Students from the Sheahan-Gormley School of Irish Dance are the winners of the first Talent United contest. These 11 to 14 year-old-students — Megan Bushey, Ella McCormick, Natalie McLaughlin, Kelly Monahan, Riley Parker, Chloe Sheil and Emily Sheil — performed a fusion Irish Dance on the shore of Greenwood Lake. They study together at the Sheahan-Gormley School of Irish Dance in Greenwood Lake under the direction of Unateresa Gormley. Provided photo.
Students from the Sheahan-Gormley School of Irish Dance in Greenwood Lake took top honors in the First Talent United contest sponsored by United Way of Dutchess-Orange.
With a total of 10,045 votes cast for 19 finalists in the contest, the seven Greenwood Lake Irish dancers, ages 11 to 14, beat a wide array of talent performing their Irish fusion dance on the shore of Greenwood Lake. The dancers included Megan Bushey, Ella McCormick, Natalie McLaughlin, Kelly Monahan, Riley Parker, Chloe Sheil and Emily Sheil.
“This was an incredibly close contest,” said Jeannie Montano, president and CEO of United Way. “Each of the finalists is incredibly talented. I wish to thank all the finalists for sharing their talent with us.”
The first runner-up was Justus Crow, a senior at James I. O’Neill High School in Highland Falls, who performed an excerpt from the first movement of Roger Boutry’s Divertimento for alto saxophone.
The second runner up was the dance team of Mark Briscoe and Kathy Nigro of Poughkeepsie, who performed a Lindy Hop Dance routine along the banks of the Hudson River and other local locations.
The finalists also included Eleventh Hour, Identity Crisis, Parental Lock, and ReUnion, all of Greenwood Lake; and Areyanna McCarthy of Goshen.
To see a recording of awards celebration and learn more about the event, visit www.uwdor.org/celebration2021.