View source for Julia O'Rourke

{{Infobox dancer
| name          = Julia O'Rourke
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| birth_place   = [[New York City]]
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| years_active  = 2004–2017, 2022
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| former_groups = Petri School of Irish Dance
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'''Julia O'Rourke''' is a competitive [[Irish stepdance]]r. After being featured in the 2010 [[Sue Bourne]] documentary ''[[Jig (film)|Jig]]'' as a competitor at the 2010 [[Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne]] (Irish Dancing World Championships), O'Rourke became known as a public face for the dance form globally.<ref name="NPR profile">{{cite web|last1=Velasquez|first1=S. J.|title=Today's Irish Dancers Step Away From Stereotype|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/10/27/358107719/irish-dance-steps-up-diversity|website=Code Switch|publisher=National Public Radio|accessdate=9 December 2017|language=en|date=27 October 2014}}</ref> She won several further titles before her retirement from competition in 2017.
== Dancing career ==
O'Rourke began taking Irish stepdance classes at the age of 5 after seeing a classmate at [[elementary school]] perform the style in a [[Show and tell (education)|show and tell]] session. She began lessons at the Petri School of Irish Dancing (later the Doherty-Petri School) in [[Garden City Park, New York|Garden City Park]], and continued at the same school until her retirement from competition.<ref name="Newsday 2017">{{cite news|last1=Weiss|first1=Rachel|title=World champion dancer celebrates at LI prom|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/world-champion-irish-dancer-retires-enjoys-her-senior-prom-1.13702167|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=Newsday|date=2 June 2017|language=en}}</ref> At her first [[feis]], she won a first prize.<ref name="IC 2011">{{cite news|last1=O'Reilly-Wild|first1=Kathleen|title=Meet the stars of new documentary "Jig" - first up Julia O'Rourke|url=https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/jig-countdown-meet-julia-orourke-123863809-238089041|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=Irish Central|date=14 June 2011|language=en}}</ref>
In 2010, O'Rourke was selected to be featured in ''Jig''. The documentary followed her preparation for the World Championships, that year held in [[Glasgow]], Scotland, including competition at several other major competitions held by [[An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha]] around the world that year.<ref name="NY Daily News">{{cite news|last1=Pesce|first1=Nicole Lyn|title=Tween steps up in new dancing doc|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/tween-julia-o-rourke-steps-new-dancing-documentary-jig-article-1.127469|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=NY Daily News|date=18 June 2011|language=en}}</ref> O'Rourke won her first World Championship that year in her age group.<ref name="LI Herald 2014">{{cite news|last1=Webb|first1=Emily|title=Malverne dancer stomps out competition|url=http://www.liherald.com/malverne/stories/Malverne-dancer-stomps-out-competition,54815|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=LI Herald|date=6 May 2014|language=en}}</ref> As her career progressed, O'Rourke competed at three to five competitions outside the United States each year, usually including the All Ireland and All Scotland Championships.<ref name="LI Herald 2015">{{cite news|last1=Weitekamp|first1=Rossana|title=Malvernite wins third world championship title in Irish step|url=http://liherald.com/malverne/stories/Malvernite-wins-third-world-championship-title-in-Irish-step,66349|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=LI Herald|date=23 April 2015|language=en}}</ref>
In 2012, O'Rourke suffered a major back injury, which resulted in an unusually low placing of 24th at Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne 2013. She did not compete for some months, but trained intensively throughout 2013 and won a second world title in 2014.<ref name="LI Herald 2014" /> That year, Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne was held for the first time in England and O'Rourke featured on the [[BBC]] program ''[[Newsnight]]''.<ref name="IT 2014">{{cite news|last1=Hennessy|first1=Mark|title=New step for Irish dancing with contest taking to London stage|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/new-step-for-irish-dancing-with-contest-taking-to-london-stage-1.1767117|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=The Irish Times|date=19 April 2014}}</ref><ref name="IP 2014">{{cite news|last1=Cummins|first1=Steve|title=Julia O'Rourke shines on Day 3 of Irish Dancing World Championships|url=http://irishpost.co.uk/julia-orourke-shines-day-3-irish-dancing-world-championships/|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=Irish Post|date=16 April 2014}}</ref>
O'Rourke won further titles at Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne in 2015<ref name="LI Herald 2015" /> and 2017. She announced her retirement in June of that year.<ref name="Newsday 2017" />
During her career, O'Rourke was described as an "ambassador" for Irish dance<ref name="LI Herald 2015" /> and as a symbol of the increased diversity and globalisation of the dance form.<ref name="NPR profile" /> In 2017, shortly before her retirement, O'Rourke was named one of five "Top Irish dance influencers" by ''IrishCentral''.<ref name="IC 2017">{{cite news|last1=Hickey|first1=Kate|title=Top Irish dance influencers to follow in 2017|url=https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/top-irish-dance-influencers-to-follow-in-2017|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=IrishCentral.com|date=2 January 2017|language=en}}</ref>
O'Rourke returned to Irish dance in 2022, winning as the Senior Ladies Oireachtas Champion, Mid Atlantic Division.<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/ClbqXj-OK7q/?hl=en</ref>
== Personal life ==
O'Rourke is the first of two children of father Kevin, originally from [[County Louth]], Ireland, and [[Filipinos|Filipino]] mother Annelyn, both of whom are [[accountant]]s.<ref name="Newsday 2012">{{cite news|last1=Lovece|first1=Frank|title=Malverne teen showcased on 'The Big Jig'|url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/the-big-jig-tlc-special-showcases-malverne-s-julia-o-rourke-1.4079623|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=Newsday|date=8 October 2012|language=en}}</ref>
She attended [[St. Agnes Cathedral (Rockville Centre, New York)|St. Agnes Cathedral School]] in [[Rockville Centre, New York]]<ref name="Newsday 2012" /> and [[Sacred Heart Academy (Hempstead, New York)|Sacred Heart Academy]] in [[Hempstead, New York|Hempstead]].<ref name="LI Herald 2014" />
O'Rourke now began attending the [[University of Delaware]] in 2017<ref name="Newsday Dec 2017">{{cite news|last1=Cusanelli|first1=Michael|title=LIers who made us proud in 2017|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/long-islanders-who-made-us-proud-1.15245310|accessdate=9 December 2017|work=Newsday|date=8 December 2017|language=en}}</ref> and has announced her intention to study [[physical therapy]].<ref name="Newsday 2017" />
== References ==
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[[Category:Performers of Irish dance]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Irish stepdance]]
[[Category:Living people]]