Just after she had qualified a year ago for the 2023 North American Irish Dance Championships, Falmouth sixth grader Fiona Meyer told The Forecaster that her goal was to compete at the world championships.

Mission accomplished. The 11-year-old has danced her way to a spot at the World Irish Dance Championships this April in Glasgow, Scotland.

“It’s incredible, I’m so proud of her,” said her mother, Jenny Meyer. “Her coaches really pushed her this year. She worked really hard.”

The “Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne,” also known as the Worlds, is the pinnacle of the Irish dancing competition world and those who qualify meet strict standards, according to the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America.

At the Glasgow competition, Fiona is aiming to “recall,” or be called back to advance after each round.

No matter the outcome, she is excited to have the experience.

“I’m looking forward to dancing on the Worlds stage and embracing it,” she said.

Fiona dances with the Stillson School of Irish Dance in Portland, and she has thrived with the support from her coaches and teammates, her mother said.

“It gave her the motivation to keep trying,” she said.

“I put in a lot of work this year and I definitely pushed myself,” Fiona said.

Fiona, who took up Irish dance at age 5 after watching a St. Patrick’s Day performance at her preschool, has a new goal for this year: Keep getting better.

“I’d like to place higher at regionals,” Fiona said. “I want to try to be on the podium, which is a pretty big goal.”

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