DREAM DANCER

Michael O’Flaherty and Howard O’Markerty grew up together, two tough young boys on the tough streets of Chicago. There was little difference between them, except that young Howard’s clothes were store-bought new, while Michael’s were hand-me-downs. Michael’s Da was a construction laborer struggling to make a living, while trying to get a construction business of his own going. Howard O’Markerty’s Da was a prosperous merchant with a growing chain of stores.

Although friends when little, the boys began to contend with each other, first in school, then over the colleens of the neighborhood, and finally at the Hibernian Dance Academy where they both studied the rigid disciplines and steps of competitive Irish dance.

The Academy’s owner, Karen F. O’Fyogrirty, had developed what was originally a lengthy warmup routine into a fully choreographed performance number that she called The Warriors’s Challenge. It started slowly, with simple beginner’s steps, but increased in tempo as the harder and harder steps and kicks and leaps were added. The end was a lazy dancer’s nightmare; after a brief slow section of a simple basic jig, the music upped tempo and raced to a climax of high speed kicks and turns. The only academy students who could ever do it correctly all the way through were Michael and Howard.

Both were straight A students at Father Feeney Intermediate and High School. To the colleens, both young men were good-looking and great dancers, the major difference between them being that Howard O’Markerty had pocket money, and Michael O’Flaherty did not. Increasingly, as dating became important, most of the colleens leaned toward and then swarmed around Howard O’Markerty.

All but one: pretty, redhaired Moira O’Grogan, who liked to stand out from the other girls. Accordingly, she favored walks in the parks and dancing at the chaperoned school dances with Michael to dinners out and nightclub dancing with Howard.  Unused to being snubbed, Howard soothed his hurt pride by pursuing and ultimately conquering most of the other pretty colleens, turning their heads by lavishing attention and money on them, each in her turn. /\/\ Even so, because Moira was the only lass it seemed he couldn’t have, Moira became an obsession with young O’Markerty, who determined to find a way to take her from his rival.

As the best dancers at Hibernian Dance Academy; the two young men were obvious front runners to compete one day in the All-Hibernian Irish Dance competitions. But where Howard O’Markerty could afford expensive coaching and competition tutoring, Michael O’Flaherty only had the Academy classes once a week. Nonetheless, thus far, Michael’s greater natural talent had more than matched Howard’s other advantages.

Late during the young men’s senior year at Father Feeney’s, Howard’s Da, the senior Mr. O’Markerty had engaged two existing local construction contractors to build two new stores. Between them, the two firms had engaged all the good available laborers. Deviously, Howard prevailed upon his Da to offer Michael O’Flaherty Senior a construction job renovating a small strip mall store.

O’Flaherty Senior’s elation at his first contract faded when he found that he couldn’t engage any workers. His fledgling firm would be dead and he ruined with it if he didn’t do the work, but all he had to do it with were his own two hands. The few remaining available workmen were layabouts, drunks and thieves.

When he learned of his Da’s dilemma, young Michael dropped out of high school to help do the work. His only thought was to help his Da, but it cost him his diploma. He had asked Moira to go to the Senior Prom, but now he had to tell her he couldn’t go, he had to work. Moira was young, and a little spoiled and foolish. Coming from a prosperous family, she could not understand  why Michael would choose to drop out to be a laborer, nor why he would give up taking her to the Senior Prom to work.

Seizing the unexpected opportunity, Howard was right there with his prom invitation. With little hesitation, Moira accepted. When the Prom night came, Howard picked her up in the O’Markerty’s chauffeured limo! In the back, Howard and Moira toasted the start of their prom date with champagne.

Thus it was that shortly afterone a.m. on an evening in late April, as Michael was ripping up floorboards with his Da, an intoxicated Moira gave up a losing battle to the persistence of Howard O’Markerty. From then on, she was Howard’s prize, and he paraded her as his fiancee. Secure in her status over the other girls, Moira was convinced she had come out ahead of all of them.

