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Business News
Coventry, Ohio —
When dancers compete in Ireland to chose the best Irish dancer in the world, two local dancers will compete for the titles. Casey Hodgkiss leaves Sunday for the All Ireland Championship in Dublin; Tyler Kemerer will dance at the World Championship in Belfast in April.
Casey, of Green, is a senior at Hoban High School who has been dancing for 14 years. She also runs track at Hoban and is appearing in their spring musical, “Once Upon a Mattress” in March. She’s excited about the trip and about the chance to please her teacher.
“This is the first time I felt it was my time to shine and go to Ireland and show off for Teresa,” Casey said.
Instructor Teresa Seeman-Buck said her teachers, students and parents are like a big family. “It's a family-oriented and professional Irish dance school that loves to have fun. I call it the MacConmara family because we are all just so tight. Everybody supports everybody.”
Casey will be accompanied by her mom and will be instructed in Ireland by Marcus Maloney, a native of Dublin, Ireland, who is a workshop teacher at MacConmara. “Everyone gets nervous of course,” Casey said, “but I have more of an excitement that I'm going to be in the country where Irish dancing originated. I couldn't have done it without Teresa, Marcus, and the support of my family.”
Tyler, also of Green, is in eighth grade at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts. He plays violin and has been dancing for six-and-a-half years. He is the first world-qualifier from the academy. Both Teresa and his mom will be making the trip to Ireland with him. “I'm getting quite nervous,” Tyler said, “but I know if I practice hard and work every day, I will go out there ready to compete. I'm excited.”
Karen Kemerer, Tyler's mom, is also looking forward to the trip. “We are very proud of him,” she said. “That's all he wanted to since he's been dancing. I always told him, ‘When you qualify for Worlds I'll make sure I take you.’ I didn't think it would be this quickly, but he worked really hard for it.” Tyler was able to move from the Preliminary Championship to the Open Championship (the highest level of competition) in just two years.
When dancers compete in Ireland to chose the best Irish dancer in the world, two local dancers will compete for the titles. Casey Hodgkiss leaves Sunday for the All Ireland Championship in Dublin; Tyler Kemerer will dance at the World Championship in Belfast in April.
Casey, of Green, is a senior at Hoban High School who has been dancing for 14 years. She also runs track at Hoban and is appearing in their spring musical, “Once Upon a Mattress” in March. She’s excited about the trip and about the chance to please her teacher.
“This is the first time I felt it was my time to shine and go to Ireland and show off for Teresa,” Casey said.
Instructor Teresa Seeman-Buck said her teachers, students and parents are like a big family. “It's a family-oriented and professional Irish dance school that loves to have fun. I call it the MacConmara family because we are all just so tight. Everybody supports everybody.”
Casey will be accompanied by her mom and will be instructed in Ireland by Marcus Maloney, a native of Dublin, Ireland, who is a workshop teacher at MacConmara. “Everyone gets nervous of course,” Casey said, “but I have more of an excitement that I'm going to be in the country where Irish dancing originated. I couldn't have done it without Teresa, Marcus, and the support of my family.”
Tyler, also of Green, is in eighth grade at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts. He plays violin and has been dancing for six-and-a-half years. He is the first world-qualifier from the academy. Both Teresa and his mom will be making the trip to Ireland with him. “I'm getting quite nervous,” Tyler said, “but I know if I practice hard and work every day, I will go out there ready to compete. I'm excited.”
Karen Kemerer, Tyler's mom, is also looking forward to the trip. “We are very proud of him,” she said. “That's all he wanted to since he's been dancing. I always told him, ‘When you qualify for Worlds I'll make sure I take you.’ I didn't think it would be this quickly, but he worked really hard for it.” Tyler was able to move from the Preliminary Championship to the Open Championship (the highest level of competition) in just two years.
MacConmara also has 10 children going to Nationals in Chicago in July. Competing in the under 13 bracket is Bernadette Lanshe, Connie Agner, Callie Hodgkiss and Casey Murray. In the under 17 bracket is Tyler Kemerer and Casey Hodgkiss and in the Senior Ladies bracket is Gabrielle Lanshe, Molly McCreary and Amanda Drouhard.
To help sponsor the dancers for all three of these competitions, the MacConmara Volunteer Parents will host a Family Fun Day from 2-8 p.m. Feb. 26 at Chapparells Community Center, 2418 S. Arlington Road. The event will include a raffle for themed baskets, a silent auction, kids activities, live music, a cash bar and food catered by Legends of Green.
For more info visit www.macconmaraacademy.com.
