‘You’re talking €30,000 per year…the price is astronomical’ for dancers

“THE price is astronomical, it’s very difficult for any parent, you’re talking €30,000 per year.”

So says Catherine Yates, mam to Dalaí, a 15-year-old girl from Saggart who is dancing with Dane Connolly, also fifteen years old, from Allenwood and will be competing in the World Championships in Poland at the end of November.

“It costs €350 per week between them, €15,000 per year and that’s just coaching, the basic costs.

“That’s before costumes, travel.

“So overall between them you’re talking €30,000.

“Every competition, even just the entrance [fee] is expensive.

“You just want them to focus on what they are doing,” said Catherine.

Travel is one of the main expenses that the pair incur.

“They are abroad twice this year, they were in Vienna in January for a week in a training camp.

“Last week they were in Denmark, and that’s just March,” said Catherine.

The pair will also receive training from international coaches, doing camps with them, when the opportunity arises.

“They are going to Poland at the end of November for the World Championships, they are doing a training camp [for that] which will cost a couple of hundred, they might do private lessons as well while they are there,” said Catherine.

The standards expected are extremely high and this includes the appearance of the dancers.

“Hair, make up costs €80, €90.

“Each day she dances Dalaí has to have her hair and make-up done.

“It’s elegant and glamourous, how you enter, how you enter the floor, it has to come across as professional,” said Catherine.

Due to the eye-watering expenses some parents of dancers have had to generate their own funding.

“A lot of parents are trying to fundraise, the older the children get the more expensive it gets, travelling to international competitions means you incur more expense.

“There is very little funding available for dancing in Ireland,” said Catherine.

Catherine has researched what funding may be available.

“Regarding funding we have looked into the Arts Council, but that’s more for professional[s] and companies go more for the GAA, the odd time we get some donations from businesses,” she said.

The pair are members of Xquisite dance school where their coaches are John Nolan and Hannah Kelly, who are their ballroom and Latin dance coaches respectively and who are also on Dancing with the Stars.

Dalaí and Dane were both on Dancing with the Stars in 2018.

“They are both in the dance school a long time and so are at a high level.

“They train in Xquisite Dance, Kylemore Road, beside the roller rink, near the Naas Road,” said Catherine.

Dalaí and Dane are only together as a dancing partnership for the last seven weeks.

“So they are upping the ante.

“They came first in the 3 Dance Emerald Open recently, which is only their second competition,” said Catherine.

The pair do ‘10 dance’, which is five ballroom and five Latin dances, examples of which include the Viennese Waltz and jive respectively. Dalaí and Dane’s schedule is very demanding.

“They dance six days a week.

“They train from 5 pm to 9 pm Monday to Thursday, they will train for four hours on Friday too and they will also train for a few hours on Saturday, so they train for roughly 25 hours per week,” said Catherine.

“As well as dedication the pair have the required talent.

“[We are] hoping with [their] skill and talent, [there is] a lot of expectation regarding them,” said Catherine.

However there are also a myriad of benefits associated with dancing at this level.

“Friendships, all her friends are in dance.

“Confidence, dedication, work-ethic.

“Dalaí has such a work ethic, really focused, [she’s] not roaming the streets, and she’s very independent when it comes to travelling abroad,” said Catherine.

Dalaí also wants to be a professional dancer, according to Catherine. Both Dalaí and Dane are ambitious regarding their dancing careers.

“Their dream is to compete in European and World Titles.

“If they’re not as competitive as each other it’s a big problem.

“As well they are in each other’s pockets a lot, so there’s pressure.

“They are both very competitive,” said Catherine.

Both Dalaí and Dane are Junior Cert students in Coláiste de hÍde Gaeilscoil, Tymon North, Tallaght.

Their facebook page is ‘Dane Connolly and Dalaí Yates Ballroom and Latin Dancers’ and they can also be found on Instagram HERE.