If hip-hop and salsa aren’t your type of groove, a new type of move is coming to campus. This past fall semester, club president Zack Warshaw- an Irish dancing world-level competitor – has been working with the Student Government Association (SGA) to prepare the CelticCats, UVM’s new Irish dancing club, for its official premiere this semester. ‘CelticCats will be the first Irish dance group on campus,’ Claire Chevrier, chair for the SGA Student Activities Committee, said. ‘They will be providing students, likely for the first time, the opportunity to receive introductory to intermediate instruction.’ The club’s supervisor, David Warshaw – who also happens to be Zack’s father – has high expectations for the CelticCats’ presence as an official club on campus. ‘My hope is that the club will have a presence at UVM through their high-energy performances, which should generate student interest and participation in this dance form,’ he said. Luckily, the Riverdance – a popular Irish dance show – has also lent the CelticCats a helping hand by introducing students to Irish dance. ‘I am super pumped to see [CelticCats’] first performance,’ sophomore Andrew Schlesinger said.’ ‘I recently had the opportunity to see a Riverdance show.’ Countless young Irish dance participants get started because of their interest in Riverdance, Zack Warshaw said. With the large volume of student interest for dance at UVM, CelticCats plans to add a new dimension to the dance scene. ‘I am amazed at the diversity of dance at UVM and given the excitement that Irish Step dance generates,’ David Warshaw said. ‘I believe that Irish Step dance will be a welcomed addition to the UVM dance scene.’ The Salsa and Swing Society (SASS) was excited about CelticCats’ participation in the Orchesis dance show last semester. ‘They did really well,’ SASS Treasurer Eliza Arsenault said. ‘It was awesome to have a new dance group with us, and everyone really liked their performance.’ ‘They seemed to attract a lot of interest from people who had not performed before,’ she said. Freshman and CelticCats co-president Megan Ryan also shares this optimism. ‘I don’t think it will be too difficult to attract student interest because we already got more student interest than we anticipated right off the bat,’ she said. Zack Warshaw and Ryan have already managed to find nine other students with previous dance experience. Club practice will take place for two hours once per week, with one hour devoted to the more experienced dancers and the other to beginners, Zack Warshaw said. Although Irish dancing is a challenge, experienced team members said students should not be intimidated. ‘The club is very open and inclusive, and would be enjoyable for anyone who’s willing to give it a chance,’ Zack Warshaw said. Look for the first official performance of the CelticCats around St. Patrick’s Day. ‘