Aidan Ward — ‘Live for the Rince’

I think we would all agree that it is a privilege to see young people thriving; to see them live for their passion and have drive in their lives; to see them dance and enjoy themselves. Once in a while a very young person points his or her toe on stage and makes everyone in the arena think the same thought: ‘Who is that kid? WOW!’ It then becomes more than just a privilege, it becomes a spectacle — a wonder. When a young person has such talent that their performance greatly exceeds what is expected at their age, it fills the room with pure magic. When Aidan Ward pointed his toe at his first few international championships, his effect on the room was instant. People knew that a future superstar had begun his journey. 

FEIS App is proud to call Aidan Ward it’s Dancer of the Month.

Aidan is 11 years old and dances in the North West Region of England for the Marie Connell School of Irish Dance. Living in Manchester, Aidan comes from a family of dancers. His introduction to Irish dancing came when he was sent to class (as his dad worked night shifts) to watch his brothers and sisters dance. In no time at all a 5 year old Aidan ‘got bored’ of sitting and watching, and even though he had no Irish dancing shoes, he decided to join in. It was then that he found taking part in the class was a lot more enjoyable that just watching from the sidelines.

Aidan raced through the grades in record time and it soon became apparent that he was going to have to be offered challenges that matched his ability in order to keep his passion alive. Aidan remembers his first big win: “Winning the regionals for the first time was a big win for me because I danced up an age and it was my first big achievement!”

And once this ‘first big achievement’ was behind him, Aidan didn’t look back — he’s now a 4 times North West Regional Champion! Whilst taking out those regional titles, Aidan was also doing incredible things at a national level. At just 11 years of age, Aidan has won the Great Britain Championships twice, the All Scotland Championships twice, and the British National Championships twice.

In 2018, Aidan travelled to compete in one of the most prestigious events in the Irish dancing calendar — the All Ireland Championships. Winning national titles is one thing, but jumping up to international and world level is the ultimate step. Aidan danced incredibly well in his first All Irelands and came away with 3^rd place — a phenomenal achievement; certainly a lifetime dream for most dancers — Aidan was only warming up however.

The 2019 season came around. Aidan, under watchful eyes, had been working extremely hard on his dancing, and was focused on his goal — he had decided that he wanted the world title, and was doing everything possible to make that happen.

Killarney and the All Irelands came and went with Aidan not able to compete due to his teacher judging the event. With more national titles in the bag, Aidan was looking solely at the world championships — had he bridged the gap from the All Ireland Championships the year before? It was off to Greensboro to find out!

Competing in the youngest boy’s age group at the event, Aidan stepped out onto the stage for his first world championships. The occasion, the stage, the arena dwarfed Aidan, but it didn’t dwarf what was inside him. He knew he had put the work in and he knew that he was ready. Aidan danced to the very best of his ability, took feedback from his teacher and then just had to wait……

As with every dancer, there is another world and a life outside of the world of Irish dance. Everyone is on his or her own personal journey too. Aidan by his own admission was a very shy, perhaps even timid young boy when he started Irish dancing. And so it’s important to recognize the other benefits Irish dancing have given Aidan, over and above the titles and acclaim. Aidan now is a much more confident young man as a result of Irish dancing. His confidence has gone through the roof since gaining new friends, travelling, overcoming adversity, facing fears and breaking barriers, and of course — achieving goals.

“I feel more confident in school, and consequently I was able to be the lead in my school production — it is confidence that I have gained from dancing in front of people.”

Aidan also credits his teacher for the amazing work that she has put in with him. “My dance teacher has had a huge impact on me because she has continually pushed me and given me more intricate material. She believes in me and has given me the strength to believe in myself and my own ability.”

Now here he was standing in the awards hall in Greensboro, waiting for that all-important result. It made him realize how far he had already come and all because of taking up the beautiful art form that is Irish dance.

At just 10 years of age at the time, he had achieved so much, now here he was looking up at the big screens — had he done enough? No matter what the result, he was a stronger, fitter, healthier young man for all the dedication and all the work he had put in.

Aidan was announced as the 2019 World Champion! The response in the arena almost took the roof off. The little ‘pocket rocket’ from Manchester had done it!

Aidan celebrating being crowned world champion in Greensboro.

Q – Is there anything that you haven’t achieved yet that you really want to?

A - I would love to win the All Irelands and the NANS.

Q - Moving forward are there things you’d like to do once you finish competing?

A - In time, I would like to be a professional dancer, a dance teacher and a judge. I would like to be in a show like Fusion Fighters, Riverdance or Lord Of The Dance.

Q - Give us an insight into your practice regime in the build up to a big event?

A - I attend classes 3 times a week which are a minimum of 3 hours long and I work hard at home. I stretch everyday, practice everyday and go running.

Q - What’s your Irish Dance teacher like?

A - Marie can be very strict with us in class, but I understand that she is pushing us to achieve our best.

Q - What would you say is your biggest strength as an Irish Dancer?

A - I’m lucky that I have natural flexibility and I just love to dance; I think this comes across on stage.

Q - What would you say is your biggest weakness as an Irish Dancer?

A – Sometimes I get nervous.

Q - What top tips would you give an aspiring young Irish Dancer?

1. Never give up even if results aren’t going your way.

2. Listen to corrections from your teacher.

3. Be positive.

4. Try and stretch everyday.

Q -How would you describe yourself in three words?

A - Confident, determined and funny.

Q - Do you have any words or poem or quote that lifts you up?

A - ‘Live for the rince’ was from my brother Nathan. He made it up.

When Aidan dances on stage there’s so much life and energy displayed that it’s difficult to take your eyes off him for a second. There’s such a natural happiness to his performances. Off stage he’s the same. Aidan, as the youngest CLRG World Champion, is a perfect candidate for Dancer of the Month, but he’s more than that — he perfectly represents all the dancers around the world who are gaining confidence through dance. He perfectly represents all of the young dancers who are truly happy under the bright lights of the stage. He perfectly represents all of the positive aspects of Irish dance, and for that, he deserves recognition from us all.

We wish Aidan the very best of luck in the future and can’t wait to follow his journey moving forward.