As their mom remembers it, Maggie and Clare Frumkin always danced.

"From the start, Maggie ran around on her tippy toes. And Clare danced before she walked," said Theresa Frumkin.

Now the Oak Park sisters are headed to the 2011 World Irish Dance Championships in Dublin, Ireland in April.

To qualify, Clare, 11, took second out of 84 competitors in her age group at the Mid-America Irish Dance Championships in November.  Maggie, 14, placed 12^th  out of 117, despite an Achilles injury that put her on crutches the next day and is requiring a six to eight-week dance layoff.

"I don't remember not dancing," said Maggie, an eighth grader at Ascension Catholic School. She began ballet at Oak Park's Academy of Movement and Music at age 3 and followed a cousin to the McNulty School of Irish Dance a year later.

Clare, an Ascension sixth grader, took the same path.

Both girls continue to study ballet at the Academy. About a year ago, after a stint at another Irish dance school, they moved on to Trinity Academy of Irish Dance.

It's a constant balancing act, with either ballet or Irish dance lessons every day after school and sometimes on Sunday. Maggie also studies violin and travels to Fenwick for math class every morning. Clare played basketball and took piano lessons, but gave both up this year as homework demands increased.

Although an excellent student, Maggie's priorities are fairly clear.

"I would eliminate school to dance," she said.

"Dance has taught them to manage their time. Homework and grades must be there, or no dance," said Theresa, who shares a juggling act of her own with her husband — the family includes two other daughters, Erin, 10 and Kelly, 11, Clare's twin.

Theresa credits Academy of Movement and Music director Stephanie Clemens with building enough flexibility into Clare and Maggie's class schedules to make it all possible.

"These are terrific kids who could achieve at a very high level in classical ballet. They are naturally coordinated, have wonderful motor skills and very bright brains," said Clemens.

"Eventually they will have to choose [ballet or Irish dance]. I don't like to draw lines; I want to help them make choices. I try to support and keep kids here with the door open," she said.

It can get confusing at times.

"In ballet we use our arms and in Irish dance we have to put them down. For ballet we have to bend our knees but we can't in Irish dance. I have gotten yelled at in ballet for not plieing," said Clare.

"I like both," she added.

Irish dance has the perk of international travel.

Maggie has been to the world championships five times, traveling to Scotland and Ireland. This year will be Clare's second time at world's, and she will also compete at the All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championships in Killarney in February.

At the competitions, the girls have made friends from all over the world. Theresa, who travels with them, said they always include touring and a bit of shopping in their trips.

International competition provides a "load of life lessons," according to Trinity director and principal instructor Natalie Howard.

"It's more than how to cross their feet. They learn how to win and lose graciously," she said.

"Clare and Maggie have unlimited potential. Clare is graceful and elegant. Maggie is athletic and powerful. They are great to work with, very talented girls," said Howard.

For now it's the pure joy of dancing that keeps both girls on point.

"It's fun to win, but it doesn't matter," said Clare. "It's so easy to dance when you are smiling."