Headed to Worlds!

Next week, two Gilmour students will head to the World Championships of Irish Dance in Belfast. Kaleigh McNamara ’22 and Maddie Schomisch ’25 have both been Irish dancing since they were four, dedicating three to four days a week to practice in the studio on top of the individual training they do on their own. Now, they have the chance to compete against the best in the world.

Kaleigh, a dancer with Murphy Irish Arts Center, qualified with her dance drama team, a group of 17 dancers ranging in age from 10-18. The category requires that the team portray a story of Irish background through music, sets, props, costumes, make-up and dancing. Kaleigh’s team placed first at the Mid-American Oireachtas held in November in Schaumburg, Ill., earning them a bid to the world championships.

Maddie, who dances for The Academy Irish Dance Company, qualified for worlds as an individual dancer. She competed against roughly 100 other girls, and had to dance two rounds and recall to dance in the final round. She qualified for worlds in 2019 as well and this past summer, placed ninth at nationals, held in Phoenix. She also qualified with two of her first-place winning choreography teams, but will compete in Belfast individually. 

In addition to competing, Kaleigh and Maddie look forward to sightseeing while in Ireland. Kaleigh will be joined by her parents. Maddie’s mom, sister and grandmother will accompany her and they look forward to visiting the town where her grandmother’s family is from.

For Kaleigh, worlds will likely be her last competition. She graduates this May and will be focused on her next chapter. She is undecided on her school, but plans to study exercise science, with the goal of eventually becoming a physical therapist. Outside of Irish dancing, Kaleigh is a talented runner. She was a member of this year’s state champion indoor track team as well as the 4x100 relay that placed fourth at the track and field state championship last spring and the fifth-place 4x400 relay. Kaleigh plans to run in college.

Good luck Kaleigh and Maddie!