Jig is afoot at Muldoon’s

Most people remember the fancy footwork of Michael Flatley and his “Lord of the Dance.”

For this event, though, the feet will be tinier, but the steps promise to be just as lively when nine young lasses compete for the title of “Darling of the Dance” in a competition taking place Sunday in the courtyard at Muldoon’s Dublin Pub in Fashion Island.

Under the direction of former champion dancer and Lord of the Dance choreographer Doireann Maoilei, students from Maoilei’s Celtic Gold Academy of Dance will perform dressed in traditional Irish costumes embroidered with Celtic designs.

Richard Kaplan, Muldoon’s special events coordinator warms the audience up and relaxes each girl with a few personal and entertaining questions.

“I like to bring out a little bit of the character of each dancer,” Kaplan said.

“The questions puts them at ease and get them to a place where they’re comfortable before the performance.”

He’s curious, he said, so maybe the audience is too, about what the girls know about the dance form, what motivated them to take up Irish dance at such an early age, and what appeals to them about the Irish culture.

The questions are meant to amuse, which is why Kaplan said he asks things about what they do when they aren’t studying, whether they like Lucky Charms or Wheaties, and what color they see Ireland as.

Maoilei lets the girls know they’re going to be questioned, but they don’t know what they’re going to be asked, and they are nervous.

Kaplan usually makes them laugh, which helps get rid of some of those pre-performance jitters, Maoilei said.

“It’s good for them to get out there in front of so many people and be under that kind of pressure.”

Each girl will perform a solo routine of their choice, Maoilei said, one that is a favorite of theirs. Dances are performed in either a soft or hard shoe, depending on the style, and Maoilei oversees the selections to be sure there’s enough of a variety.

The slip jig, performed in soft shoe, is the most popular choice because it’s a very light, graceful and feminine dance. On the flip side, there’s the horn pipe, a dance that years ago was performed only by men. It’s a hard shoe dance requiring a lot of strength, power and rhythm, Maoilei said.

“It’s a combination of battering the floor with the shoe and then springing up lightly in the air, really a contradiction in terms almost,” Maoilei said.

Dancers have to appear to be very light-footed as well as powerful at the same time, and whether to dance in soft or hard shoe depends on the girl. Some have better rhythm in a hard shoe, Maoilei said.

Whichever style they choose, Maoilei feels the audience will be energized by the music, the rhythm and the way the kids use their feet.

“Irish dancing is very much on the go. They say that exercise brings out a happy endorphin, and by the end of class, these girls are jumping around,” Maoilei said.

The competition at Muldoon’s began more than 10 years ago. Maoilei selects the girls who compete based on their ability, and each girl is entered in a competition only once.

Maoilei said there will be former “Darlings” in the audience Sunday, watching their younger sisters perform.

This is also the first year Maoilei’s daughter Nianh, 9, will dance. She’s performing the “Job of Journeywork,” a very old dance performed in a hard shoe that Nianh particularly likes.

Brother Connor, 5, may be part of a group number Maoilei said will be performed by all the girls and some former students in the audience when the judges take a break to decide the winner.

There will be a winner, and she will receive a trophy, but Kaplan decided from the first competition that there would be no first, second or third place.

“There’s one winner, and the rest are all runners-up,” Kaplan said.

Mark Hennessy will judge the competition for the first time, but he’s no stranger to competitive Irish events at Muldoon’s.

Hennessy was the first winner of Muldoon’s “Sexiest Kilt” contest for St. Patrick’s Day back in 2003.

Hennessy was actually born on St. Patrick’s Day, and when invited by Kaplan to help judge the competition, was more than willing to participate.

“I never say no to my Irish roots,” Hennessy said.

An Irish dancer himself, Hennessy will be looking for technique, form and proper stature in the young performers, but knows he won’t be “ultra critical” when it comes to judging the performance.

“I know I’ll be trying to contain myself from smiling so much,” Hennessy said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The 2008 Darling of the Dance Competition

WHEN: 2 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Muldoon’s Dublin Pub, 202 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

COST: Free

INFO: Call (949) 640-4110 or go to www.muldoonspub.com

SUE THOENSEN may be reached at (714) 966-4627 or at [email protected].