Houston’s Own World Irish Dance Champion — Michael Pixton Wins Big in Dublin For Local Studio Cass-Barrington Academy

When Michael Pixton was eight years old, his mom promised him an ice cream cone if he tried an Irish dance class. He didn’t expect to fall in love with it. And he certainly never imagined becoming a world champion 11 years later.

But a champion he is. This 19-year-old Houstonian topped the podium in the men’s 18 to 19 category at the 2025 Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne, or World Irish Dance Championships, held in Dublin, Ireland. After three rounds of competition, he claimed one of the most prestigious titles in Irish dance.

Pixton danced to Vanishing Lake, a track with a slower tempo of 66 beats per minute that gave him more space for complex choreography. His performance stood out across all three rounds of the championship.

“You don’t find out you’ve won the first two rounds,” says Laura Cass-Barrington of Houston’s Cass-Barrington Academy of Irish Dance, where Pixton trains. “You just get your number called for the final round. You go in not knowing your placement. But he danced like he always does. And it worked.”

This wasn’t Pixton’s first major title. He is also an All-Ireland champion, a two-time Great Britain winner and a five-time Southern Region champion. But this was the biggest moment yet in a year already full of wins.

Pixton trains four to five days a week at the Houston studio and also practices at home. His training includes plyometrics, core work and upper-body strength — essential for the kind of controlled stillness Irish dance demands.

“People assume it’s all legs, but that’s just part of it,” Laura Cass-Barrington says. “Your upper body needs to stay solid while your legs are flying. Abs are especially important for that control.”

Pixton’s competitive nature has always been part of who he is. Before Irish dance became his focus, he played basketball and did gymnastics. But it was dance that stuck.

Where It All Began

Paxton’s first class came in 2008 at what is now Cass-Barrington Academy. Pixton and his brother walked out, asking to be signed up for more. Their mom’s ice cream deal had worked — and then some.

“I watched Lord of the Dance and Riverdance on DVD,” Pixton remembers. “We had movie players on the back of the car seats for road trips. I just loved it.”

Cass-Barrington Academy has been Pixton’s home base ever since, though the school originally began as Cass Academy. Founded in 2012 by sisters Laura and Erin Cass, the academy grew out of their family’s deep roots in Irish dance. When they moved from New York to The Woodlands, their mother worried the relocation would disrupt their routines — and started cold-calling people with Irish names from the phone book, hoping to find a local connection.

“She eventually found someone who knew someone in Dallas,” Laura Cass-Barrington says. “That’s how we got started.”

Erin became certified to teach and opened the Cass Academy in 2012. Laura, who was dancing professionally at the time, met world champion Owen Barrington during a tour stop in Houston.

“We danced together in Las Vegas,” Laura Cass-Barrington says. “Eventually I suggested he join Erin teaching here.”

The school became the Cass-Barrington Academy later that year. Laura and Owen married in 2022. Today, the academy has locations in Houston, Katy and Spring — along with a growing list of elite dancers in its stable.

The Dance Road Ahead

After his world title, Michael Pixton isn’t slowing down.

“I want to keep competing for a long time,” he tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “But I’d also love to perform with troupes.”

That might be happening sooner than later. He recently auditioned for Lord of the Dance and made it through the first round. At callbacks, Lord of the Dance founder Michael Flatley himself showed up to lead drills.

“It was super cool to have him there, calling out ‘Three, two, one — go!’” Pixton says.

Wherever his dancing takes him next, the path forward is clear: Keep training, keep competing — and maybe offer a kid some ice cream along the way.