SARASOTA, Fla. — No better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than traditional Irish dancing, and at the brand-new Kavanagh Porter Academy in Sarasota, that’s all they do. It’s almost like every day is St. Patrick’s Day.
Instructor and owner, Cece Trapani, may not have an Irish family tree, but you could say her dance roots are firmly entrenched in Irish culture.
“I grew up doing tap, ballet, jazz, but when I was about 11 years old I decided that Irish dance was really what was for me,” said Trapani.
Cece went on to compete and win competitions both home and abroad. By the time she retired in 2022, she was the 15th ranked Irish dancer in the world.
“It’s all about the whole package, the look, do you have the wig, the makeup, the dress, the tan, the socks, the shoes, the feet turned out,” said Cece.
Now CeCe is spreading her passion, experience, and skills onto the next generation of Irish dancers. In February, she opened the Kavanagh Porter Dance Academy, located in an old pizza shop in her hometown of Sarasota. It’s the same academy she grew up attending.
“You know when I started at a very young age, I had amazing mentors in my life and seeing that really inspired me to be a teacher,” said Cece.
This is only the second Kavanagh Porter Academy in the state of Florida and the first in the Tampa Bay area.
“I’m proud, I love where I’m from, I love the people that I am surrounded with every day and it’s really special, Irish dancing is my heart and so is my home,” said Cece.
In just one month, more than 30 students have already enrolled, ranging in age from four to 72. For many, it’s a hobby, but for others, a possible career.
CeCe said celebrating their first St. Patrick’s Day in the new studio means a lot. After all, the Kavanagh Porter Academy can be traced all the way back to Ireland.
“Our school costumes that we wear on St. Patrick’s Day are black and white, but we did incorporate a green bow so they don’t get pinched,” said Cece. “If you don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day you get pinched by a leprechaun.”
Many of the students even have Irish heritage.
“When these girls dance, that music comes on, everybody is so excited, so into it, there is nothing like the atmosphere of St. Patrick’s Day and Irish dancers performing,” said Jordan Bolin, who has a
daughter taking dance classes.
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