Andover girl finishes 10th in world in her age group in Irish dancing (VIDEO)

On a recent trip to Ireland, locals asked Annabel Havers-Strong where she was from.

“Kansas,” the 12-year-old from Andover replied.

Their eyes grew wide. Their smiles grew wider. They had seen “The Wizard of Oz.”

Instead of ruby red slippers, Annabel wore hard-heeled shoes. She clicked her way across the stage at the Cumann Rince Naisiunta World Championships. That’s Gaelic for the National Dance Association, one of two Irish dancing organizations.

More than 500 dancers competed in the championships; only six of the teams were American. Annabel was the lone competitor for her team, the Corry Academy of Irish Dancing. She competed in the highest level and placed 10th in the world for her age group.

Irish step dancing is notable for its quick leg and foot movements while the arms and body remain stationary. In competitions, female dancers wear satin dresses with skirts of intersecting Celtic knots and hard-heeled shoes.

For Annabel, putting on a wig of ringlets is the hardest part of getting ready.

Stick it on wrong and it could fall off mid-kick. Wear it off-center and her sleek locks poke through. It needs to look natural, as seamless as her steps.

Like naturally curly hair, Irish dancing wigs get frizzy. The wigs have a lifespan of several months, maybe half a year.

Annabel has danced through six wigs, her first at age 9. She started dancing at age 6.

Her mother, Dominique Havers-Strong, enrolled her in Irish dancing at the Andover studio after a short stint in ballet.

Don’t let the Swarovski-studded headband atop Annabel’s wig fool you.

“Some people think it’s really easy,” the 12-year-old said. “I just want them to try it.”

Once she masters a series of steps, she works on perfecting them. Kicks get higher; steps get faster.

“My dancers are athletes,” said Noreen Northrop, Annabel’s coach and owner of Corry Academy, as she watched her pupil tap her heels through a routine that left her winded.

Northrop said Irish dancing is one of the more difficult forms of dancing. It’s not like ballet where a dancer can use her arms and legs to lift herself. Northrop was an Irish dancer in her childhood. From ages 3 to 20, she practiced in her parents’ studio. She was ranked eighth in the world at age 19.

“I always said I’d never teach because it was my parents’ life,” she said.

It’s been hers, too, for the past 14 years.

Many dancers’ parents are Catholic or Irish and enjoy the tradition of the sport. Annabel’s family is neither but that hasn’t stopped her.

She often arrives at the studio early to assist Northrup in teaching the beginners. Then it’s on to her own practice – about 11 hours a week, sometimes more with the practice she does in her at-home studio.

“If your dance teacher says ‘one more time,’ she’s lying,” Northrop said.

The little white lies paid off as her coaching, combined with Annabel’s talent, brought the two to Castlebar in County Mayo.

Before the competition began on June 27, the two toured Kilkenny Castle. The next day, Annabel danced “Kilkenny Races” and two other routines.

She competes nationally at least once a month. Next January will be the academy’s first competition-free month since May.

Irish dancing is an expensive sport, so Northrop, her dancers and their families drive to most competitions. Driving 15 hours in a day is nothing out of the ordinary.

Practicing in malls, restaurants, bathrooms and airports is just as commonplace.

“My legs start dancing,” she said. “I don’t know. I can’t control it.”

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Andover girl finishes 10th in world in her age group in Irish dancing (VIDEO)."