From Cork to OKC, the roots of McTeggart’s Irish Dance trace through one family

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Numbers and steps, reels and jigs.

Rebekah Strahan has been teaching traditional Irish Dance for more than 20 years, now into a second generation.

“I fell in love with it as a little kid,” she recalls.

Her students learn complicated footwork put to fast music.

“There are so many different steps,” she states. “You start with the basics and it just gets harder from there.”

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Back when Rebekah was first training, she learned her jigs, reels, and hornpipes under the direction of Maureen McTeggart- Hall who was instrumental in bringing Irish Dance to America.

A small exhibit at the Mustang, OK Public Library tells the story of 4 McTeggart sisters from Cork, Ireland who devoted themselves to the art form.

Maureen came across the pond with her ghillies and hard shoes, and set to work spreading Irish Dance without lifting a single finger.

Strahan gives credit.

She says, “Ours was the first accredited school in the state, and that was due to her.”

March is, of course, a very busy month for the Oklahoma City McTeggart School.

“When does the phone start ringing to book St. Patrick’s performances,” we ask?

“Back in December,” Rebekah smiles. “We book up pretty quick.”

On St. Patrick’s weekend it’s all shoes on deck for a full schedule of performances, hands at their sides, and feet moving as fast as their legs can carry.

“We go up from the age of 3 all the way to 70 with our dancers. Each day is a different thing, hours and hours every day.”

There is a full list of St. Patrick’s Day performances on the school’s website.

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