Provided by Kristine Butke Irish Dance
Bristow resident Caeli McCardell, who dances with Kristin Butke Irish Dance, won the Southern Region Oireachtas and will compete at the World Championships in the spring. Other dancers from Prince William County who competed at the Oireachtas in Orlando:
• Caeli McCardell – Regional champ, member of the winning girls 6-hand ceili team
• Keeleigh Cecchetti – 2nd place girls u11, also member of the winning girls 6-hand ceili team
• Anderson Van Buskirk, National qualifier
• Kelly Bearce, member of the winning 4-hand u8 ceili team
• Grace Linehan
• Olivia Rueter
Kristn Butke Irish Dance claimed eight regional titles – three soloists, four teams and one traditional set – at the Southern Region Oireachtas in Orlando the first weekend in December.
The Oireachtas (pronounced Uh-ROCK-tus) is a three-day regional championship where Irish dancers compete to qualify to participate at national and world championships. More than 2,000 dancers from across the southern region, which includes Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Mexico, competed in Orlando.
During the day-long competition, each competitor danced one soft shoe and one hard shoe dance, sharing the stage with one or two other dancers (depending upon age). Scores were tabulated and the top half of dancers were “recalled” to compete in the third round, which is a hard shoe solo set dance showcasing each dancer’s style.
McCardell said the third round was her favorite.
“Going into round 3, I thought about how much I love this dance and how much work I put into it, which made me feel confident walking onto the stage,” she said. “Knowing my family, friends and teachers were watching from far and near and feeling their support, encouraged me to put my best self on the stage.”
In addition to the three champs, KBID has seven dancers qualified to compete at Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne (the world championships), which will be held from Sunday, March 29 to Monday, April 5, 2026, in Schaumburg, Ill. Along with the world qualifiers, another six dancers earned their spot to compete at the North American Irish Dance Championships (NAIDC) in Orlando, Fla., Wednesday, July 1 through Monday, July 6.
he Oireachtas also features a traditional set dance competition. The choreography of these dances is “set,” with no customization. Seven-year-old Emmet Spangler earned a perfect score in the traditional set competition.
Ceili competitions are 8-, 6-, and 4-hand (person) dances for both all-girl and co-ed “mixed” teams, where judges score not only on skill and movement, but also on adherence to traditional steps. KBID won four team ceili titles:
- Under-8 mixed 4 hand
- Under-12 girls 6 hand (with a perfect score)
- Adult under 40 mixed 4-hand
- Adult under 40 mixed 6-hand
About Kristin Butke Irish Dance
Kristin Butke Irish Dance (KBID) welcomes dancers from 4-year-old beginners to adult world champions at Virginia studios in Ashburn, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Front Royal, Warrenton and in Nashville, Tenn. KBID is home to world, national and regional champion soloists and ceili teams. They perform throughout the DMV at countless schools, parades, assisted living centers and community events. KBID was founded by Kristin Butke Zagorski, TCRG, ADCRG, a world medal holder who toured with Lord of the Dance, Celtic Fusion and performed with the Chieftains and Cherish the Ladies. Co-director Denise Foster Fumagali, TCRG, began Irish dancing more than 30 years ago. She has competed both locally and internationally. After earning a B.A. in elementary education from the College of William and Mary, she returned to dancing as a teacher. She is also a member of Cecchetti Council of America, which qualifies her to teach the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet.
