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
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