Irish Step Dancing With a Star: Tara Malone ‘24, 2021 U.S. National Champion Her feet gently settle on the marley flooring of a Verona dance studio after hours of calculated, determined practice. The intricate movements associated with Irish step dancing have become a lifestyle for Tara Malone, accounting for hundreds of hours of practicing every month. These seemingly endless days, which begin with attending high school classes like any other 15-year-old girl, extend into late night affairs with rhythmic strides and jigs. Tara’s twelve year journey through the whirling world of Irish step dancing has culminated in her coronation as the United States National Champion for 2021. Her journey to that title required a great deal of support from family, friends, coaches and teachers, all of whom together formed a championship pedigree that now looks to compete on the global stage. Since she was three years old, Tara has felt the soft leather of her dance shoes tighten around her feet in preparation for that day’s practice. While Tara’s mother, maternal aunts, and sister (Shannon Malone ‘19, who placed 40th out of 92 competitors in her age bracket when competing against individuals from across the United States and Mexico) all had skillfully taken to dancing as children; success in the business of Irish step dancing is earned, not inherited. Her dedication to her craft grew throughout elementary and middle school, forgoing other extracurriculars like soccer to focus and hone her skills in dancing. When looking at how much dancing has become a part of her life, Tara spends two to five hours on any given day, seven days a week, in training. These practices do not take into account the Irish step dancing competitive season, which spans the entire year. “Once I get closer [to a major competition]...I will be there [dance studio] twice a day.” Twice a day - up to ten hours of grueling practices
All in the family: (RIGHT) Tara’s sister Shannon Malone ‘19 is also a competitive dancer. The siblings are the great, great nieces of Sister Mary Richard (Malone) of the Sisters of Charity, as well. (LEFT) Tara pictured with AOSE Health & Wellness faculty member, Ciara McGovern and her dance coach.
that gave birth to this world-class champion dancer. When COVID-19 came and put the world at a standstill, Tara continued to treble her way through the pandemic in pursuit of a national championship. “I have a room in my basement with mirrors and a special floor, so I was lucky because a lot of people didn’t. We had Zoom classes in which I would continually practice.” Tara’s dancing coach and Academy of Saint Elizabeth Physical Fitness teacher, Ms. Ciara McGovern, worked extensively with Tara during the pandemic. “Tara showed up to every Zoom class I held. We
would also schedule private Zoom classes and physical fitness training sessions too. Tara used to be a petite girl when she first started dancing. It took us two years of training in the gym for her to gain the muscle which makes her a strong, powerful dancer.” Tara’s resilience during the pandemic led to her championship performance at the 2021 U.S. National Competition, the first competition since the onset of the pandemic. Yet this victory is not her first accolade in Irish step dancing. Tara qualified to compete in the world championship “for the first time in fifth grade” and
this national championship “Winning has taught me that if you keep
pushing through everything
”
you can still do well. 8
LEGACY Magazine | WINTER 2022
