The darkish aspect of Irish dancing: Outrage grows over tween dancers caked in make-up and pretend tan – after circuit was rocked by allegations of intercourse bribes and contest fixing
Irish Dancing’s most prestigious competition – the World Championships – kicked off in Dublin on Saturday. However, the show-stopping footwork has been overshadowed by fierce criticism over the way competitors – some as young as eight – are dressed while on stage.
Some 5,000 dancers are currently performing during the week-long championships, known locally as the Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne, at the Irish capital’s Convention Centre – with female competitors in every age category sporting heavy fake tan and make up, bouffed-up hair pieces, sparkling tutus and glittering bodices.
On X this week, one spectator raged that it was ‘absolutely shocking the way the kids have to dress. Fake tan, wigs etc. It used to be about the dancing!’
Another said the traditional dance, which has been practised in Ireland for centuries and is characterised by quick footwork, high kicks and an upright body position, had become ‘Americanised’.
They wrote: ‘Copious amount of make up fake tan fake hair and costumes so gaudy they wouldn’t look out of place in American pageants! Sorry it’s time to go back to basics and let their feet do the talking’.
It’s not the first time the sport has faced scrutiny, with the circuit still recovering from an ‘explosive’ scandal just three years ago.
In 2022, the Irish dancing community was left shocked by accusations of a cheating and bribes for sex scandal, alongside claims that children pursuing the sport at the highest level faced ‘brutal’ training regimes – one journalist claimed the Irish dancing world was being ‘run like the Mafia’.
With a global following – performers from around 30 countries are currently competing in Dublin, it was a US dancer, Owen Luebbers, who grew up in Philadelphia, who first spoke out to expose a murkier side to the wholesome sport that’s loved by millions.
Competitors at this year’s Irish World Dancing Championships in Dublin; some have criticised the ‘gaudy’ outfits and heavy makeup of the dancers, some of whom are as young as eight
A young competitor poses backstage wearing a dazzling neon pink and green ensemble, full make up and a bright blonde hairpiece
Criticism: Some who’ve seen performers at this
In a 2023 three-part BBC One documentary, The Year that Rocked Irish Dancing, Luebbers, who still competes in the sport, said he was terrified of voicing his concerns for fear of being marked down at future competitions.
The then 25-year-old revealed he’d achieved major success at the World Championships in 2017 with former dance school owner Kevin Broesler – only to later be left questioning his win when he was alerted to text messages last year suggesting a judge had helped the young dancer bag the trophy.
Luebbers said he’s since questioned whether he deserved the 2017 World Championships title, saying: ‘Obviously at the time, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it but after having seen the text and seeing that my name was mentioned specifically.
‘It does make me wonder. I go back and question “Did I deserve it?”‘.
The dancer, who recently graduated with a screenwriting degree, won the senior men’s World Championships title a year later. Broesler, who ran the Broesler School of Irish Dance, suspended himself from his own school following the allegations.
Dublin-based journalist Ellen Coyne revealed in the documentary how she first received an anonymous email alerting her to potential match-fixing during the competition in 2022.
Coyne said while the anonymous emails then began coming into her inbox thick and fast, no one would speak out, comparing the scenario to like the ‘omerta that you would see in Italian mafiosos’.
Some 5,000 competitors will perform until April 20th at this year’s championships, known locally as Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne
One critic of the championship’s costumes on X said the girls competing ‘wouldn’t look out of place in American pageants!’ adding ‘it’s time to go back to basics and let their feet do the talking’
Best friends Madison Daniel and Brigid Hull, who travelled from Colorado in the US to compete
Preparation: Dancers watch on as they await their call to the stage during the opening day of the Irish World Dancing Championships at the Convention Centre
Meanwhile the boys entering the competition appear fresh-faced. Pictured: John Joe Moroney from County Clare poses backstage for a picture during the opening day (left) James Wall from Sligo, Ireland poses with his teddy bear ‘Buddy’ backstage (right)
In New York, editor of Irish Central Kerry O’Shea, told the programme that she had received a similar message at the same time as Coyne, with details attached of messages alluding to match-fixing – and one suggesting a sexual bribe – allegedly being shared between teachers and judges.
