What It Takes to Become a 5x World Champion Irish Dancer | Paige Turilli

This episode of The Irish Snug is a masterclass in discipline, grit, and the deep-rooted connections within the Irish-American community. Today, Tim sits down with Paige Turilli, a five-time World Champion Irish dancer, to discuss her journey from a five-year-old beginner in Pearl River to standing on top of the world stage.

Whether you're an "Irish Dance Dad," a competitive athlete, or someone who loves a good story about heritage and hard work, this conversation offers a rare look behind the curtain of elite Irish dance.

☘️ Episode Highlights

• The FDNY Connection: Tim and Paige reminisce about their family ties within the FDNY and the bagpipe band, including a touching tribute to Paige's father—an exceptional firefighter and hero of 9/11.
• The Road to World Titles: Paige breaks down the sacrifices, injuries (including a near-torn hamstring), and the mental toughness required to win five World Championships.
• The Pivot for Growth: Why Paige made the difficult decision to switch dance schools at age 17 and how that drive for new challenges propelled her to the next level.
• Life After Competition: From balancing dance with college life at Villanova to her current role teaching "Jig and Swig" in London, Paige discusses finding joy in the "retirement" phase of her career.
• The Future of the Craft: Insights on the evolution of Irish dance—from increased athleticism to the rhythm-focused styles of the past—and Paige's aspirations to become an adjudicator.

🎙️ About Paige Turilli
Paige Turilli is one of the most decorated Irish dancers of her generation. Her resume includes:

• 5x World Champion
• 9x Oireachtas Champion
• 6x National Champion
• 2x All-Ireland Champion

🇮🇪 About The Irish Snug Podcast
Hosted by Tim Grant, The Irish Snug is a place for unscripted, deep-dive conversations about Irish culture, history, and the people who keep the traditions alive. We prioritize storytelling over soundbites, focusing on the "grey areas" of resilience, character, and the legendary Irish banter.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to the Irish Snug Podcast. Okay, hi everyone, and welcome back to the Irish Snug, where all we talk about is all things Irish. And today we have Paige Tarilli, who is a five-time world champion Irish dancer. And I think that certainly fits the bill for a great conversation here on the Irish Snug. Uh normally I start off with an introduction of my guest. So for today, I'm just going to read off some of her major accomplishments in Irish dance, and that should paint a pretty good picture for our listeners. I'm probably going to miss a few here, Paige. So Paige has nine Aractus titles, two All-Ireland titles, six national titles. She's placed in the top three at eight world championships, taken first place in five of them, which makes her a five-time world champion in Irish dance. That's it's absolutely amazing. Uh Paige Tarilli, welcome to the Irish Dance.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Thank you so much, Tim. Great to be here.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

Yeah, it's so great to have you on the show. Um, just to give uh our guests some context here, I know Paige's dad very well. We were both on the New York City fire department together. We met early in our careers um in the bagpipe band. We were both in the FDMY bagpipe band together. And it would be many years later that my daughter was an Irish dancer, but she's a couple of years younger anyway. When she found out that I was uh friends with Paige Tarilli's dad, she was like, Dad, I want to meet Paige. I want to meet Paige Tarrilly. She was like, you know, she had she knew all about you and all your wins and everything, and she really wanted to meet you. And I don't know, do you remember that? Do we I think we did we were at maybe Eroctus one year, and your dad uh brought it?

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Yes, I remember getting introduced, like, this is my friend Tim. We used to work together, uh, and I met your daughter, and it was you're exactly correct, right at the Eroctus. I feel like it was right outside the photo booth. Um, so yes. That was I think so, yeah. Probably 50 20 years ago at this point.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Yeah, yeah, it's definitely a wild, you know. I mean, my daughter's 26 now and a nurse in the city, so um, you know, she retired. I love how you guys use the word retirement.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

We'll we'll talk about that in the end. Um, but why don't we let's go back to the beginning? Uh, what got you interested in Irish dancing?

