People of Regent: Elizabeth

“Even though I have an Italian last name, I am actually half Irish. One of the ways that my family has kept in touch with our Irish heritage is by having all of us do Irish step-dancing. I personally started when I was five years old, and I did it up until I was a freshman in college. So, I did it for a total of fourteen years. I competed in a few feis’ (Irish dancing competitions), but I did mostly performances. We would be hired to dance at a variety of venues: concert halls, parades, weddings, funerals, and nursing homes. The best part was that my entire family did it. I am one of seven children. All five girls and my youngest brother learned step-dance, and my oldest brother learned to play the bagpipes. Not only that, but we were a part of a group, the Emerald Isle Step-Dancers. There were 135 of us, and about 52 were my relatives. Needless to say, we are all very proud of our Irish heritage.” -Elizabeth