Local Kids Celebrate the Irish Spirit
By Shelley Basinger

Irish dancing is not for the faint of heart.

But Cristina Notarnicola says it is an art that everyone can enjoy. She is a dance instructor with the Inis Cairde School of Irish Dance in Raleigh. The school has a satellite location at Chapel Hill Bible Church on Erwin Road.

"We have some who have parents of Irish descent who are immigrants themselves,” Notarnicola said. “And then we have some who aren’t Irish at all with completely different backgrounds.”

Nicki Donovan signed up her daughter Miriam when the Chapel Hill program began this past fall.

"My husband’s Irish. His family, his whole family, is very Irish,” Donovan said. “I wanted to do something to introduce Miriam to his heritage.

Miriam said she likes it when they stretch and act like they’re making a big, imaginary
pizza. She also says she plans on continuing her dancing career past the age of 6.

"I really want to keep doing classes until I’m not old enough,” Miriam said.

And her mom says she’s glad she’s started off her daughter in a fun and unique activity.

"It’s almost like a lost art. You see ballet classes everywhere, but you don’t see
this,” Donovan said.

So if exercise, Irish culture and new friends aren’t enough reason to take up Irish dancing, all that fancy footwork will pay off in other ways. Five-year-old Mary Brenna Catus, for example, said her favorite part of the class is“Getting stickers at the end.”