HELENA — Each St. Patrick's Day there are a couple of annual traditions at the Montana Capitol. Shortly after dawn, the Irish Tricolor flag is raised and the governor declares it Irish Heritage Day. Inside the Capitol bagpipes and drums sound through the building and people cheer to the thunder from the Irish dancing.
Nearly one hundred Tiernan Irish dancers from as little as four years old up to college age filled the Capitol Rotunda with the taps of their shoes and the spirit of the Emerald Isle.
Joelle Tooke, both a dancer and instructor with Tiernan says, "I think it is our biggest stage and I think a lot of dancers would agree just like we all get to spread out and not run into each other. It is really great that we can focus on what we are doing.”
The Helena Tiernan Irish dancers started out years ago with only four dancers and has now grown to a much larger tradition that sees many stages that lead up to the big day at the Capitol.
For the Tiernan instructors that are still dancers themselves all of the hard work that goes into the weeks before makes Saint Patrick’s Day all the more special.
“I have been dancing for 13 years now so just many years of tradition and I just love getting to perform for a variety of audiences," Tooke says.
Lexi Otteson has been dancing for over a decade too and shares the same feelings about the holiday.
“I always get excited knowing I get to perform for all ages because we go to the senior citizen's groups, the schools, the breweries, we go all around town,” Otteson says.
Although every audience is different the smiles and luck of the Irish is something that everyone enjoys.
Which is why dancers like Lexi throw on the tap shoes today.
Otteson says, “Actually these dancers came to my school and I saw them perform and I was like that is what I want to do.”
Tiernan has over 20 shows this year and are available to perform upon request.
