A little bit of Ireland in Stanhope

By Laurie Gordon

An Clar School of Irish Dance is making sure awe-inspiring Irish tradition, entertainment, celebration of culture, and yes, sport, thrive locally.

An Clar School of Irish Dance is owned and operated by Lexa Hickey, who is Teagascóir Choimisiúin le Rinci Gaelacha (TCRG), which is Gaelic for Commission Certified Irish Dance Teacher. She has been running the school since January 2012.

“I chose Stanhope as it’s my hometown and I wanted to bring Irish dance to the area,” she said. “Growing up, I had to commute for classes in Bergen County and New York.”

Keeping this tradition alive is paramount to Hickey who feels that though tradition and culture are important, there is even more to Irish dance.

“The dancers learn discipline, time management skills, how to be a humble winner and loser,” she said. “In addition for many dancers they love the outlet that dance provides. While most times Irish dance can be a competitive sport, it also provides many performance opportunities where many of the dancers thrive. This is where the most memories are made. Irish dance provides long last friendships and in my opinion that’s what keeps dancers continuing their Irish dance training for the long haul (for some even through college).”

Dedication and balance are important, especially for those dancers who are training at a more competitive level.

“They are attending dance classes two to four times a week, cross training, practicing at home for a minimum of 45 minutes to an hour a day, and then traveling on weekends to local competitions in addition to attending major championships (regional, national and international) either two to four times throughout the year, Hickey said. “These are the same dancers that are taking advanced level classes in school, participating or running school clubs, and playing sports. I personally find t inspiring how driven and goal oriented these kids are.”

For years, An Clar dancers have participated in the Sussex County St. Patrick's Day Parade.

“I was very sad to hear that parade committee step down and disassemble, however I was pleased to learn that the Newton Fire Department has stepped up to continue the tradition,” Hickey said. “An Clar will be proudly marching and dancing our way down Spring Street again this year.”

The school will also be participating in the Morris County St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Morristown, NJ) & Albany St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Albany, NY) both being held on March 14th.

This coming week, An Clar dancers will be competing at the All Ireland Championships in Killarney, Ireland, followed by the World Championships in Dublin, Ireland to be held during Easter week, in April, and then the North American Irish Dance Championships being held in Nashville, TN in July.

With the advent of technology and kids always with their phones, Hickey makes her studios (she has a second location in Albany) technology free zones.

“When they enter for class they are to put their cell phones face down on the table by the speaker,” she said. “I find it extremely important that for my dancer’s to get the most out of class they need a break from technology. When they are not on the dance floor, they are working on a correction or new movement on the side. If they had their phones available to them they would not be getting the most out of the time in class, but rather distracted and allowing their body to cool down.”

With so many sports and activities available to kids today, especially when they hit high school, An Clar dancers stay true to Irish dance.

“When you've been dancing for so long, it's not really about the dancing anymore,” said Aylia Mahon, a 10th grader at Kittatinny Regional High School who has been Irish dancing since age four. “It's about the bonds you have made and will keep forever. Each week, going to class and seeing those people really pulls you in and keeps you going.”

As many An Clar dancers, Mahon balances a heavy school load and is an honor roll student.

Irish dance requires a significant amount of training including endurance, balance and speed. It is considered a sport because of the great amount of physical skill and exertion combined with the fact that dancers compete, as individuals or teams, against other dancers in some serious competitions.

“I am very focused about my dancer’s taking care of their bodies, not just as dancers but as athletes,” Hickey said. “It is so important to teach young athletes how to take care of their bodies by training efficiently and proactively and that in addition that they need proper nutrition to fuel for training and recovery.”

An Clar School of Irish Dance has been going strong for eight years and is located at 17 US-206 in Stanhope. For further information, call 973-347-0523 or visit https://www.anclarschool.com.