O’Shea said she was shocked by the note, which read: ‘Will you be writing anything about the twisted world of Irish Dancing and the sick f**** involved in it’.
The journalist reflected on the messages landing in her inbox, saying the judges and teachers were ‘basically using young competitors as pawns in seeking your own gratification – it just seemed wild to me.’
The emails would ignite a scandal that unearthed dozens of messages that appeared to be related to competition fixing.
In one exchange, a judge tells a teacher that ‘other forms of appreciation’ are accepted and the teacher responds by saying that if they can get a particular student to first place then they can have ‘anything you want ;)’
The judge also says: ‘Is it not time you came to my room?’
Other graphic messages alleged to have been shared included: ‘Do you swallow?’, ‘You know the way to 100’ and ‘I’ll suck your d*** at the world (dancing competition) as a thank you’.
Up to a dozen Irish dance teachers and judges were investigated after being accused of colluding to award podium finishes at the All-Ireland Championships – after a whistleblower leaked messages to the press in Dublin and New York.
TikTok and Irish dancing star Owen Luebbers, who grew up in Philadelphia but trained in Dublin, told BBC documentary The Year that Rocked Irish Dancing how he was reluctant to speak out on a major cheating and sex bribe scandal that sparked a 2022 investigation because he feared he would be marked down in future competitions
The US dancer, left on stage, was alerted to text messages in 2022 which suggested a judge had helped the then young dancer win a major competition in 2017
Luebbers, who recently graduated with a screenwriting degree, said in 2023 that the scandal made him question whether he’d won medals via his own merit
Messages leaked to the press appeared to show judges and teachers colluding; with the main investigation focusing on the All-Ireland Championships in 2017
Owen Luebbers’ former coach Kevin Broesler, left, resigned shortly after the investigation into allegations – which were eventually dropped – began
An Irish dance teacher based in the east coast of America passed on the messages and dozens more to Irish dancing governing body, An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG).
The whistleblower, who doesn’t want to be identified, said she wanted to lift the lid on what she believes in the fixing of competitions that makes it impossible for some dance schools to compete.
In all, the whistleblower supplied screenshots of WhatsApp conversations showing 12 Irish dance teachers requesting a fix in major competitions.
The WhatsApp messages show that one teacher sent the name and competition number of her niece and asked the judge to give the girl a high score. She then mentions she has another niece also dancing.
‘How many effin’ nieces do you have?’ the judge asks, while agreeing to give them a good score.
The competition fixing was alleged to have occurred both in the Republic and Northern Ireland during All-Ireland Championships and qualifying rounds.
THE MESSAGES THAT ROCKED THE ‘SQUEAKY CLEAN’ WORLD OF IRISH DANCING
The competition fixing was alleged to have occurred both in the Republic and Northern Ireland during All-Ireland Championships 2022 and qualifying rounds.
Several teachers were alleged to have asked favourable judges to sit in on competitions in which their own children or pupils are dancing.
One judge was alleged to have sent messages to a dance teacher during an All-Ireland Championship.
Following an independent investigation, 44 cases proceeded to a full disciplinary hearing, which commenced in August 2023.
However, teachers and judges involved were told in 2024 that they would face no further action after the sport’s biggest governing body, Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG), dropped the proceedings.
A teacher at the competition asks the judge: ‘Are you on boys u12? If you are, he’s number [competition number of dancer]. Thank you x.’
The judge replies: ‘Yes, got it’.
The next day, the teacher has another request: ‘Hiya. Have a really good girl u14 no [competition number]. Could be podium. Have a girl u15 that needs to qualify no [competition number].’ This gets a ‘thumbs up’ symbol from the judge.
On the following day, the teacher has yet another request: ‘Have my babies dancing tomorrow u16. My son *****, [son’s competition number] would love a medal. **** is number [competition number] would love top 3.’
