Airports are crammed with travelers en route to their final destination. People are grabbing last-minute gifts from the shops, picking up snacks for the flight and generally just hanging around waiting for their boarding call. It’s usually at this point that you can find me nodding off in the lounge. What else is there to do in an airport after you’ve shopped, eaten and visited the washroom?
At the London Southend in Essex, London, UK, travelers were in for an unexpected treat. In the center of the airport, one girl stepped into the limelight, clearing the space for a mega surprise.
Dressed just like anyone else in an airport, except for her dancing shoes, an unassuming-looking girl makes her way front and center into the middle of the space. The crowd is already there, and it’s a big one too. Everyone’s eyes are on her when she smiles and begins to dance an Irish dance. There’s no music, there are no backup dancers, just her and her moves. Watch her fast-moving feet as they tap up a storm. She’s lovely and commands everyone’s attention with her shining talent. Plus, that takes some serious guts, dancing alone in front of everyone!
But, she’s not by herself for long. Moments later, a bright and lively jig is playing on the speakers as she wraps up her solo and a young man appears beside her. The two set off dancing together, tapping, and leg-swinging in tandem as the crowd looks on with their phones and cameras towards the dancing pair.
Slowly, two more dancers join in. And then a few more, then a couple more, totaling several young dancers wowing the crowd. All are in tune with one another, tapping their feet and pulling off their synchronized choreography exceptionally well. At nearly 40 dancers, it’s a pretty stunning display of talent from the young men and women from the McGahan Lees Irish Dance Academy.
They were brought on to mark the launch of the new Aer Lingus Regional service from London Southend to Dublin. A few minutes in, they remove their hoodies to reveal branded t-shirts that show the airline’s new route. This is the perfect stunt to promote the new destination while bringing in a little culture and passing the time stuck at the airport! These kids are amazing to watch.
Click the video below to catch these amazing dancers dazzle onlookers with their routine.