Documentary Review Jig The Story of the Irish Dancing World Championships

Jig The Story of the Irish Dancing World Championships (2011) 

Directed by Sue Bourne 

Written by Documentary 

Starring Brogan McCay, Julia O'Rourke 

Release Date June 19th, 2011

July 14th, 2011

Jig: The Story of the Irish Dancing World Championships" is an inside look at Irish Dancing and like nothing you have seen before. Director Sue Bourne goes beyond "Riverdance" and "Lord of the Dance" and into the real, day to day lives of competitors and their families whose quirks, obsessions and intense dedication to their craft are as compelling as the prize they compete for is surprising.

Brogan and Julia

First, we meet 10 year old Brogan McCay from Derry, Northern Ireland. A lively and precocious youngster, Brogan is already a champion in Irish Dancing when we meet her for the first time. With her instructors Rosetta and Elizabeth, who storm about in tracksuits and bark instructions ala "Glee's" Sue Sylvester, Brogan is preparing for the 40th Irish Dancing World Championship where her top competition will be Julia O'Rourke from New York City.

Julia, the daughter of an Irish father and Asian mother, has long idolized Brogan having watched her competition videos on YouTube and copied her steps. Together, Brogan and Julia offer the most compelling and dramatic of all of the tremendous stories in this highly compelling documentary.

Eye on the Prize?

However, Jig is more than cute little girls in sparkly costumes performing extraordinary Irish Dances. Director Sue Bourne juxtaposes Brogan and Julia's story with those of older, teenage competitors, Claire, Simona and Suzanne and through them we see what may be a glimpse into Brogan and Julia's future, a future filled with obsessive dedication to dance that consumes not just the competitors but their families.

All of the obsessive, day to day, practice and all consuming dedication to perfecting routines grow even more fascinating when you find out that these girls and each of the more than 3000 people who compete in the Irish Dancing World Championships are not competing for prize money and that the judging of the event is wholly subjective, based on the tastes of the judges and not on any specific criteria.

Dedication and Obsession

Sue Bourne's approach glosses over the lack of prize money and shows little interest in the judges and their tastes. Instead, she is focused on these extraordinary young people and parents who have dedicated their lives to Irish Dancing purely out of the love of doing it including several Russian women who paid thousands for a world class coach after stumbling upon Irish Dancing almost by accident.

Then there is little John, a nine year old boy who endures the taunts of other boys who spend their time playing soccer while John practices his steps. Though John's love of Irish Dancing is obvious, you cannot help but be a little sad as you watch John working out his steps while watching other kids play. John later joins the game, softening the sad perspective but only a little.

Awe inspiring talent

John's idol is Joe; an American born in California whose parents gave up everything to move to Glasgow so Joe could be trained by world class Irish Dancer John Carey. Joe is a multiple time champion whose work is indeed remarkable but you cannot help but be astonished at how willing his parents were to trade in life in California to pursue a goal for their son that has no prize beyond personal pride and a gold plated trophy.

"Jig: The Story of the Irish Dancing World Championships" is a fascinating documentary about remarkable people doing something truly extraordinary and the awesome lengths they go to in order to achieve their goals. The story is informative, the dancing is awe inspiring at times, especially Joe, and in the end there is even some tense drama surrounding the results.

All of the elements come together to make Jig a must see when it opens Friday, June 17th, in limited release and whenever it arrives in your neck of the woods.