[END - PART 0NE OF FOUR - Copyright James F. Quinn, 1997]

  PART TWO - THE FIRST COMPETITION The news about Moira and Howard soon reached Michael, who was stunned and bitter. "It didn’t take either of them long, now did it?" was his reaction. /\/\ It seemed the only ray of light left to him was his chance in the All-Worlds Hibernian Irish Dance competition. He still took an hour’s instruction and coaching on Saturday evenings from Karen F. O’Fyogrirty, struggling to maintain his skills.

On the day of the open competitions, Howard showed up with his coaches and trainers, and an adoring Moira on his arm. In the competitions, Michael did his very best, but eventually his work-hardened muscles could not quite do what was needed. Howard’s expensive extra coaching and extensive preparation time ultimately overcame Michael’s greater innate talent.. Michael took second. Howard took first, in what was later described as an extremely close vote. It was the first ever All Worlds Hibernian Irish Dance win by an American. And also the first second-place finish by one as well, although that was small consolation to Michael.

Some time later, the O’Flahertys successfully completed the renovation contract, all the work done by the two O’Flaherty men. Mr O’Markerty, who although too indulgent of his son’s whims was not wholly devoid of a sense of conscience, gave O’Flaherty and Son, Inc. a bigger, more lucrative contract. The firm was on solid ground, and young Michael, unable to  accept coming in second in the competition, resigned himself to working construction with his Da. He told everyone his career dancing ambitions were gone.

Since Howard had no interest in college or his Da’s business, he used the fame of his historic win to open The Erin’s Own Dance Academy. He prospered by undercutting prices and attracting away students from the other dance schools. His principal target was his old school, the Hibernian Dance Academy, which went under. Karen F. O’Fyogrirty the HDA’s owner, had to swallow her pride and teach under her former pupil Howard O’Markerty to pay off her academy’s debts and earn a living.

Michael O’Flaherty continued to help his Da build the business, laboring long hours, building rock hard muscles good for laboring, but bad for dancing. At night, he still danced, but now he danced only for himself, spending hours dancing to music in his own mind. And despite what he had said, deep within himself, his sad heart wondered whether there is any way that he could ever get back his once-great dancing skills.

He hated how limited he had become. He could not stop pushing himself, privately hoping for a miracle to strip away his work hardened tautness. He had always dreamed of winning the All World’s and then using it as leverage to innovate, to expand the essence of Irish Dance and free it from the rigid rules imposed in the long-dead past.

Now, all his dreams seemed turned to ashes. He had no diploma, no All Worlds title, and his only love, Moira was lost. All that he had to look forward to now was working, someday taking over the business, and maybe marrying some likeble little miss to make a family for himself. Love and dreams were no longer in his future.

Chicago hummed with the news that an Irish producer was planning a huge international TV spectacular for St. Patrick’s Day and was coming to the city to audition singers and dancers. The auditions were three months off and every Irish dancer in all the Midwest was soon clamoring for Howard O’Markerty’s lessons and coaching.

Howard O’Markerty flew in Irish Dance masters from Dublin to replace his regular teachers, whom he laid off. He announced very expensive Master classes, which were immediately filled beyond capacity. With the best of his staff, he himself practiced in private.

Howard O’Markerty figured that by making his likely competitors his students, he could thus assess and manipulate them. He could thus ensure that they would be very good, but not as good as he.

One day, Michael O’Flaherty was digging a ditch when he was approached by Karen F. O’Fyogrirty, who asked if he was training for the audition. "What would be the use?" he said "Howard O’Markerty showed he was better than me. I’m over all that foolish dreaming. I’ll stick to the contracting business and take the firm over from Da one of these days."

Karen F. O’Fyogrirty disagreed. "But you knew that Howard O’Markerty wasn’t better than you in my school. He struggled to learn things that you simply leaped to do perfectly the first time. I constantly wrote my daughter in Dublin about how good you were. I told her Howard was never as good as you."

"Yes, but he was better when it counted, and that’s done it for me," Michael replied.

END - PART TWO OF FOUR - Copyright James F. Quinn, 1997]

  ...and off to Part 3!!

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