Eleven-year-old Christina Vitale waited eagerly in a line that stretched out of the theater and onto the street, clutching her ticket in her hand.

“I can’t wait,” Vitale said. “This is a show that you mostly see in big cities.”

After waiting in line for more than a half hour, Vitale and her mom finally got to their seats.

 Almost 500 people came out to see the Irish International Dance Company perform Spirit of the Dance at the Long Center for the Performing Arts Tuesday night.

Winning nine global awards since it began in 1996, Spirit of the Dance has been seen by more than 25 million people in 15 different countries.

Judi Best, the operations director of the Long Center for the Performing Arts, is excited that the center is attracting outside acts such as the Irish Dance Company.

“The Long Center is part of the historical fabric of this community and the arts,” Best said. “it’s our duty to bring shows like this to our city.”

Best said that the Long Center exists to “broaden the horizons” of its audience.

“It’s obvious to the community that Lafayette is becoming more diversified, and we need to encourage that by making shows like this possible,” Best said.

Diverse cultures are the inspiration behind the dance troupe’s choreography.

Early in the show, the troupe paid tribute to the Irish, performing a Celtic jig in traditional dress to the tune of a live bagpipe. Sporting red kilts, the dancers stomped in formation, occasionally accenting their footwork with a loud holler. The energetic jig had the audience clapping with the music.  Vitale shared the audience’s enthusiasm.

“That was the coolest so far,” she said, wide-eyed.

While many of the dance numbers centered around the Irish dance tradition, the troupe utilized everything from Broadway to ballroom dance to entertain the audience. During a lighter number, the dancers sat on the edge of the stage and did a hand jive, bringing the audience to their feet.

Vitale said that her only regret was that her older siblings missed the show.

“It’s not just important for younger kids,” she said. “Older people need to see new things too.” 

Introducing the audience to new things is an integral part of Spirit of the Dance. Kirsty White, a 23-year-old native of Ireland, said that she hopes the traditional dancing styles will be an “inspiration” to young dancers.

“The only art education most of our younger generation receives is what they watch on  MTV,” White said. “We want to educate them about other art forms.”

White, who has been dancing with the troupe for four years, said that sharing Irish dance with others is a great way to “introduce yourself” to a new culture.

“It’s education and entertainment at the same time,” she said.

For Vitale, the dance troupe’s performance was not just an educational experience.

“It was totally awesome,” she said.