Schools
Sierra Madre's Erin Armstrong Headed to Irish Dance World Championship
St. Rita's student dancing her way to Dublin in April.
At age four, Erin Armstrong saw video of the Irish dancing phenomenon, Riverdance, and has “just kept dancing ever since,” according to the avid Irish dancer.
Her parents enrolled her in Cleary Irish Dance, where she has studied since that tender age of four, with this Pasadena and North Hollywood troupe, led by Margaret Cleary.
Cleary, who herself won All-England and All-Ireland awards and countless other solo championships, is an accredited Irish Dance teacher and Irish Dancing Commission Examiner, one of 12 in North America, and only 35 worldwide.
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Armstrong and part of her dance troupe perform yearly to an enthusiastic local crowd at the St. Patrick-St. Joseph dinner and celebration at St. Rita, where she attends seventh grade.
Members of the group, including Armstrong, qualify regularly to represent the Western United States at the World Championships which are help yearly at Easter in Dublin, Ireland.
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Erin Armstrong will compete solo on April 18 at the championships. She and eleven other dancers from Cleary Irish Dance will compete at “Worlds” as a team on April 20.
Many around Sierra Madre know the Armstrong family, particularly Theresa Armstrong, as “The Salsa Lady” from the Farmer’s Market, whose Zia Sun Salsa Zia Sun Salsa is now sold at and through her website.