Kristiana has her dancing shoes on at World Championships

PARENTS and teacher of Kristiana Rudzionyte are “very proud” to say she was the highest-placing girl from Leinster in the under-12s, as she placed 11th in the an Comhdhail World Championships in the “beautiful” INEC Killarney, Kerry, 2026.

Kristiana started Irish dancing after school as a hobby when she was in junior infants at the Lisa Kelly School of Irish Dance; both her parents are Lithuanian and have been living in Ireland for 19 years.

Her teacher Lisa quickly saw potential and invited her to attend more classes, where she took to it like a duck to water.

Nobody in her family could have anticipated that Irish Dance would become her whole life; Kristiana “eats, breathes and sleeps” Irish Dance.

She makes many sacrifices, missing school friends’ birthdays and setting 5:30am alarm clocks on weekends so she can compete each week at local Feiseanna.

In 2024 Kristiana took to the world stage for the first time and came home with no medals that year.

She worked “incredibly hard” and returned in 2025 receiving all 3 recalls and placing 15th overall.

This achievement fuelled her passion and confidence; after winning many championships in 2025 she was 3rd in the Leinster Championships in Mullingar.

At the 2026 World Championships, she has taken home 2nd and 3rd place solo medals and has placed 11th overall.

Her goal next year is to make the top 10 in the championship and receive the much-coveted sash.

She dreams one day she will win a globe of her own.

Kristiana has been accepted into Riverdance Summer School for the 3rd year in a row, and this year she will perform a matinee in the Gaitey Theatre.

Kristiana trains at the Lisa Kelly School of Irish Dance in Saggart and Tallaght 3 to 4 times a week with her friends in the class.

Every moment she gets, she is training and practising her steps and corrections.

Kristiana would like to thank her teacher Lisa for always supporting and guiding her, her parents and her dancing friends.