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Sure. Uh so that goes back quite a number of years now. I started dancing when I was five years old. I grew up in a place called Pearl River, New York, which has a very strong connection to Ireland. Uh, so whether it's people from Ireland or family members at some point were from Ireland. So my great-grandparents moved to the United States, lived in New York City, and then both of my parents or grandparents moved to Pearl River. Uh, my parents are both from Pearl River. So we have Irish roots, but I do have an Italian last name. So there is one set of great-grandparents that are from Italy. Um, and being from Pearl River with such Irish connections, uh, it tends to be a fairly common activity that you get into as a young kid. So I had a preschool friend named Neve. We are still friends to this day. She was born in Cork. Uh, so she was doing Irish dancing in preschool. Her mom mentioned it to my parents, thought it would be a fun activity for me to try out. And then I went to go get signed up for Irish dance classes. And I was actually told the class was full and I needed to come back in September. So I started dancing in September of 2001. Um and haven't, well, actually, I didn't like it at the beginning. I, for I'd say the first six months or so, I wasn't super into it, but I was told we signed you up for the course, you're gonna go every week. And then over time, I made some friends. I realized I was starting to get quite good at it. And probably since maybe January of 2002, I haven't looked back.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

So let me go back for a second. What was the when did you start? September 2001? Very, a very interesting time uh to actually start with your dad, because he probably wasn't home that much at that point in time, uh, because of September 11th. Uh you know, firemen do have great schedules, and that's actually I I loved it. I loved the schedule because I was able to be at a lot of my daughter's fashions, uh, you know, between my wife and I. We were always there. Um, so your dad was a big part of that, though. I know, you know, I obviously I guess more when it got further away from 9-11, and you got more than that.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Definitely, he was a huge part of my dance um upbringing. So I started the Friday before 9-11, um, and my dad was in 9-11. Um, so he was, I mean, I think you probably know his whole story, but um if well, you know what?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

But before we even go into that, I just I'm gonna tell you something. I just I just want you to hear it from you know, someone that is in the know. Your your dad was an exceptional firefighter and fire officer. Exceptional. Um I know he dug himself out, he was buried in the in the the collapse, the first collapse. And I know he got his friend out, but I I want you to know he he is him and his buddy uh they were in squad 41 back in the day, and which is uh the same house I'm in, so that's why I say kind of in the know. But you know, they they they weren't just pulling themselves out. They are there are numerous firefighters that are alive today because of what they did. They tunneled that, they saved guys' lives that day. So I want you to know that your your dad was an exceptional fireman. But you know what? He's exceptional in everything he does. He was a he I he's he's passionate about everything he takes on. And uh not to make this podcast about your dad, but he he was a very good bagpiper. He was. Um, and he just when he takes something on, he really, he really takes something on. So I think that that sounds like that sort of runs into Tirilli blood.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

It does big time. Um, yeah, he puts his 110% effort behind everything he does. So whether it was bagpipes, firefighter, being a dad, uh getting into each of his girls' activities. So for me it was Irish dancing. For my middle sister, it was softball. For my youngest sister, it was both softball and volleyball. Um, and now he yeah, he's picked up music instruments like accordion over the years. Um definitely keeps himself busy. Um more recently it's been Irish driving, so he's been going to that every week uh in preparation for the wedding next year. Um any any activity he gets himself behind, he's going to do it 110%. Um handyman, so plumbing, electricity, building customets.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

He does that's fireman. That's all all all firefighters have that, you know. I actually I remember him telling me that he built a uh a studio for you in the basement, like the floor, right? And he even told me, he even told me how to do it, and I actually made one for my daughter.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

How can I forget about that? Yes. My parents did a house edition in 2010. So I had a I had a floor that he had built up until that point, and then they did a big house renovation, and the whole new part of the house was just converted into a dance room that then turned to a multi-purpose room. So we had batting cages in there, um, all different act all different sporting equipment. But yeah, it was a great place to have within the house to be able to practice.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

That's great. So um tell us, let's let's go on to what was your first big win?

SPEAKER_01 8:32

Uh first big win was British Nationals in 2006. So I was under 10. I had just come off of a sprained ankle and I had placed from so I came off of a sprained ankle. I danced at the North American Nationals without doing proper training ahead of that. I think I was just cleared to dance a few days before. And I got 11th. So that was for me a little disappointing because the year before in 2005, I had placed second. So I was really hoping to definitely get back on the top five box again.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Where was that? Uh where did you place second?

