Burbank-based Irish dance group has championship-level skills

BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) -- The national champions from Burbank-based Cleary Irish Dance are preparing to defend their title, and they're perfecting their routine with dozens of local performances this month.

People often celebrate St. Patrick's Day at a local pub, but maybe this is the year to try something new - like Irish dancing. As luck would have it, one of our ABC7 news assistants, Hunter, competes on the Irish dance team that's ranked fourth in the world.

"I like the team part just because it's me with all my friends, hanging out and dancing and having fun. And it's just a chance to do what we love together and enjoy it while we're doing it," Grenier said.

"We've been very fortunate in that we have had an extremely successful competitive year. Just a couple of weeks ago, we took 16 dancers to the all Ireland championships in Ireland, and we brought back 39 medals," said Margaret Cleary, owner and instructor of Cleary Irish Dance.

And next month, they'll compete for the World Championships. So what is it they love about Irish Dancing?

"So my godparents are both from Ireland. And when I was little, they showed me Riverdance and I just fell in love and begged my parents to sign me up," said Erin Armstrong, who started dancing at 4 years old and has been dancing for 17 years.

"My favorite part is the competing," said 24-year-old Shannon Scott, who's been dancing for 13 years. "And just being proud of how much work you put into it and how much you've improved is a great feeling so, it's my favorite."

Well this is enough to get anyone inspired to give it a try. And we've all heard that you should dress for the part you want.

it's a lot harder than it looks, but it's a lot of fun. So I highly encourage it!