Cosa Meara Company is the first collegiate
Irish dance national network.
Cosa meara, koh-ssuh mah-ruh, the name is
Gaelic for "Quick Feet." Officially registered student organizations focused on Irish dance may join the college network. Current Company colleges are: the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Marquette University,
Florida State University, the
University of Dayton, the
University of Illinois at Chicago,
Loyola University Chicago, the
University of Minnesota, and the
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Purpose
The Company's goal is to display skilled Irish dance in both a traditional and modern light through
choreography and performance. CMC also serves as an opportunity for college dancers and campus communities to be involved in this art form.
History
In August 2006, sixteen Irish dancers from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign organized to audition for the school's homecoming variety show. This shared interest in continuing Irish dance sparked the idea to create a university group. In September 2006, CMC became the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's first Irish dance team. In December 2006, a group of twenty dancers at
Marquette University became CMC's second branch in sharing the name, logo, and
ideals. The third branch was formed with dancers from
Florida State University in January 2007. The
University of Dayton became CMC's fourth branch in February 2007. In November 2007, two Chicago universities joined the network: the
University of Illinois at Chicago and
Loyola University Chicago. During the fall 2008 academic semester, the
University of Minnesota and the
University of California, Santa Barbara joined CMC. Other universities are currently in the process of becoming network members.
External links