When Steven McCauley's niece and daughter joined a dance school, McCauley decided he could do that too.
Three years later, McCauley is a member of the only competitive adult Irish dance troupe in Wisconsin.
His eight-member team competed against other adult troupes from around the country to take first in the selective regional Oireachtas competition in November and to win the 2006 North American Irish Dance Championship in June.
The team also performed their ceili, a traditional Irish social dance, at the Milwaukee Irish Fest in August.
McCauley, benefits manager in Marquette's human resources department, has been attending Irish Fest with his family for more than 20 years. His wife, Melanie, and their three daughters dance along with him with the Glencastle Irish Dancers, based in Greenfield.
Although he is an athletic person, McCauley never Irish-danced prior to 2003.
Irish dance can be demanding, but the McCauley family works dancing into their weekly routine. Steven said the family travels to competitions together and turns the trips into vacations.
"With busy schedules, dancing allows the family to come together for a common goal," he said.
McCauley's instructor and founder of Glencastle Irish Dancers, Bridget Jaskulski, said he is very attentive in class and works hard.
Jaskulski chose to incorporate adult classes into her school so "adults can try something they didn't have an opportunity to do as a child."
One of McCauley's teammates, Trish Johnson, an administrative assistant in the Center for Psychological Services, said she sees McCauley as a motivator and someone who is "there for people when they need him."
Melanie McCauley said she and her husband decided to begin dancing after seeing their niece perform at Irish Fest.
"We both turned to each other and said, 'I want to do that,' " she said.
Melanie said she enjoys Irish dance because there is always a new challenge to conquer.
The average age of her adult dancing troupe is 45.7 years, she said.
Steven McCauley said the feeling of excitement from winning the national competition was hard to put into words.
"When people recognize you (in the dancing world), it's a great feeling," he said.
Steven said he feels he and Melanie are positive role models for their 10-year-old, 8-year-old and 6-year-old daughters, teaching them the values of hard work and perseverance.
"The kids see the dedication and what we put forth — what it takes to win. That is a positive thing in today's violent world," he said.
McCauley's teammates and instructor agree he always has a positive, motivational and fun-loving attitude toward dance.
Johnson said McCauley is hysterically funny and is "a guy who likes to wear his kilt."
There are now 11 McCauleys who dance with Glencastle, including Steven's brother, who convinced him to join in 2003 with their daughters. They plan to continue dancing and look forward to their future in Irish dance.