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Uh I placed second at the North American Nationals in 2005. It was so that was a lot of fun. That was my first big competition where I got a sash. Um, so I was thrilled.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

And how old are you? How old are you at that point?

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Uh for the second place I was nine and then, or had just turned nine, and then the following year I just turned 10.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

All right. So I'm an Irish dance dad, so I kind of understand the the lingo. We speak kind of the same language, you know. I know what a birdie is. Um second place at that age at a national level is like extraordinary. I mean, any parent would be like over the moon. Like, what did that feel like as a 10-year-old?

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Um, it was. I think sometimes when you're that young, it's hard to realize or process what you've accomplished. I just remember, especially with the way they used to do the results in the United States, where they have you all up on stage and they just count down. So from whoever made the recall, they go from 50th place all the way up to first place. So if you're in waiting, you're just waiting around for your number to get called. Um, sometimes they would break it up and you'd maybe get called out in the top 10 or the top five uh to help a little bit with the anticipation. But um yeah, being so young, you're in front of a huge, huge audience. So it's quite the experience. And I just remember, I feel like I was probably shaking a little bit. Um, but I was notorious as a kid to not show a lot of emotion. So I didn't cry, even though I was so excited. Uh, versus a lot of other kids would have cried up there um just from the sheer, sheer excitement of it. Um, but I was over the moon. I was so happy. And then the following year, sprained the ankle, couldn't dance to the ability that I probably would have liked to at the Nationals. I got 11th, so that was a bit of a setback. And then I had a few weeks in between to get my stamina back up and then went to the British Nationals, was really happy with how I danced, and then happened to win that one, which was for me so, so exciting. Because I remember one of the girls that I beat at that competition. I saw her dance a few years ago at my first overseas competition. And I remember like jaw being on the floor. Like she was so, so good. And then I knew that I, well, I in that competition I beat her. So I was kind of just amazed at myself. But I didn't realize that I was starting to get as good of a dancer as I am, because you, unless you're watching a video recording of yourself, you don't know what you look like out there. Um, so I think it was just very motivating for me to continue practicing um and working towards my next goal after that.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

What was the emotion like for the first win versus successive wins?

SPEAKER_01 12:07

I think again, because I was so young, I think I was just so excited. Um, and I don't think I started to appreciate I don't think I realized how much I was sacrificing at that time because I was just in the swing of things, would go to class, go to competitions, didn't really think about all of the sacrifices I was making outside of dancing. So not going to birthday parties, missing out on play dates, sleepovers, etc. And as I got older, I think with the pressure mounting and starting to realize how much you're giving up outside of dancing and starting to appreciate how hard you really are working, I started to actually get more excited and more emotional, definitely, as I got older.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

Let's just talk about injuries real quick. I know, you know, and like small injuries versus big injuries. I I know my daughter just the the amount of calluses and the the damage it does to your feet and the the blood and everything, nobody sees that, but that's that's the hard work is what is what really makes all this happen. So how do you deal with the the those minor injuries and you just kind of dance through them?

SPEAKER_01 13:26

I think you can dance through them to a certain extent. Um, and I've done that before. Uh sometimes dancing through them causes more harm in the long term. So not always the best idea. I remember back in 2012, I think it was, I pulled my hamstring and I thought, oh, it's just sore muscle. I'll just work through it. I'll just keep dancing. I was getting ready for your octus. And then I kept dancing on it, kept dancing on it. I needed to do the qualifiers in order to do the worlds. And I got up for my hardshoe and my in the first eight bars. I had to do a front click where it would impact that injured hamstring. And my dad was like, you could see it in your face that you were in pain up there. And I ultimately almost I got to the point of almost tearing my whole hamstring, which that could have been like a six to eight to nine month type of recovery. So a really, really long recovery. Instead, it was just a strained tendon, but tendons don't get as much oxygen. So they actually take a lot longer to heal than a muscle. Um, so it actually set me back big time because it I wasn't really back dancing until February of that year. And then the worlds were at the end of March. So I had about a month to really get my stamina back. And I wanted to, I had gotten second place the year before, so I was trying to go back for to try and win that year. So it was not the best idea.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

And how and how did you do that year?

