Tiny dancer wows crowd at celebration – puts electrifying twist on traditional Irish moves
While the video of a 4-year-old’s St Patrick’s Day dance performance has been online for a decade, it never fails to charm viewers – of which there are now over 1.7 million and counting!
The little girl named Lucy – referred to simply as the “McCutie Tiny Irish Dancer” in the title – is now a teen, but even as a beginner she was stunning crowds with her talent. And we sure hope she’s still dancing!
Uploaded by an account called 3dancingroses Sisters, the video shows a performance that presumably took place in the U.S. (judging by the flag in the background).
As the short clip begins, Lucy is introduced by the emcee, who proudly tells the crowd that the talented little dancer is already an award-winning performer.
At just 4, Lucy already had two trophies and six competition medals under her belt! (And we’re sure she’s acquired many more since then.)
“We might have a future world champion here on our hands,” the woman says before Lucy sets off on a series of reel steps.
Irish dancing is now wildly popular around the world and there are classes from coast to coast in the U.S.
And while Lucy is certainly capable of more than most, it’s not uncommon for kids to start learning the dance at around 4 years old, or sometimes even younger!
Since the rise of Michael Flatley’s Riverdance in 1994, the world can’t get enough of this unique style of movement – and that’s part of the reason it’s become so popular.
Here, Lucy performs an Irish stepdance (which is what solo dances are called). They’re characterized by a stiff upper body and almost no arm movement, but swift and sweeping leg and foot maneuvers are key, as are hops and kicks.
Lucy’s dancing begins about 45 seconds into the video and she demonstrates the high-kicks and pointed-foot-tapping that characterize the stepdance.
The crowd is loving the performance as they clap along to the show and Lucy manages to almost crack a smile a few times but is largely all business.
She makes it all look easy as she dances back and forth and across the floor in a trademark pattern, demonstrating some fancy foot maneuvers along the way.
While the clip a merely short 1:35 minutes long, we’re pretty sure we’d be out of breath by that point! Dance isn’t always given credit for being an athletic endeavor, but it certainly requires strength, precision, and lots of stamina.
Her laser focus and her little red glasses only add to the charm of her performance. (This dance is serious business – the style was once a symbol of the Irish nationalist movement.)
While the footwork might look repetitive, the key is to watch for the intricate formations traced out across the dance floor – that’s the key to the choreography.
As she finishes up her rousing performance and takes a bow, she gets a standing ovation from a few people in the audience.
Lucy walks off the floor presumably knowing she’s given it her best – but we wonder if she could have ever imagined that it would eventually be viewed by well over 1 million people.
Hopefully she looks back on this video with great pride.
Be sure to scroll down below to see this little charmer’s impressive performance.
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