The Perfect Picture

A Irish dancer could go their entire lives without any great shots of them in action. Irish dance is hard to capture in pictures; action shots are hard to take because we move so fast; and the beauty of irish dance is usually in the movement. Sure, we have great legs, but slow, picture perfect moments are few and far between. Of course, professional photographers are mastering the art of capturing Irish dancers in action, but not all of us have the luxury of being constantly photographed by the professionals. So when a great shot comes along, one has to live it up.

This photo was taken at the Galway Bay Irish Music Festival, and it's a favorite picture of myself for many reasons:

1. Straight legs and on the toes! There are so many pictures of great Irish dancers just coming out of a leap, or moving from one thing to the next, where their legs are bent at weird angles, or their feet just weren't pointed yet, I was lucky to be caught at exactly the right moment.
2. Posture. A constant battle for many Irish dancers, keeping that "shoulders back, head high" posture can be a challenge.
3. (Perhaps most importantly) This picture captures me dancing in the way I want to be remembered dancing. I love performing; I love dancing for people who are moved by irish music and irish culture. I love it when people tell me our performance made their night or how it reminded them of their home, or how they wish they could be dancing. I look happy in this picture; I look alive, I look like I'm doing something I love and believe in. It's not that Irish dance doesn't always make me happy, but it doesn't always photograph this way.

Here's to more great photos, and great days of dancing ahead!