As a child, sophomore Kate Sebes hid behind her mother’s legs because she was shy. Her mother decided to put her into dance as a way to boost her confidence, and that’s when it all started. Sebes has been dancing for 14 years, doing various types of dance such as ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary/modern, tap and hip hop. But her love for Irish started 10 years ago. Sebes spends endless hours in the studio every week.

“The studio is a place where I can let go and just simply dance,” Sebes said.

Sebes has used dance to be confident which is one of the reasons why she loves to dance.

“I love to dance because it allows me to open up and just focus on the technical things my body is doing.” Sebes said, “I also enjoy performing because, to me, I am sharing a story with people.”

Dance, like any other sport, needs special clothes, shoes and accessories. Additionally, dance can be pricey when it comes to getting the costumes and shoes. For instance, certain styles of dance require special shoes to perform.

“For Irish I only wear two. One is called a Gillie, which is what I wear for soft shoe dances and the other pair are Hard shoes. For competitions and performances in Irish I also wear an Irish bun wig, a solo dress, and poodle socks,” Sebes said.

Dancing has lead her to compete at nationals in Florida .“I competed against girls and boys from around the nation and some dance schools from Ireland. Overall in my age group I placed second during my awards, but came home with medals in first, second and third.” Sebes said.

Although Sebes does not have Irish ancestors, her love for Irish music and dance is part of why she loves to dance.

Sebes continues to dance throughout high school and hopes to become a dance teacher one day to help inspire and push others to their goals just like her teachers.