Could The World's Best Irish Dancer Be From Malden? We'll See This Weekend

St. Patrick’s Day might be over, but the world’s finest Irish Dancers are descending upon Boston next weekend, including some who trained right here in Malden.

The Heavey-Quinn Irish Academy of Dance, which has locations in Malden, as well as North Chelmsford and West Roxbury, is sending 45 dancers from this area and throughout New England to the 2013 Irish Step Dancing World Championships, this Sunday, March 24 at the Hines Convention Center.

According to Mary Heavey-Quinn, owner of the studio, the event is considered “the Olympics” of Irish Step Dancing and draws competitors from as far away as Russia and Japan whether it is held within Ireland itself, or in the United States as it has been on occasion.

The time required to even participate in the event since the New England Oireachtas in December, which determined regional qualifiers for the event, has meant the dancers from the Heavey-Quinn Academy have had little more on their schedules than dancing, sleeping and school for the past three months.

“It’s certainly a lot of dedication during normal circumstances, I’d say at least three days a week,” says Heavey-Quinn. “But between December and March, I’d say I own my dancers during that time. School work comes first, but anything else comes last.”

Several dancers her studio has sent to the World Championships have gone on to perform in shows like Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.

More information on the Heavey-Quinn Academy is available on its website.