A beautiful spring weekend in Seattle brought almost 500 dancers from the Western U.S. and Western Canada to the Pacific Northwest Irish Dance Championships Feis on May 16-17. 

After warming up the dance floor with jigs and reels, competitors and their families and friends headed for the outdoor pool for some serious relaxing and tanning.

Highlights of the weekend included the annual Jane Nolan Trophy competition, won by Brian Parry of Portland’s Murray School, the Barrington Memorial Trophy, taken home by Jonathan Heaney of the An Daire Academy, and the Champion of Champions Danceoff competition, captured by Nigel Lew of Ard na Greine in Calgary. 

The Molly and Paddy Comerford Trophy went to the winner of the Senior Championship, Willow Gothard of the Comerford School. 

This was the 10th annual PNW Feis, hosted by the Seattle location of the Comerford School of Irish Dance. 

Tony Comerford, head of the school, offers classes at locations in Anchorage, Alaska, Olympia and Seattle, Washington, and Oceanside, California, and is opening new locations in the Portland and San Francisco areas.