Early Years
Irish-born Devine followed in his mother's footsteps when he had his first dance lesson at the age of eight. Having lost the strength in her legs due to an illness, his mother (a former champion dancer) used her fingers to tap out the rhythms of a beat on the back of his hand. He repeated the patterns with his feet.
By the age of 14, he achieved the highest honour bestowed on an Irish Dancer by winning "the Grand Slam" — World, American, British, All-Ireland and Munster Titles. In a competitive career that continued until the age of sixteen he consecutively won three World, five American, three British, seven Munster and All-Ireland titles.
Between 1992 and 1995 he taught in Ireland, also giving masterclasses in Europe, Australia and North America. He also began working at the IWMC (Irish World Music Centre) at the University of Limerick, Ireland.
Read more about this topic: James Devine
Famous quotes containing the words early and/or years:
“Yet, haply, in some lull of life,
Some Truce of God which breaks its strife,
The worldling’s eyes shall gather dew,
Dreaming in throngful city ways
Of winter joys his boyhood knew;
And dear and early friends—the few”
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“Peace can endure only so long as humanity really insists upon it, and is willing to work for it and sacrifice for it. Twenty- five years ago American fighting men looked to the statesmen of the world to finish the work of peace for which they fought and suffered; we failed them, we failed them then, we cannot fail them again and expect the world to survive again.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)