Irish Dancing Part 2

I went to a meeting last night at the Whittier Center.  My beloved dance company is merging with another and it feels like it's going to be fundamentally different.

I started Irish Dancing in my mid 20s.  What I loved about Inishfre was that the majority of their students were adults.  The adult classes, 3 at the time, were packed and I got to learn how to jig with some of the funnest women.  This is rare for a dance company to have such a thriving adult program.  Most companies have an adult class that you can attend with the 14 year old girls.  As a mom and 30 now, I just don't seem to fit into that group.  But at Inishfre we adult women were there dancing together because we loved it. 

The focus was not on competing, it was people who loved Irish dancing and wanted to share with others.  We danced because we loved the music, the steps, the community. 

My class this year has been small so I guess I should have seen it coming but it's still sad to see the changes happening.  I'm going to miss going to the grand old Whittier Center with it's sweeping staircases and wood floors.  I think that I'll keep taking a class but it's just not the same.

Here's a couple pictures from back in the day.  I don't have have that many pictures but so many good memories.