If Irish dancing brings to mind Michael Flatley and Riverdance, this colourful if conventional film should revise that impression to one of diamantes, fake tans, gigantic wigs and charming kids.
Director Sue Bourne went behind the scenes of international competitive Irish dancing, filming the 2010 World Championships in Glasgow.
Like other docos such as Spellbound, we get to meet a varied and interesting cast, representing the wonderful mix of dancers from around the world. Bourne's camera follows their gruelling path to the championships, talking to them about their expectations and passion for dancing and revealing the enormous sacrifices some families make.
There are dancers from Russia, the Netherlands and the United States, as well as from across Britain, ranging in ages from 10 to their mid-twenties. There are gorgeous British youngsters, humble and gracious in their attempt at glory, and the rather more openly ambitious Americans. There's 20-year-old Simona from Essex, desperately trying to win the title for her mother who has dedicated her life to her daughter's dancing, and Joe Bitter, a teenager whose family moved from America to Britain so he could become the next Michael Flatley.
All this leads to the competition itself, and the anticipated heartbreak for some and triumph for others. The announcement of the winners is the film's climax, which is somewhat compromised by a confusing judging system which means you're trying to decipher what's going on rather than getting swept up in the winners' moments - thankfully the competitors faces tell us all we need to know.
