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Members of the Ashden School of Irish Dance in Prince Albert who took part in the Western Canadians in Calgary. From left to right: Rowan Arpin, Annika Gorder, Peyton Tait, Lauren Gorder, and Olivier Gorder. (Submitted Photo/Devin Gorder)
Irish Dancers

Prince Albert dancers show well at Western Canadian event in Calgary

Jun 7, 2022 | 5:00 PM

The weekend of June 4 and 5 proved to be a big one for Prince Albert athletes. Not only were several weightlifters involved in the Canadian Junior Weightlifting Championships in Quebec, but several Irish Dancers headed off to a big event in the other direction.

Over the weekend, seven dancers from the Ashden School of Irish Dance travelled to Calgary to compete in the Western Canadian Open. The dancers ranged in age from five to 20 years old, and all showed well at the biggest dance competition in Alberta, which was hosted for the first time since before COVID-19.

“For some Ashden dancers, it was their first time competing in an event like this,” said Devin Gorder, who is involved in fundraising and media for the club, in a statement. “For other veteran dancers, they were happy to be back on the stage competing and doing what they love. It was an adjustment. As for the past two years, competitions have been held online, with no in-person competitions. We were so proud of how hard they all worked to prepare for the competition and how well they did.”

A busy summer for the school isn’t done yet either. Starting on July 1, two of the senior dancers at the school will travel to Montreal to compete in the North American Irish dance championships from July 1 to July 4.