Under the studio lights, sophomore Meagan Mullett repeats the same steps for what seems like the hundredth time, keeping her focus, feeling the rhythm of her shoes on the wood until it’s perfect, ready to perform her parts of ‘The Irish Nutcracker’.
“People like to stereotype that Irish dancing is just jigs and fun, but it’s actually a lot more than that. It takes a lot of time to master the ballet, and it takes a lot of effort and passion to get to where you want to go,” Mullett said.
In her nine and a half years with Shannon Irish Dancing Academy, Mullet’s love for dancing is shown through her reliability and selflessness towards her peers, as she is constantly supporting her fellow dancers, bringing fun where there’s pain. While balancing school, family, and dance has been difficult, to her it is all worth it.
“She has heart, character, passion, energy and a great stage presence. It’s always a new experience, one day we’ll be laughing and making fun of each other and others, she’ll be comforting me when I’m struggling. Overall, she is an amazing person to dance with and be around,” Prizewinner McKenzie Wagner said.
On Dec. 20, the academy will put on an Irish dance interpretation of the Christmas classic, The Nutcracker. This show is more than a dance for Mullet; it is the culmination of her hard work, as each week consists of an extra four to five hours of practice in preparation for the show. Now, all that work comes together as she steps into three roles: a party guest, a tree and a fox.
“Every year we take a break, so a whole year we wouldn’t do the Nutcracker. I’m really excited to get back into it and perform for others. It’s just so much fun to do,” Mullet said.
Being the eighth time Mullet has performed ‘The Nutcracker’, she is no longer nervous but instead excited to be a part of this dance and so are the people around her.
“People should know that Meagan has pushed through many challenges with dance and keeps going because she loves her studio, her dance family and has so much love for Irish dance,” Mother Jennifer Mullett said. “I love watching her perform and compete.”
