1              You can’t walk without doing a step.

You know this one. You’re in a line at school and the teacher eats the face of you for dancing as you go. “Miss it’s the music in my head” she doesn’t listen. You just want to dance even when you don’t know it! At mass, going up to communion. Standing in the queue in Primark. You can see the other dancers too. Moving their way up the line. They can see you too.

2              Dance with your hands sub-consciously.

Drives your mum mad at the dinner table. Can’t help it if you’ve got perfect rhythm, and it helps you remember what you’re doing tomorrow at your class. Your Da laughs. Mum goes mad. But she’ll be the one dragging you out the door later to class.

3              When your “non- Irish dance” siblings tell you to stop tapping your feet.

Usually your brothers. You don’t tell them to stop kicking imaginary balls, or playing air guitar. You love your granny but she drives you crazy. She’s always telling you to stop fidgeting when you’re standing talking to her. Sometimes it just happens at the worst possible time. They don’t know it but inside you’re dancing. All the time!

4              When you randomly hum your set dance.

We can all relate to this one- humming Planxty Davis in the most random places and at the most random times- without realising. Your friends outside of dancing are looking at you like you are crazy.

5              When your weekends consist of training.

If you told anyone the hours you put into training they wouldn’t believe you. People doing sport think they are committed. Some of them are, but we put in the hours. Sore feet, tired. Repetition over and over again. But it’s worth it. Late nights, early starts. Worth it for the competition. For the other dancers you meet. For the fun with the rest of them.

6              You Can’t still on a chair still while watching other dancers on stage (always jumping up on down on chair, bobbing head in time with the music)

This is something all dancers and teachers are guilty of, especially at competitions. It gets worse if a dancer is out of time, the head nods quicker as if for some reason that dancer on stage will notice you out of everyone in the crowd and somehow speed up their steps. If someone took a video with their phone you’d probably look dead stupid. So what!

7              When you realise your “non- Irish dancing friends walk with turned in feet.

That’s if you have non Irish dancing friends. Of course you have, only joking. We’re fitter too.