Meghann Mullarkey, a 16-year-old from Herndon. Photo contributed
Five dancers from the McGrath Morgan Academy of Irish Dance brought home first place trophies from the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America (IDTANA) Southern Region Oireachtas, held in Orlando the first week of December. The 2020 SRO champions from McGrath Morgan Academy are:
Ciara Foley, U8 Girls Champion; Gabby Brown, U9 Girls Champion; Aisling Reynolds, U12 Girls Champion; Meghann Mullarkey, U16 Girls Champion, and Sophia Rankin, U17 Girls Champion
Meghann Mullarkey, a 16-year-old from Herndon, joined McGrath Morgan in March, just as in-person classes were transitioning to virtual Zoom sessions.
“My goal this year was to be on the podium, so I was shocked when I exceeded my own expectations,” she said. “With new teachers, learning choreography from videos, months of physical therapy, and dancing in my basement during Zoom classes, I didn’t know whether I would be able to reach my goals … I saw the pandemic as an opportunity to work harder than I ever had before so I could improve my dancing. When they announced me as the winner, my only thought was that all the hard work leading up to this moment had paid off.”
McGrath Morgan Academy of Irish Dance, http://mcgrathirishdance.com/ 1057 West Broad Street, Suite 218, Falls Church, 703-772-1236, adcrg@mcgrathirishdance.com