first prize in the overall open category.

For the 29-year-old, it's an emotional victory.

I know it must be weird to see a grown-up woman being like,

"Oh, God, I won, I won," but, you know, Irish dancing changed my life.

Thank you, girls'

My biggest fear is being that girl on the stage that everyone is like,

"Oh, what is she doing here?" You know?

And I know it's like, I'm acting like I won the Worlds,

but to me, it's as important...

I know it's not even close, and that's ridiculous,

but it's this reassurance that,

you know, I can do this, I'm ready to do this,

although I'm just an amateur and whatever.

So, this is nice. It's going back home to its spot now.

November, 2013,

and the All-Irelands are taking place in Belfast this year.

But unlike Munich, it's a young person's game.

Cathy and her dance buddy, Sue, have decided to compete,

but having not danced competitively for quite some time,

the girls are feeling a little rusty.

I've forgotten how to do this, Sue.

-What is it?

-It's stuff you put on to make your make-up stay.

-Superglue?

-CATHY LAUGHS

life's too short to be wearing all this make-up.

Despite being plagued by injury for many months,

Cathy is determined to stay upbeat.

I haven't really given the leg much thought at all, to be honest.

I'm so caught up in the nerves and the excitement of it

that I haven't really thought about the leg.

Cathy and Sue head down for breakfast,

but it's not long before the nerves kick

-in.

-I'm not hungry.

-Oh, you have to eat something.

-I can't bear cereal, Cathy.

-I feel sick.

-Let's go for it.

Cathy, I think it's the first time in my life I've turned away food.

No, just you have to have something.

-I'm not hungry.

-Just eat.

-I can't eat that, Cathy.

-Oh, my stomach's churning.

THEY RECITE STEPS

Having lost their appetite,

they make their way to Belfast's Waterfront Hall,

where dance teacher Olive Hurley is on hand for moral support.

-D-day, D-day, D-day!

-D-day.

-You'll be great.

OLIVE SINGS TRADITIONAL TUNE

Yeah. There. Yeah. Good girl.

But not everyone in the Irish dancing community has been

quite so supportive of Cathy's decision to continue competing.

There were a couple of teachers saw Cathy dancing with the over 20s

and they couldn't understand this older lady dancing.

I said, "What's the problem? She's living her dream."

"I'm uncomfortable," one teacher said to me. I said, "Why?"

"Oh, she shouldn't be dancing at that age,

"and she's intimidating the younger girls."

I said, "What? How do you intimidate young girls, all beautiful girls?"

21, 22...

As Cathy waits side stage, it's time for a pre-dance ritual.

Very traditionally and very sentimentally,

every time I dance, before I go on stage,

I always just say a little prayer to my dad, because I know

he's behind what I'm doing and I know he's always looking out for me.

He's like my guardian angel.

So I always just say a little prayer to him, saying,

"Don't make me fall," or, "Let me get it right," or, "Let me do well."

TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS

My first dance was a traditional set dance called King Of The Fairies.

I think I did it OK. I kept in rhythm, I didn't go wrong.

It was OK. It was grand. The standard was very, very high though.

Meanwhile, Sue is onstage, and not faring quite so well.

My dances didn't go well.

In the reel, the light round,

I nearly had a collision with another girl, so I just stopped,

so the judges had to ring the bell for us to come off and go on again.

So, that knocks you off anyway. You can't place high after stopping.

-This is really happening, isn't it?

-Oh, Cathy...

And there's another reason why Sue is underperforming today.

The officials are unaware,

but she's four months pregnant with her third child.

I have to stop drinking that. I need to go to the toilet.

Is there a loo?

As Sue's hopes for a medal dwindle,

Cathy's takes to the stage to perform her reel,

but the competition is steep and her expectations are low.

My reel wasn't great.

It could've been better, but it wasn't bad either.

But again, the standard was the phenomenal.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS

Despite the high standard of this year's All-Irelands,

there's a surprise in store for Cathy as the recalls announced.

-ANNOUNCER:

-'138, 139.'

SHE GASPS

'140. 141.'

Oh, my God! I can't believe this! Oh, my God!

When I heard Melanie got at, I was saying, "Oh, my God,"

and then you get it. Like, happy days. Fantastic, well done.

Go on. God bless. Give it a welly! Good girl!

Oh, my God. I'm so happy for her.

It proves that it doesn't matter what age you are. Go grannies!

TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS

Although she didn't finish in one of the top spots,

Cathy Desmond did manage to win a medal at the All-Irelands

and hopes that future successes will follow.

APPLAUSE

I don't look on Cathy as old,

I just look on Cathy as one of the girls.

You don't think, like,

"Mind out for Cathy, don't bump into her because she's old,"

cos she's just Cathy.

Cathy is the only woman in the old world at 50 years of age

who can go up and win an All-Ireland medal for solo dancing.

It's just phenomenal.

So, she really has fulfilled her dreams

and shown everybody what we can do as we get older,

and to believe in themselves and go for the dream, go for it.

Well done, girl.

'I think I've proven myself today.'

I don't care what happens now, I really don't. I'm happy.