Patrick Quinn is as Irish-American as it gets.
His father is from Ireland, and Quinn has visited the country nearly 20 times throughout his life.
"(There's a) good bit of Irish in me," said the supply chain management sophomore.
His heritage has been an important factor his whole life, but even more so now that his experiences have been taking center stage.
Ever since his parents saw the native dance style at an Irish festival, Quinn has been performing it.
As a full-time performer in internationally renowned Riverdance, Quinn took two years off following high school and traveled all over the world.
"That was my job for two years," he said. "I toured with them everywhere they went."
But even away from home, he didn't have to leave his family. Patrick's sister, Erin, an MSU graduate, also danced with Riverdance, although only part-time. But it's not often that the two are able to perform together anymore.
In fact, the last time it happened was once last year.
It will happen again tonight with Celtic music group Fonnmhõr at the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road, when Fonnmhõr takes the stage with the two dancers.
Carolyn Koebel, Fonnmhõr percussionist and 2001 MSU graduate, said that it's a "big show" when the Quinn siblings perform.
Fonnmhõr's founder Curt Tramel grew up with Erin and invited the two to start performing with the group a couple of years ago. Koebel said that Tramel wanted to create more of a theater show in the hopes that combined dancing and music would appeal to everyone.
"We've had really overwhelming response," she said.
The current lineup has only been in place for a little under two years. Fonnmhõr underwent a restructuring when Tramel realized that the group he founded over five years ago wasn't heading in the direction he wanted.
"He felt like they had reached a plateau," Koebel said.
Tramel was ready to move to the next level and he needed to know that his group would be able to move with him.
"We've had to re-establish ourselves," said Koebel, who was initially asked to join in 1997 but declined because, she says, the group wasn't what she was looking for at that point. "It's almost like starting over as a new group."
Fonnmhõr's new lineup released a CD, "Fragment," in July 2003 and won two "Jammie" Awards for Best CD and Best World Music CD from radio station WYCE 88.1 FM in Grand Rapids.
Their sound is traditional Celtic music infused with world influences and beats from regions like the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Although Fonnmhõr does play some traditional Irish reels, their main goal is to create original music with a variety of influences.
"It's not the formulaic approach to Irish music," Koebel said. "It's a fresh breath into the tradition. I think that's part of why it works so well, because there's something for everyone."
