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West Valley City » Hunter Library visitors learned Saturday that they don't need red hair or the last name O'Malley to enjoy Irish dancing.
Anyone can learn the dancing style in which performers hold their arms still at their sides while feet and legs do all the work.
Dancers from Rinceoiri don Spraoi Irish Step Dance School in South Jordan -- the name means "dancing for fun" in Irish Gaelic -- showcased several dances for children and their families at a well-attended event at the West Valley City library.
After watching the presentation, kids were called onto a makeshift stage to participate.
"As part of the Be Creative Summer, we thought it would be fun to not only have art and writing and things like that, but also dancing and movement," said children's librarian Melinda Tooley.
Many kids will never travel to Ireland, but activities like this one expose children to different cultures, Tooley said.
Between numbers, the dancers discussed the technique and history of Irish dancing. They told legends that explain why dancers hold their arms at their sides.
"There's two different stories," explained Kim Carruth, a performer and president of the board of directors at Rinceoiri don Spraoi.
"One of them is when the Queen of England came over to visit the conquered Ireland, when greeting her -- rather than giving her any kind of salute -- they kept their arms to
Another theory: After the English conquered Ireland, spies attempted to suppress "all things Irish." If Irish dancers hid behind waist-high bushes or counters, their merriment couldn't be detected because of their relatively motionless torsos and arms.
"I don't know if it's true," Carruth said.
While most of the performers were adults, a few were kids, including seventh-grader Laura Garff, an Elk Ridge Middle School student.
Laura's hobby has come full circle. Five years ago, she discovered Irish dancing at a library show. Since then, she's become an avid dancer, practicing for two hours every Saturday. Laura enjoys dancing because it's stress-free.
"We don't have to do competitions, so you don't have to worry about doing everything perfect," she said. "It's really fun."
Laura was the youngest person in the performance group on Saturday. The performers ranged from 13 to "grandma-aged."
Rinceoiri don Spraoi offers classes to people of all ages.
"It was kind of weird at first," said Laura of dancing alongside older people. "But everyone was really nice, so you don't notice the age difference."
Becky Johnson is one of the "grandma-aged" dancers. Her husband and son both served LDS missions in Ireland, and three generations of her family have since become passionate about Irish dancing.
"It's just a great way to exercise," said Johnson, who performs all across the valley. "You can't have more fun exercising than when dancing."
The group performs next at the Utah Scottish Festival at Thanksgiving Point on Saturday, and at libraries throughout the Salt Lake Valley all summer long.
