'World champion, aye!'

Road at Castleforward DemesneImage via Wikipedia". . . So says Derry girl Brogan McCay of her Irish dancing exploits, which are captured in Sue Bourne’s tremendously entertaining documentary Jig. Her legs haven’t stopped kicking since, TARA BRADY discovers

SHE’S HARDLY in the door of the family’s Derry home but Brogan McCay is already dancing around the kitchen table. The newly crowned World Champion Irish Dancer is supposed to be having a break. There are only so many front clicks a girl can manage in 48 hours. And she’s due back in class tomorrow. But the 11-year-old’s feet are not co-operating with the plan. So this is what it takes to be world champion.

“World champion, aye!” she chirps in disbelief. “My principal and the teachers and everybody are so proud of me.” And off she dances.

’Twas ever thus, says Brogan’s mum, Carole. “She can’t stand still. It’s only since we started going to competitions that we’ve realised a lot of the Irish dancers are like that. They’re always jigging about and working out wee steps in their heads. They never stop.”"
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