Irish dancing a 'competitive sport'

Irish dancing is not all about little girls in wigs, tiaras and sequinned dresses – and one adult male dancer said he finds those preconceptions “annoying” and that people should realise it is a “competitive sport”.

David Bassett, 22, from Southampton, is competing in the Senior Men’s category next Saturday, and has recently returned from Azerbaijan where he was performing to crowds who “loved it” – an example, if it was needed, of the global appeal Irish dancing has garnered over the years.