When Hannah Gold was a young girl she would beg her mother to play Irish music so she could jump and twirl around her living room in upstate New York.

After her family moved to Pittsburgh, Hannah, a senior at Hampton High School, found an outlet for her inner dancer at the Bell School of Irish Dance.

Hannah is one of almost 400 dedicated students at the Bell School of Irish Dance, in Ross, who sweat and practice each week to keep the traditional Irish dances alive.

Hannah says she may never score a goal in a stadium, kick a ball to a teammate on a field or wear heavy padding under her uniform, but she's still an athlete, and Irish dancing is her sport.

"People think it's leprechaun dance, but I would compare it to playing varsity soccer," says Hannah, a senior at Hampton High School.

Hannah, who competes at the championship level, explains Irish dancing as the "dichotomy of grace and athleticism" and not as easy as it looks.

"People really don't know what to think of it because it's not a team sport where you kick a ball around, but it's not like ballet either because you're competing," Hannah says.

Students put in hours and hours of practice each week to perfect their steps, jumps and kicks. Hannah says during competition season, she can be found practicing at the studio up to five times a week.

Julia Bell, of Marshall, is the director of the school and says this dedication is why the students at the Bell School succeed.

The school opened in September 1999, and in all but one year a student has qualified and competed in the world competition.

This year, two students will compete, including the first female student from the school to qualify for the competition. Kelsey Dolan, a sixth-grader at Sacred Heart, placed in the top 15 at a regional competition, which qualified her to go to the 2008 World Irish Dancing Championships, in Belfast, later this month.

"It's my first time placing that high in a competition," Kelsey says. "I'm looking forward to the experience of dancing with really good people."

During competitions, dancers perform a hard shoe and a soft shoe dance in their solo dresses. These sequined masterpieces are specially-designed by Irish craftsmen and unique to each dancer. Each dress can cost between $1,200-$3,000, but serve to set each dancer apart from the others and highlight their dance moves.

Bell says as competitive as the sport is, the students get the most out of Irish dancing off the stage.

"I think most importantly is the friendships they make," explains Bell, recalling that the friendships she made while dancing were the most significant.

Because of the school's central location, students from all over Allegheny County attend the school, including North Hills, North Allegheny, Shaler, Hampton and Pine-Richland.

Bell School of Irish Dance also has a location in Greensburg.

"Irish dancing has been in the Pittsburgh area close to 30 years, and it's going strong," Bell says.

"I think it's very important to keep it alive ... I know we're going to be around a long time."