SPEAKER_01 14:58

I did win that year.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

Yes. You won first place. It's amazing. But it shows it's it's great. I know I know how injuries are though, because it's and it's it was it's heart-wrenching for a parent because you know my daughter broke her sesmoid bone, which was a that's a I don't know if you know where that bone is, but it's very painful. Yeah, very painful. So you you had a uh a point where you changed schools. Uh how did that affect how did that come about and how did that affect your growth as a dancer?

SPEAKER_01 15:33

Sure. I think with anything. So I danced with one dance school um from the time I was five until when I was 17. I had a lot of success at that school. I had a great relationship with my teachers. Um, they saw me grow up from a baby dancer all the way to being a world champion. And I reached a point in my dancing where I felt that I was starting to plateau a little bit. Um, so I was doing a lot of choreography for my steps and um doing a lot of practicing at home. And I felt like I wasn't when I was watching videos of myself, I wasn't feeling like I was getting better year over year. And I felt like in order for me to take it to the next level in terms of competing and just dancing ability, I felt like I really needed to be pushed harder in terms of given material that I wasn't making up myself, so that it was really challenging me and giving me material that might not have been attainable from the outset, but something that I actually had to work towards. Um, and I also wanted to be in a class where there were a lot of dancers that were uh looking to try and get top five at the world because having that energy around you in class motivates the group. Um, and having teachers as well that were not afraid to get um really push you hard. Like I wasn't afraid of getting yelled at. I was mature enough and old enough to know that they're doing that to really push me, and they're really pushing you so hard at every single class. Um was something that I was after. And I decided to move in order to get that. Um, so I ended up moving to a dance school called Darty Petri. Um, so I had Lisa and Karen Petri who were from New York. It was a bit of a far journey for me to get to from Pearl River. So I needed to also be old enough where I was able to drive myself to class at that point because my parents had other children to tend to and take to activities. So it wasn't all just about me. Um so finally, when I was able to drive and take myself to class, it was more attainable for me to go out to Long Island for classes. And in terms of the growth that I saw there, it was I saw immense growth. It was night and day in terms of how ready I felt going into competitions. I remember I always used to have this like fear inside of me where I felt like, oh, I might not have done enough stamina to get myself ready for class or for competition. And the way they structured their classes, the way that we would run stamina at the end, I felt like if I was able to make it through those classes, there would be no question that I was ready for a competition. And so I always I think I've gone into competitions feeling more confident in myself and more prepared. And then also just the teaching style, like I learned so much more about dancing. And I think many dance teachers over the years have had um, like I think it was more common back in like the 90s when people were dancing, that you had this workshop teacher for steps, you were went to this dance school for five years, and then oh, they stopped teaching, so you went to another one. And I think by doing that, so many of today's dance teachers or the teachers of my generation had, I don't know, somewhere between three to 10 Irish dancing teachers. And in doing that, they learn themselves as a dancer and also as a teacher all those different styles and bring that together and it makes them a stronger dancer and then teacher in the end. So I think for me, it was great to have that uh exposure to additional teachers to just understand different class structures, teaching style, and it pushed me as a dancer to grow.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Well, that's I use the word growth because it's definitely applies to, I mean, even in the workforce, right? When you when you switch jobs, you're switching jobs some not that one employer is better than the other. It's just that you're you're moving because you're getting exposed to different things, and that aids to your personal growth, uh, growth. And everybody's different. You know, so what works for some person doesn't work for another, but uh but that I could see how that um could you know definitely enhance your growth in in dancing for sure. Exactly. Um let's talk about friendships. Let's talk about friendships. The friendships that I notice, I'm I'm using my own daughter as sort of uh the analogy here just because I I lived it. Um there's one thing about Irish dance that I think is really extraordinary is that there's no other like competitive sport where girls from different schools become friends. Like they they they cheer each other on, you know, at their own at the same competition. And you'd be uh my daughter is friends with girls that she you know competed with and competed aga well, you're competing against everybody, even from your own school. But I think it's great that you form these friendships with with such a a huge community, no matter what school they're from. And I always found that that that was pretty pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

