A local high school student is preparing to take her talent in Irish dance to an international competition.
Kathleen Vernon of Allentown has qualified to compete in the 2019 Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne (the Irish Dancing World Championships), which will take place from April 14-21 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Centre in Greensboro, N.C.
Kathleen, who is a freshman at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, has been performing Irish dance since she was 4. The young woman who is of Irish heritage credits her grandparents as being her inspiration to perform Irish dance.
“My grandparents were first-generation Irish and it was very important to our family to keep the traditions alive from their homeland, Ireland,” she said.
Since the ago of 6, Kathleen has been a student at the Kotelnicki School of Irish Dance, Hamilton, working with instructors Justin Kotelnicki and Erinn Carroll.
“Kathleen is in classes four days a week for about 10 hours, plus one two-hour private lesson, averaging 12 hours of dance per week while holding straight A’s in school and playing freshman field hockey and basketball,” Kotelnicki said. “It is more than evident that this young lady is motivated and driven to succeed.”
Kathleen and her five siblings have all participated in Irish dance. She said she finds mutual enjoyment between herself and audience members when she is performing at non-competitive events.
“I have four sisters and one brother who all tried their hand at Irish dance,” she said. “My brother very quickly gave it up for football. My sisters all did it for different reasons. We all love to perform for shows and nursing homes. It’s great to be able to share your talents with people who really enjoy the show.”
Participating in competitive Irish dance, however, is a completely different experience for Kathleen.
“The competitive part is a whole different world,” Kathleen said. “Make no mistake, like any athlete, you have to want the top level and be willing to work really hard. You have to be a fierce competitor. Don’t let the pretty hair and costumes fool you, the top dancers in this sport are technically perfect and have core strength and stamina greater than most.”
While she is no stranger to competitive dancing, Kathleen’s upcoming appearance at the 2019 world championships will mark the first time she has appeared in the international competition.
“I have performed at the mid-Atlantic competition in Philadelphia every year and qualified for nationals, and traveled to invitational competitions in Scotland and Ireland, but I never made it high enough to qualify for the world competition,” Kathleen said.
“This year, I set my mind to go that extra mile and I came in 14th place and qualified for the world championships for the first time. I will be competing in Greensboro over the Easter break with the best dancers from around the world.
“I am in training now and will bring my ‘A’ game. That’s all you can do because at the end of the day, you are only ever really competing against yourself to make your best better,” she said.
To prepare for competition, Kathleen will not only dedicate time to dance class, but also work on her core strength and stamina through training and sports.
“For performances, we prepare by practicing in the studio with our instructors, Justin and Erinn, who choreograph all of the dances to Irish music,” she said. “To prepare for a competition it’s a whole different story. I go to dance class five days a week, do private lessons with my instructors, core strength training with Coach (John) McKenna at Notre Dame, and play lacrosse to keep up my stamina, as well as nightly arch stretches and foot exercises.”
Kathleen said she is looking forward to continuing her performances and participation in Irish dance.
“I am so thankful for the gift of Irish dance for keeping me busy, in shape and with a group of girls who are all from different schools and who I call my extended family,” she said. “We keep each other accountable and support each other in dance and life. I am proud of my Irish heritage and am happy to keep the traditions alive in my dance.”
