Cullen O’Rourke, 13, of Brooklyn Center was drawn to Irish dance by his twin sister, Caidence (who also received an IMDA Educational Grant in 2020). He attended her performances and feiseanna and decided he wanted to try it, too. Cullen tells us “I enjoy Irish dance because I get to travel and meet new friends, and I enjoy the competition.” Cullen dances with the Hudson Irish Dance Academy in Wayzata.

Cullen is an active 7th Grader who enjoys basketball, baseball and Irish dance. And it’s clear from his application that he is inspired by the accomplishments of other dancers. Cullen is “inspired by the resilience and dedication of his dance teacher, Corey Hudson” who fought hard to get back to teaching after a major injury. Cullen follows O’Shea dancer Evan Lowe, using Evan’s video to inspire him “to work harder and try new moves.” He is eager to try to match the accomplishments of World Champion Tyler Schwartz in hitting ten clicks in a row, and acknowledges that it will take hard work, practice and persistence to meet that goal. And Cullen enjoys the challenge of having a younger brother who dances.

Cullen’s recommender tells us that “he is passionate about his sport, like any great athlete, and he approaches the art of Irish dance with the agility, strength, and will-power of a dancer twice his age.” His recommender also tells us that Cullen functions as a leader in the school, “always leading by example and setting a reliable target for his fellow classmates to follow. Cullen can always be counted on to be personally responsible and to gently, discreetly assist those on his team who have fallen behind.”

Cullen has shared his dancing at day care centers and school functions, nursing homes and community events. Cullen danced as part of IMDA’s St. Patrick’s Day Pajama Party as well as at earlier IMDA St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and at Irish Fair of Minnesota.

Cullen will use his IMDA Educational Grant for extra weekly dance classes to help him prepare for Nationals and Oireachtas. We all hope that these competitions can resume soon. In the meantime, the Irish Music and Dance Association is pleased to help this dedicated young dancer pursue his goals.