It's one of I think, as you said, it's a very unique aspect to Irish dancing. Um, and something for me has been hugely impactful in my life today. Um, I'm still friends with some of my original dance friends. So those ones that when I didn't like dancing to start, I found my friends Megan and Erin at the when I was dancing at Inish Free. And I was just at Megan's wedding in Italy back in uh September. I've been to Erin's wedding, I've met Erin's baby. Um so it's our families have grown up together. We're friends 25 years now. And in the competitive world as well, like I became friends with girls from all over the world. So England, Ireland, Scotland, all across the US. Um now I actually don't live in New York, I live in London currently. And I have friends from my competition days that I meet up with from time to time for dinner. We reminisce on our competitive uh memories and what it was like dancing together. And it's just uh such a unique bond because you always have something to talk about because you had this huge uh part of your life. You know exactly what they were going through by entertaining and competing in Irish dancing competitions that yeah, you just always have mutual connections, things to talk about. It's great. And now I'm actually teaching with a dance group called Jiggin's Wig in London. And if it wasn't for Irish dancing and competitions, I wouldn't know the co-founder of the school, um, Jesse Leach. Um and so I'm part of the teaching staff because we knew each other from competition. And yeah, it just enhances your life in so many ways.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

Um let's let's just go back to the competitive side for a quick second. Um what advice can you give to new dancers or or any dancer for that matter about the work ethic and the discipline needed to become a world champion?

SPEAKER_01 23:13

I think you really need to want it from within you. So not because mom or dad wants you to do it, but because you genuinely want to work hard and do it. So putting in a structured practice schedule, working on your fitness outside of dancing, so whether that's like strength and conditioning, because dancing's become so athletic these days, um, and having to prioritize dancing over other commitments, so other sports or uh play dates, sleepovers, etc. Like you do have to really make a lot of sacrifices to the point that for me, at least when I was growing up, it was school was number one, dancing was a very close number two, and other than that, everything else took a back seat. I love dancing so much, but your education is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself as well. So um, really being disciplined with school and dance, and that will take you to successful places within Irish dancing, but then also it just sets you up for having a very strong work ethic to take in the into the rest of your life.

SPEAKER_00 24:27

If I asked your your dad that same question, what would his answer be as advice to another parents?

SPEAKER_01 24:36

Uh it would be get to know your child's craft. So he invested a lot of time and energy into, he wasn't an Irish dancer, but he learned what were my uh corrections at class. He would speak to my teacher after class to see what was it that I needed to work on. And he from the beginning was always there to help me with watching my dances, helping to correct me, filming dances. We'd watch the tapes back, see what needed to be corrected. Sometimes we'd be recording audio to make sure I was in time. Um, but he did all of that because he was invested in the dancing as well and wanted to see me succeed. So without him, I wouldn't have reached the level of dancing that I was able to achieve.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

I and I think it's also good to point out that the level that those two questions I just gave you were um, you know, the discipline needed to become a world champion. And and that's one thing if somebody has that desire and love of Irish dance to do. But I I think I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the the girls and and boys that want to do it for fun. There's plenty of Irish dance uh and you know, join in schools to to do it for fun as well, not not on such a high level of um you know of competition. And both are fine. It's just you have to figure out which path you want to take. Uh and maybe you switch from one to the other, but but it's all good. I think it's great. One of the things I really like to accomplish with this podcast is is to also encourage people to go try Irish dancing if they never did it, or or to stick with it. Or to, you know, speaking with somebody like yourself, maybe you can uh spark an interest in taking that path if that's something they're interested in. Um but you know, Irish dance, I don't know what the enrollment looks like today compared to what it did 20 years ago or 30 years ago. Uh but you know, things like this are always good for helping promote Irish culture, and and this is one of those things that I'm trying to do. And that's why I'm really glad we have you on the show today. Let's talk about here's another great topic applying for colleges. Um did you use dance as any kind of like did you use it in your essay? Did you do anything like that?

