Dennis Dennehy died. He was Michael Flatley's teacher and revitalized Irish Dance in America.
"You’ve heard of “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon?” The Irish version would be “Six Degrees of Dennis Dennehy.”
Mr. Dennehy, an Irish dance teacher for more than half a century, taught the most famous Irish dancer in the world, “Lord of the Dance” Michael Flatley, as well as Mark Howard, who co-founded Chicago’s Trinity, the largest Irish dance program in the world.
His influence on the art form was pervasive. More than 100 Irish dance teachers in the Midwest can trace their roots to Mr. Dennehy, and they founded at least 27 schools, according to Tim O’Hare, of the Tim O’Hare School of Irish Dance.
Mr. Dennehy, 73, of Oak Lawn, died Sunday.
He and his wife, Margie, co-founded the Dennehy School of Irish Dance in the early 1960s. His dancers had impeccable carriage and Najinsky-esque leaps. In the 1970s, when the Dennehy School became a powerhouse, students would arrive at a feis — a dance competition — radiating an authority that made other dancers try harder."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/17484661-421/irish-dance-teacher-dennis-dennehy-dead-at-73-taught-lord-of-the-dance-michael-flatley.html
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A real loss to the entire Irish community in the US.
RIP, Mr. Dennehy. And thanks for your dedication to our culture. My family has been better from having been associated with you.
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