When I heard that there would be a night of Irish step dancing and a cappella at Fordham, my 0% Irish self simply had to find out what the craic was with Sláinte. Sure and begorrah, I was graced with witnessing the light feet and voices of all our Fordham peers.
On March 7, the Fordham University Irish Step club, Sláinte, orchestrated an Irish Night where they showcased their dancing in the Fordham Prep auditorium. After thoroughly embarrassing myself to my Irish-heritage friends trying to pronounce the name, I sat in my seat ready to take in all that the Emerald Isle had in store for me that night.
Upon entering Fordham Prep, there was a festive photo-op of an arch of balloons spelling out “Irish Night” that my friends and I immediately took advantage of. Considering the large Irish demographic on campus, I was expecting a larger audience in the auditorium, and they did not disappoint!
The dancers started off with a traditional Irish jig to heel-click the performance to a start. It was at this moment that I realized what an amazing show I was in for.
With each number performed, I was increasingly impressed with the sheer calf strength of the dancers. As someone who tends to take up as much space as possible when dancing, I was dumbfounded by the dancers’ ability to keep their arms glued to their sides the entire time.
To give the Sláinte steppers a break, Fordham singing groups were interspersed to provide acoustic entertainment. The songs ranged from more traditional tunes like “Parting Glass” sung by the Satin Dolls to more recent hits with the B-Sides singing The Cranberries’ “Zombie.”
Throughout the night, the two student emcees were ushering each act, including witty commentary which came in handy when there was a bit of a delay in schedule. Safe to say, there was not one dull moment.
As a Beyoncé fan myself, a standout moment to me was when the dancers did a number to “Texas Hold ’Em,” using clever wordplay in the program by calling it “Donegal Hold ’Em.” It was a performance that I’m sure would make Beyoncé proud. It was also a favorite of Lainey Nguyen, FCRH ’27, due to the creative choreography.
This was Nguyen’s first Irish Night since she just joined this spring semester.
“I was a bit nervous,” confessed Nguyen. “But my favorite part ended up being the level of teamwork and support that everyone put into the event.”
The dancers pulled off impressive costume changes after each dance and despite the pressure of performing, it was clear they were loving every moment on stage together. There was an endearing display of camaraderie when, after the seniors finished their dance, they all embraced on stage, giving the audience a sense of how much the members of this club enjoy what they do.
Towards the end of the performance, the troupe invited some Sláinte alumni to the stage to see if they still had some jig in them. Despite wearing jeans, the alumni did not disappoint and each pulled off a short combination of moves effortlessly as if they’d never left.
The crowd and I loved every moment of the night of the Éire. The event has only been around for three years so far, but with the success it has seen, one can be confident that it is a Fordham special that will stick.
I witnessed firsthand that Irish step dancing is no joke, but if anyone has had a past in it and wants to brush up on their abilities, Sláinte is the place to do it.
“I started Irish Dance in second grade, but I stopped when the pandemic happened,” said Nguyen. “Now that I have joined, I am so glad I get to practice my steps again and be with a team.”
Considering the extremely affordable price of free admission to attend this event, I’d highly recommend any Fordham student to pay homage to our Irish-Jesuit founding ancestors, or to just have a fun night of song and dance! It’s absolutely cracker!
