Siblings and fellow Tufts students Claire and Conor O'Brien each won this year's New England Oireachtas, a regional Irish step dancing competition, earning places to compete in the 2012 World Irish Dancing Championships in Belfast, Ireland.
In the regionals held Nov. 18 to 20, junior Claire O'Brien finished in the top five for the fifth year running and qualified for the world championship for the sixth time. Her younger brother, Conor O'Brien, has finished in the top five and qualified for the world championship for the past seven years, according to the O'Briens.
"It was really awesome that we both won," Conor O'Brien, a freshman, said.
The O'Briens started Irish step dancing — an interest passed down by their mother and older sister — before the age of five, according to Claire O'Brien.
They were able to continue attending their dance school, the O'Shea−Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance, even after matriculating at Tufts because they grew up in Newton, Mass. Dancers are only allowed to compete if they are affiliated with a registered teacher of the Irish Dancing Teachers Association of New England, according to Claire O'Brien.
They started out in group competitions before going solo, but even now at the individual level, the siblings still practice and cross−train together, the O'Briens added.
Typically, they have dance practices three or four times a week, but training intensifies as competitions approach.
The pair also runs and bikes to complement dancing, and even participates in triathlons to stay in shape, Conor O'Brien said.
The world championship was originally held only in Ireland, but in recent years has expanded locations — in 2009 it was held in Philadelphia.
It will be back in the United States in 2012 with Boston hosting, according to Claire O'Brien, who ranked 24th at the 2010 World Championship in Scotland.
The regional and world competitions both consist of three rounds for dancers in each age bracket, she explained.
The first round requires performers to wear heavy shoes and dance either a hornpipe or jig.
The second round involves light shoes and is either a reel or slip jig. The type of dance alternates every other year for each age group, Claire O'Brien added.
Based on the first− and second−round rankings, the top 50 percent of the dancers are called back to compete in a third round, according to co−vice president of the Tufts Irish Dance Team Alexa Petersen.
In the third round, dancers can choose from a list of contemporary set dances and can determine the speed and tune of the music they dance to.
This is the opportunity to showcase personal style and highlight individual strengths, according to Claire O'Brien.
Petersen, a junior, has competed with Claire O'Brien for 10 years in the New England region. The two became close friends when they came to Tufts, she said.
Depending on the number of dancers, the top five to eight competitors from the regionals typically qualify for the World Championship, Petersen said.
Both Claire O'Brien and Petersen insist that dancing competitively did not strain their friendship. In fact, Petersen said that they relied on each other for encouragement in the absence of their home dance studios and teachers.
The two practiced together often, according to Petersen.
"It's really wonderful when you're still competing in college to have somebody to talk to," she said.
Claire O'Brien said that although Petersen retired last year after winning the regional competition and ranking 18th in the world championships, she still goes to watch and help Claire practice.
"I couldn't be happier for her ... she's one of the hardest workers I know," Petersen said.
While the Tufts Irish Dance Team consists only of experienced dancers, the atmosphere is pretty informal, according to Co−President Lauren Milord, a senior. Milord added that the 11 students currently on the team practice for performances rather than competitions.
The lack of competition for the Tufts team doesn't detract from the enjoyment, according to Claire O'Brien, who is co−vice president.
"It is really fun to get out there and show people something they can enjoy without any pressure," she said.
Conor O'Brien, on the other hand, wanted to try out other kinds of dance when he came to Tufts.
He is a member of the campus step group BlackOut.
While it is difficult for him to manage his time with Irish step dancing, he enjoys learning a different type of dance after exclusively focusing on one style.
"In the next four years, I want to really focus on getting as much as I can out of dancing," he said.
Claire O'Brien said the spirit of Irish step dancing is what means the most to her.
"[The] support from within my competition and all my friends and my teachers and everybody, that was the best part," she said.
