UR Celtic is an on-campus group which promotes Irish culture and provides Irish dancers with the opportunity to keep up with their dancing with a team, even after leaving their previous schools. The group aims to provide beginners with the ability to learn Irish dance as well as enjoying a team environment where acceptance, creativity and growth are encouraged between members, no matter the level of skill or experience. Samantha Loria and Caeli Quiter, co-presidents of UR Celtic, shared their experiences and thoughts about the four years they’ve spent in UR Celtic.
What’s your favorite thing about UR Celtic?
S: I just really love the team environment. I think we have a lot of fun, and I’ve made some of my closest friends in college in Celtic. I really also like how we make all of our dances ourselves, so we all have a chance to create dances and perform them in front of people when we normally wouldn’t, so it’s fun.
C: My favorite thing about Celtic is just the enthusiasm about Irish culture that everyone has, even though not everyone in this club has Irish roots. Everyone is just so happy all the time, and whenever we get together during bonding events, everyone always includes each other and celebrates whatever culture they’re in, and we’re all just united as one shamrock.
What’s something you didn’t expect to happen from joining?
S: When I joined the club it was about dancing mostly, and meeting people, but I didn’t forsee all of the campus things that we got to be involved in. Like, we got to do admission shows, Orientation shows for incoming freshmen, we’re being guest performers in a bunch of other groups… We get to perform for our classmates all the time. People say to me all the time, ‘Oh, you’re in Celtic? That’s awesome!’ and I didn’t realize it would be a networking tool as well.
C: Just friendships. I wasn’t even planning on joining Celtic, my mom forced me to do it. The biggest thing I got was just 20 of the best friends that always have supported me outside of Celtic. Just being a leader with Sam has been a lot of fun. It’s proven to me that I can lead a group. I got a lot out of Celtic.
How will the group be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?
S: We usually have our own celebration within the group after the show. We all listen to Irish music and hang out, and it’s a lot of fun.
Why is it important to celebrate the holiday?
S: I think it means a lot of different things for different people, either for culture or religious reasons.
C: To just reinforce our Irish culture and to just celebrate who we are!
What advice do you have for people who want to learn how to Irish dance?
S: Just don’t get discouraged. I try to teach a lot of my friends and after ten minutes they give up, saying how hard it is. Just don’t give up! It’s the kind of thing where you can enjoy it at any level, but then as you gain more skills, you get to do more and more with it. Just be patient!
C: Don’t get discouraged about it. A lot of people say to me, ‘Wow, that must take a lot of coordination,’ but I don’t have a lot of that, it’s more something that you feel and feel happy about and that’s what makes it fun.
There will be a St. Patrick’s Day show on April 2nd in Douglass Dining Hall featuring UR Celtic, Irish musicians, a local Irish dancing school, and other groups will be performing.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!