The judge replies: ‘I’m on solos.’
Leaked text messages have now been passed on from a whistleblower on the US East Coast to an investigation in Ireland, which has been ordered by deputy PM Leo Varadkar
The teacher says: ‘Jaysus. I’m f***ed so with you and [another favourable judge] on solos.’
Another teacher sent photos of two of her pupils to a judge, so that the judge could identify them. ‘Girls u11 tomorrow. Don’t have [competition] numbers as I’m not going til the morn. [first name and surname] and [first name and surname] are the names’.
The judge replies with a winking emoticon.
Another teacher begs for a high score for his students and also for the judge to ensure that other favourable judges are appointed to the same competition.
After the judge gave a good mark to one of his students, the teacher writes: ‘Thanks for today. Do u know what you are on tomorrow? Begging if you are on [child’s name] to do what you can Xxx.’
The judge replies: ‘I know.’
The teacher then asks: ‘Are you on the 18s?’ When the judge confirms that they are, the teacher replies: ‘Thank god!!! Who else is with you? Is it bad?’
The judge asks: ‘Who do you want?’
The teacher then names four judges he doesn’t want.
The judge replies that the teacher won’t have the first judge on the list but he is not sure about the second.
Another judge tells a teacher that they ‘accept other forms of appreciation’, and in response is told: ‘If you can get [name redacted] to give [name redacted] First anything You want ;)’
The same judge also says: ‘Is it not time you came to my room?’
Other graphic messages alleged to have been shared included: ‘Do you swallow?’, ‘You know the way to 100’ and ‘I’ll suck your d*** at the world (dancing competition) as a thank you’.
Several teachers were alleged to have asked favourable judges to sit in on competitions in which their own children or pupils were dancing.
One judge is alleged to have sent messages to a dance teacher during an All-Ireland Championship.
A teacher at the competition asks the judge: ‘Are you on boys u12? If you are, he’s number [competition number of dancer]. Thank you x.’
The judge replies: ‘Yes, got it’.
The next day, the teacher has another request: ‘Hiya. Have a really good girl u14 no [competition number]. Could be podium. Have a girl u15 that needs to qualify no [competition number].’ This gets a ‘thumbs up’ symbol from the judge.
Another teacher sent photos of two of her pupils to a judge, so that the judge could identify them. ‘Girls u11 tomorrow. Don’t have [competition] numbers as I’m not going til the morn. [first name and surname] and [first name and surname] are the names’.
The judge replies with a winking emoticon.
Another teacher begs for a high score for his students and also for the judge to ensure that other favourable judges are appointed to the same competition.
After the judge gave a good mark to one of his students, the teacher writes: ‘Thanks for today. Do u know what you are on tomorrow? Begging if you are on [child’s name] to do what you can Xxx.’
The judge replies: ‘I know.’
The teacher then asks: ‘Are you on the 18s?’ When the judge confirms that they are, the teacher replies: ‘Thank god!!! Who else is with you? Is it bad?’
The judge asks: ‘Who do you want?’
The teacher then names four judges he doesn’t want.
The highly-competitive world of Irish dancing sees schools across the world compete for prizes – with those given top awards able to charge more for places at their institutions (file image of Irish dancing contest)
The judge replies that the teacher won’t have the first judge on the list but he is not sure about the second.
Another judge tells a teacher that they ‘accept other forms of appreciation’, and in response is told: ‘If you can get [name redacted] to give [name redacted] First anything You want ;)’
The same judge also says: ‘Is it not time you came to my room?’
At the time, then deputy Irish PM Leo Varadkar called for a full investigation by an external body saying the allegations risked ‘reputational damage’ for Ireland.
Following an independent investigation, 44 cases proceeded to a full disciplinary hearing, which commenced in August 2023.
However, teachers and judges involved were told in 2024 that they would face no further action after the sport’s biggest governing body, Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG), dropped the proceedings.
The World Irish Dancing Championships, for which Dublin City Council has commissioned a special commemorative badge which will be given to each competitor, runs until April 20th.