SPEAKER_01 27:16

Yes, I did. It was a huge factor in my college search process. Uh, and it was in my college, so whatever the common yeah, the common app application. I think I talked about that hamstring injury that I mentioned earlier uh as my opening statement for applying to colleges. I looked at schools that would have some form of dance program so that I would hopefully be able to have some studio time, whether it be through being a dance major, let's say, and getting access to the studio or just being able to use the facilities that they had on campus. Um I had quite the uh journey when it came to my college journey. Um, so I originally went to a school in South Carolina called Clemson University. Um, and I went down there thinking, oh, I'd be able to dance no problem. We did a tour of the campus. I saw that there was a dance program on campus, and I thought, great, that dance facility looked fantastic. Hopefully I'd be able to use it as a backup. I went and checked out the gym facilities to see if there would maybe be space in the gym that I could dance at. Um, and it looked okay. The people at the front desk said, Yeah, sure, you could bring a mat and and dance. And I don't think I communicated what a matter what I meant by a dance mat.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Oh they thought you were in a yoga mat.

SPEAKER_01 28:45

So freshman year, super excited to be down at Clemson. I went to inquire about using the dance studio, and they said, Nope, you need to be a dance major. I think I asked about minoring, and that wasn't a possibility. So I wasn't allowed to use the dance studio. And then I went to the gym, went to ask about using bringing mats there, and they were like, oh no, students can't store anything here. So then I had to go and meet with the athletic director of Clemson University to explain why I needed to get these dance mats to where I to campus so that I could practice dancing. And he he was impressed that the fact that I set up this meeting with him, because I wasn't gonna take no as a day as no as an answer, because I had every intention of being able to still continue competing and practicing while I was in college. Uh also where Clemson was located, I wasn't super close to an Irish dance school or any other dance schools that I could walk to easily off campus and I didn't have a car. Long story short, Clemson ended up not being the school for me. So I ended up transferring. And then when I was coming to reapplying for schools and where I wanted to finish my degree, I ended up at Villanova University and they had an Irish dance program. We had a dance studio on campus, and it was it made a world of difference the fact that I had other people to practice with. We had a dance club. So even outside of competing, there was still a bit of a dance community, and I could was starting to choreograph performance routines. It was just such a great network and way as a transfer student as well to meet other people within the university. Um, and it was a yeah, much better fit for me. Um so I was very happy with my transfer move.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

And so talk about talk a little bit about your your accomplishments while you were in college. You were still competing on the world stage, correct?

SPEAKER_01 30:50

So I continued dancing and I won two world championship titles while I was in college. Um, which was I think my last world title was probably the one that I was the most nervous for because I had a feeling it was probably going to be my last world championship, just because it was starting to really take a toll on me with balancing um college work and dancing at that high level. And it was starting to get to a point where I was starting to realize that I didn't want to keep giving up all of the uh social plans and things outside of dancing that I had given up to that point. Um, and that the pressure was just getting to be a little bit too much where I was ready after 2017 to uh stop competing at the world level. Um but yeah, so I won two world championships. Yeah, I get retirement, yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

I love I love that. I have an analogy here that I think your dad would appreciate. Uh in the fire department, when you go to work, every firefighter is assigned a position for the tour. And the most coveted position, the one that everybody really wants, is the nozzle. That's that's the guy that has the the hose, and he's the guy that's putting the fire out. And it's a coveted position. Like everybody wants it. You could you could ask any firefighter in the entire planet if that's the position they want for any given tour, because it's it's an adrenaline rush. You know what I mean? That's what I always wanted. It's what you it's the best position you can have on a fire department. But as time went on, for me personally, as I had more time and experience on the job, I realized that there was one position that I liked better. And that was the backup person, the person right behind the nozzle man for a proby. A proby is like a you they just got on the job, they're brand new. So that for me was the best position to have at that point. Because now you're in that person's ear, you're guiding them, and you're you're now a mentor. So have you reached this point when you feel that helping the next person means more than winning?

