Somersworth dancer places first in national competition

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In a few short years, Hannah Saunders has become something of an Irish dance sensation.

The 11-year-old from Somersworth recently placed first in her class in the Capital Feis competition held in Washington, D.C., where she was competing with dancers from across the country.

Earlier this year, she placed 29th in the North American Irish Dance Championships, where she competed against international dancers.

“She’s had a spectacular year,” said her choreographer and instructor John Grimes, who was a cast member of the dance production “Riverdance” for three years. He owns the McDonough-Grimes Irish Dance studio where Saunders practices.

Saunders is modest about her success. “I was a little surprised,” she said about the recent national competition. “I didn’t think I would come in first.”

Her success was no surprise to Grimes, who has watched Saunders’ skill grow tremendously since he first started teaching with her four years ago.

“There is a lot of pressure to do your absolute best,” Grimes said about being in a national competition. “When it comes to Hannah, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is – her feet are always moving.”

Saunders came to Irish dance from ballet. It was after a ballet class one day that her mother suggested she try an intro to Irish dance class, Saunders said. She soon dropped ballet and focused solely on Irish dance, where she quickly excelled.

Dance students must progress through six levels of dance before being able to enter the open competition that Saunders now competes in. Grimes likens it to being a black belt in karate.

In open competitions, Saunders competes with the other dancers at the same time, Grimes said. During these open dance competitions is when the dancer needs to catch the attention of the judges, Grimes said. He credited Saunders’ “insane flexibility” with being able to kick over her head, a trait associated with “Riverdance’s” Michael Flatley. “It’s easy for her to do,” Grimes said. “To get it in twice within the same bark of music, it’s really eye-catching for the judges.”

Grimes said Saunders is at the dance studio many days a week, often coming in early and is an inspiration to the younger dancers. “We’re extremely proud of her and are excited to see what she does in the future,” he said.

Saunders is preparing for a regional competition in Connecticut that occurs this November.