At the heart of Tipperary Hill is the Francis Academy of Irish Dance; for nearly two decades, generations of Irish dancers have entered the studio with an interest in the Celtic art, and left with gold medals from competitions around the world. What makes the studio so special to owner Molly Francis-Lutwin, though, extends far from its success, and began long before it moved into the current space.
“I started from scratch in my parents' basement with five dancers,” she said.
Just a few years after having only three girls in the Green Beer Parade, Francis-Lutwin’s students multiplied. She now teaches over 90 dancers, ranging anywhere from toddlers to adults, in a space she built with her father.
“All these mirrors were from my basement," she said. “It’s made with love.”
Francis-Lutwin’s familial ties to Irish dance are shared among many of her dancers.
“All of my cousins dance; they're all older than me and loved it, so my parents decided to put me in it,” said Etta Channels.
Other dancers were inspired through connections.
“My Mom actually saw Molly dancing at a local wedding and was like, ‘I want my daughters to do that!’ So I grew up in it, and now Molly's my teacher,” said award-winning Ava Pickney, who won the prestigious Oireachtas regional dance competition as a high schooler. She also described the studio as a home away from home and a way to connect to her family’s heritage.
“My family left Ireland during the diaspora, so Irish dance is the way that I’ve been able to keep it in my family and carry on.”
Clara Kelly is from Pittsburgh, with an Irish community sized similarly to Syracuse. Kelly grew up going to the parade and was inspired by the older girls dancing. Now being one of the oldest dancers, she noted how the studio has brought students together both on and offstage.
“A lot of us come here, like having maybe a horrible day, or having to trek through the snow, and then what we do in here can change that completely,” Kelly said. “You can push yourself literally to your limit here.”
Syracuse is home to more than 15,000 Irish descendants, and to honor the upcoming holiday, the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade will make its way down Salina Street on March 14. Performances by Francis Academy among many other studios will be featured, though for Francis-Lutwin and her students and her staff, not much extra preparation has to be done.
“If it’s not broken, I won't fix it,” she said.
Rather than learning new routines, students perform the dances they practice all year round, but this time, all ages together.
“I love events that every person in the school can participate in,” Francis-Lutwin said. ”I truly believe that Irish dancing is for everybody.”
It’s that love for the dance and the Irish heritage that Francis Academy of Irish Dance intends to share with everyone this weekend.