SPEAKER_01 33:18

I I currently am not in a competitive dance school where I'm actively teaching. Um, but it's something when uh I have a little bit more time is something I really, really want to get into. Um because I think yeah, getting to teach others is and spread the joy that I've had throughout my life is so impactful. I while I don't teach a competitive school, I do teach with a social club. Um, so it's called, I mentioned it a little bit earlier, but it's called Jig in a Swig. So we jig for an hour and then we go to the pub. And it's uh yes, for the swig. And it's meant to be it's an adult-only program. So I'm able to teach it for a few hours after work one day a week. Um, and it's such a positive and nice environment to bring dancing to. So everyone that comes to class is coming because they want to be there. Everyone that's there is either employed full-time, student full-time, like people are adults, they have their own lives going on. And everyone is choosing to come to class because they enjoy it. And a lot of times I show up to class, I'm feeling quite tired after a pretty long work day, and then I teach for three hours, and I have more energy than when I walked in that door. And that's because the dancers that I'm teaching, the smiles on their faces, I'm doing something that I love and I'm sharing it with others, and it's such a rewarding feeling to there's nothing better than that.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Nothing better than that. That's that's kind of why I was saying, like you even though the coveted position in the fire department is to have that knowledge, to be the person that's actually helping that next person to me is you know, there's a lot of value in that. Do you think you'll teach on the the the the younger kids at some point, or or do you think you'll be an adjudicator, or what's your what's your plans for the future?

SPEAKER_01 35:24

I would love to teach kids at some point. Currently, where I live, I don't have any competitive classes close by for me to teach kids. I live in fairly central in London, so it's I wouldn't say there's a huge amount of families around. Um, but whenever I settle outside of the city, I think I will definitely get into teaching um when time allows for it and when my lifestyle is a little more accommodating for it. Um, and then eventually would love to judge competitions as well. Um, and be able to because I love I love dancing and I also love watching dancing. So being able to judge that, I think is something that's really exciting and something I look forward to in the future.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

So one last question. Um Have you attended any major competitions since you retired as a spectator?

SPEAKER_01 36:14

Yes. And everyone You have.

SPEAKER_00 36:17

All right, so all right. So part two of that question is are have you seen is there any new steps or or um any any new looks that made you like say, wow?

SPEAKER_01 36:28

Um so I guess before I answer that question, what I thought you were going to ask is how did it make me feel? And I was going to say, I think I've shed a few tears at the competition gone back to all right.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

Well, how did it make you feel?

SPEAKER_01 36:44

Um but yeah, so I've loved going back to competitions because I enjoy watching dancing. We're very fortunate in the competitive world now. There's a thing called FESH TV. So even if you're not at the competitions, there are ways to watch the competitions. So like today, I was listening to just Kaylee music on my walk home from work just because the musicians were so fantastic in it. Um so I really wish I had that while I was dancing.

SPEAKER_00 37:10

So going back to that question then, is there uh did you see any new steps or any kind of looks that really did make you say, wow?

SPEAKER_01 37:17

I Yes, I'd say some of the dancing in person comes across even more amazing than it does on video. Um I will say I miss having dancing focus on more of the rhythm side of things, though. So while I appreciate and am in awe of how athletic and um exciting some of the dancing is, I do miss some of the hardcore rhythm, especially when it comes to set pieces, that is not as prevalent in some of the dancing today. Um, but Blonet O'Neill, uh, she is from the dance school that I was competing with Dorothy Petri, and watching her in person is just unbelievable. Like her control and precision when it comes to dancing is unbelievable. That she makes it so look just so easy, but it's not because it's just her material is so hard that it's um really incredible to watch.

SPEAKER_00 38:27

Well, anyway, Paige, it was so great to have you on the podcast. I really appreciate you coming on. Uh, I want you to uh next time you see your dad, give him a big hug for me. Uh love that guy. I don't I don't see him anymore because I don't see him at the feshes. But um but it was great talking to you to to you today. And um good luck with everything you're doing with uh jigging a swig and everything you got going on in the future. You got it sounds like you got a bright future ahead of you. So good luck with that.

SPEAKER_01 38:59

Thank you so much, Tim. Really enjoyed being part of your podcast today. So thank you so much for having me.