As junior Emma Tight laces up her dance shoes for upcoming Irish dance performances, she said Irish dancers look forward to St. Patrick’s Day because of the festive atmosphere and opportunities for spontaneity.

“There are some parades that you can go see and sometimes we go and watch those before we dance,” Tight said. “We also go to pubs and dance there, (which) are more impromptu and (my coach) tells us about those dances the day of, and it’s really fun.”

According to Tight’s coach and owner of Irish dance school Corda Mor, Fauna Gille, excitement surrounds St. Patrick’s Day because the stress from competitions is .

“St. Patrick’s Day is a lot more fun than normal competitions, I feel like nobody feels very stressed and everybody just enjoys being together and dancing to fun music and showing off what they love,” Gille said.

Gille said St. Patrick’s Day shows are exciting performances because the team focuses on preparing for the dances and enjoy showcasing all their work.

“Our dancers love to perform so we try to book as many shows as possible around the Twin Cities. We spend about two months preparing all the dancers for the shows and then we take it to as many venues as we can,” Gille said.

According to Tight, she will receive an award for her dedication towards dancing for Corda Mor Irish dance school for over a decade at one of the St. Patrick’s Day performances.

“You get it after you’ve been dancing for 10 years,” Tight said. “(The award is presented) St. Patrick’s Day at the Landmark Center, March 17.”

Tight said she is exhilarated to receive the 10-year award because it has been a dream of her’s since she was little.

“When I was younger, I used to see all the older girls getting (the award), and I was always excited that I might get it one day, that makes it a big deal that I’m getting it now,” Tight said.

Tight said the award is presented in front of the audience.

“It’s a certificate and my dance teacher will call us up on stage during the show, in front of the whole crowd,” Tight said. “(The certificate) shows commitment to your school and to Irish dance.”

According to Tight, St. Patrick’s Day is a busy time for Irish dancers because the performances fill their calendars.

“We do about five (performances) a day, we perform two weekends and three school days,” Tight said. “We dance around malls, nursing homes, the Landmark Center and the History Center.”

Tight said St. Patrick’s Day dances are much more manageable when comparing to competitions.

“(St. Patrick’s Day) is really low stress and a lot more fun than competitions,” Tight said. “It’s a lot of teamwork so we really get to bond with our classmates.”

Gille said the performance at the Landmark Center includes dancing alongside performers from other Irish dance schools.

“The Landmark Center is a showcase of talent from all over to Twin Cities and it’s a beautiful, historic venue,” Gille said. “(The dancers) really enjoy stepping up to the plate knowing the other dancers in schools are watching and it’s a fun show to show off a little bit.”