By Anastasia McGrath

If you happened to be near McGinley Ballroom this past Thursday night, you may have been startled by the pounding sound of nearly 30 Irish stepdancers performing a well-practiced routine. The dancers were members of Fordham’s Irish Dance company, Sláinte, and were the main attraction last week at Irish Night.

Although the night was split evenly between stepdancing and performances by various a cappella groups, Sláinte began with a bang in a dance to Riverdance favorite “Reel Around the Sun.” This dynamic opener began slowly but culminated in a fast-paced routine that captivated the audience.

A standout moment from this performance was a dance solo from Sláinte’s only male member, Greg Hopp. The B-Sides followed with upbeat renditions of popular songs, providing a fun respite from the intensity of Sláinte’s opening dance.

Sláinte then returned to the stage with “Stolen Kiss” in iconic costuming of black velvet dresses with red sashes. “Stolen Kiss” featured a smaller group of dancers, allowing for the individual talent of each dancer to be more easily displayed.

After a brief interlude of the Satin Dolls singing Rihanna’s “Shut Up and Drive,” Sláinte returned to the stage in a very different mood. A costume change into jeans and white shirts combined with the EDM/rock-infused choice of song made “A Capella” a strikingly different dance from the last two.

While Sláinte prepared for their last two dances, The Ramblers took to the stage with a beautiful rendition of a traditional Irish folk ballad, “Red is the Rose” that had nearly everyone in the room humming along.

The Class of 2018 Dance was a particularly poignant moment for the members of Sláinte, as co-presidents Clare McGough and Lexi Rizzo are graduating seniors. The dance provided them with a great send off, providing each with a solo.

The finale, however, was the true spectacle of the show, with all 25 members of Sláinte onstage at once. By this time, all members had changed into matching green t-shirts. The sight of them dancing in circling groups of lines resembled a giant green spinning pinwheel.

Some of the people I attended with were unfamiliar with Irish stepdance prior to Irish Night. Sláinte’s performances provided a not only thorough but also memorable introduction to this art form.

What was needed to complete the Irish experience, however, was a stronger presence of traditional Irish music. As someone familiar with Irish-American culture, I was excited to hear such favorites as “The Fields of Athenry,” but was sorely disappointed.

Nevertheless, it was great to see members of the Fordham community, Irish or not, enjoying Irish-American culture together, and I am looking forward to seeing that again next year.