Star siblings dancing their way to the top

The chance to walk around your local town carrying a trophy you won yourself - and which is the equivalent of the World Cup in your chosen discipline - is something only a very few people ever experience.

Yet at just 21 Fergus Fitzpatrick has already been there, done that.
In April Fergus, who is a student of computer science in Maynooth, won the World Irish Dancing Championship finals in his age group at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin.

He won a trophy that - as the pictures indicates - is not cup, but rather a silver globe but it's a handsome trophy nonetheless and much sought after. 

'When the scoreboard had stopped and it was clear I had won it was brilliant. I was around my family and friends, a couple of them had come up from Navan to watch and it was just, all of us there together, great, I was very happy,' Fergus recalls.

From Lismullen close to Garlow Cross, Fitzpatrick had the trophy with him as he called into the Meath Chronicle offices in Navan on Wednesday last week for a pre-arranged interview. Not that he was displaying the trophy in any arrogant way.

It was instead modestly stashed away in a case - and Fergus kept a close watch on it. He has the valuable trophy for a year and was determined not to let it out of his sight - and who could blame him. It had been hard earned, tangible manifestation of a great deal of hard work and dedication.
Now Fergus has a chance to display his abilities to an even bigger audience as he has signed up with Riverdance for a series of shows in the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin over the summer months.

For those who are passionate about Irish dancing getting a chance to showcase your talents in a high-profile show like that is similar to a tennis player who gets an invitation to Wimbledon or a cyclist who suddenly gets a call to appear in the Tour de France.

On Wednesday of last week the Meath Chronicle met up with Fergus Fitzpatrick and his sister Anna Mai who also had a trophy in her possession.
Anna Mai, who is studying to be a personal trainer in DIT, Dublin finished third in the u-19 category at the World Irish Dancing Championships. It's an eminently praiseworthy achievement in itself and while her bother's victory overshadowed her feat somewhat, she didn't mind one bit.

'When Fergus won I felt like a proud Mom, I was just so happy for him, all the hard work had paid off, I was delighted,' she said as she reflected on what was a proud moment for the sizeable Fitzpatrick clan.

Anna Mai and Fergus are two members of a seven-strong family of siblings; Fergus is third in the order of ranking, Anna Mai is next in line.

Both have taken to dancing in much the same way as Roy Keane or Sonia O'Sullivan took to soccer and running. Like all high achievers the Fitzpatricks have displayed a steely determination, allied to a natural ability to dance jigs and the reels with a distinctive flamboyance that marks them out as champions.

The success of the Fitzpatrick's in the Citywest was only one episode in what has been a veritable march to glory for the talented duo who, between them, have enjoyed success in all the competitions they took part in over the last year or so including the Leinsters, the All-Irelands, the British nationals, the All-Scotland championships, the North American championships and, of course, the World championships.

The term 'World Irish Dancing Championships' may, at first glance, appear something of a contradiction in terms. However a look at the origins of some of the dancers who took part in the Citywest extravaganza indicates that indeed it is an art form, practiced in various parts of the globe.

'There were American, Chinese, some South African dancers, loads from England, there were also some from Spain and other European countries as well,' explained Fergus before going on to add that the Chinese who took part really were native Chinese and not Irish people who live in that vast country. In all dancers from 20 countries participated in the championships.

There is more than a touch of irony in the fact that Fergus will be displaying his skills in Riverdance this summer. The show, originally made famous by Michael Flatley & Co , indirectly led to Anna Mai becoming a dancer. 'My Mum saw Riverdance on TV and she joined me up with a class in primary school that I went to once a week and just over time the dancing became a bigger and bigger part of my life,' she recalls.

While Fergus kick-started his dancing career at eight, Anna Mai started at four years of age and her earliest memories is of simply enjoying the experience. She talks enthusiastically about dances such as the reels and the 'slip jig' and how it reminds her of a 'ballerina-type' dance. 'I just feel my best when I'm dancing, I just love everything about it.'

Considering their background it's perhaps no coincidence Fergus and Anna Mai love their dancing. Their mother, Sharon (nee Doran from Trim), was a ballerina and was also involved in gymnastics and athletics. Their father, Pat Fitzpatrick, runs Oristown Auto Recyclers and played football for Wolfe Tones. He is a also big supporter of Fergus and Anna Mai in their quests to conquer the world of dance.

As a youngster Fergus played football (with the Gaels in Simonstown where the family lived before moving to Lismullen) but once he got the bug for dancing there was no stopping him - and he has no regrets. 'Back then it probably was a big deal for me to make the decison between football or dancing but now I wouldn't think twice about it, I just loved the dancing, and there were other lads in it as well, but I just loved it.' He particuarly enjoys what he calls the 'heavy dancing' which incorporates 'the intricate clips, claps and tips' of the shoes herd in shows like Riverdance.

The Fitzpatrick siblings have not reached the top in their chosen discipline without a great deal of hard work. They attend the Holly & Kavanagh Dance Academy in Dublin on a regular basis. Then there's their diet. Both are very conscious about what they imbibe, particularly in the lead up to big competitions.
'Practice? It's everyday, we can go to class four times a week, three times a week, the days we don't go to class we're always doing something, practicing at home, fitness classes, doing something everyday. We have more classes, more private sessions with our teachers, just to make sure,' explains Fergus. 'When we're at home we could spend any amount of time practicing,' adds Anna Mai.

The Irish dancing world is clearly a highly competitive one, where only the most skilful, dedicated practitioners make it to the top. Certainly few end up - as Fergus Fitzpatrick did - carrying a 'World Cup' around their native town. It's the kind of achivement probably worthy of a civic reception. After all how many world champions are there floating around out there?