Barrows Featured Artists of July: Tierney & Reis Folmar

With roots in family tradition, years of disciplined training, and a deep love for performance, two Westwood sisters have turned their passion for Irish Step Dancing into international recognition.
 
This past spring, Tierney and Reis Folmar traveled to Dublin, Ireland to compete in the 2025 World Irish Dance Championships aka ‘Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne,’ an elite international competition that draws dancers from every corner of the globe. Only 1% of dancers qualify for the World Championships, after qualifying at their Regional or National Championships to be able to participate.
 
“It’s a really big competition,” said Tierney, 19-years-old, a rising sophomore at Northeastern University. “You’re in different age groups – I had 100 dancers in mine, and I placed in the top 60%.”
 
Reis, 15-years-old and a rising junior at Westwood High School, also stood out. “I had 180 dancers in my group and placed in the top 50%,” she shared proudly.
 
The sisters have been dancing nearly their entire lives – Tierney for 17 years, Reis for 12 – and their roots in the tradition can be traced back to their mom, Elicia.
 
“Our mom danced when she was younger,” Tierney explained. “We actually started out learning from her at her own studio.”
 
Since then, they’ve trained at a handful of different schools, and currently drive back and forth to a studio in New Hampshire.
 
“We go up to that studio three times a week,” said Reis. “It’s a pretty long drive, but we love it.”
 
The sisters love their dancing school and their teachers’ commitment to Irish Dance. Alongside studio time three days a week, they also participate in strength and conditioning classes, and they practice in their studio at home several times a week.
 
“Do our feet hurt?” “Yes,” they both said, laughing. Still, they wouldn’t trade it for anything.
 
Irish Step Dancing has taken them far, literally and figuratively. While many people associate Irish dance competitions with Dublin, the World Championship rotates locations every year.
 
“We’ve been to Montreal, Scotland, Ireland a couple times, and around the U.S. and Canada,” said Tierney.
 
Their passion for the sport goes beyond competition.
 
“It’s super athletic, but I also get to make a lot of friends and spend time with them,” Tierney said. “And I get to travel a ton – it’s a really cool experience.”
 
Outside of dance, both sisters have full academic schedules. Tierney is majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience and Political Science at Northeastern.
 
“College takes up the other half of my time when I’m not dancing,” she joked.
 
Somehow, Tierney also finds time to compete and choreograph for the dance company at Northeasten, in addition to working a job.
 
As for Reis, the pool is her other sanctuary outside of the dance studio. A member of the Westwood High School swim team, Reis is also a certified lifeguard and recently received her Water Safety Certification to be able to teach swim lessons. When she’s not competing, she helps coach the younger age groups for the Westwood Recreation swim team.
 
For those unfamiliar with Irish step, Tierney and Reis are quick to debunk a common myth.
 
“A lot of people think it’s not really a sport,” Reis said. “They don’t realize how hard it is until they see it or try it.”
 
Elicia agreed. “Irish Dance is not only an artform but a highly competitive sport. It takes strength, flexibility, grace, power and endurance and many people underestimate the complexity and commitment it takes to participate in this sport.”
 
While they’ve never formally trained in other styles of dance, Tierney says there are some overlaps.
 
“Irish Dancing is kind of comparable to ballet in some ways – there are similar movements, and it’s very graceful. We use a lot of turnout and leg strength. But it’s also very different.”
 
With their remarkable dedication, discipline, and passion for Irish dancing, Tierney and Reis Folmar exemplify what it means to be Barrows Featured Artists. Whether they’re training in the studio or representing Westwood on the world stage, they bring pride to our community with every step. We can’t wait to see where their dancing takes them next.
 
Congratulations, Tierney & Reis, for being our July Featured Artists! If you’d like to nominate an artist of any sort to be featured – music, acting, painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. – please email dbezdedeanu@bestversionmedia.com.