Choosing a School
Different than many popular dance forms, Irish dance is taught at specialized schools that only teach Irish dancing. The Irish dance school might rent space at another dance studio, but it will typically not be affiliated beyond that. In some areas, this can make them hard to find outside of major cities.
I do not recommend taking Irish dance offered by a multi-disciplinary studio unless it's taught by a certified teacher* (someone with TCRG or ADCRG after their name). You're less likely to get proper instruction, and you won't be able to compete.
*If you don't care about competing, or it's your only local option, take it where you can get it. The Irish dance teaching certificate is difficult and expensive, and many qualified and well-trained dancers teach wherever they can. You can supplement your instruction with Olive Hurley DVDs or online tutorials.
However, I would still shy away from anyone who doesn't have specialized experience in Irish dance, even if you just want to do it casually. There was a time, particularly during the Riverdance zeitgeist, when dance teachers were advertising things like "Irish tap" or "Celtic dance" after taking a few lessons somewhere or, even worse, just wholesale making things up to cash in on a craze. This isn't common now, but it's still something to look out for. Ask for their background. Anyone who learned under a certified teacher for at least a few years is a safe bet. Sometimes these teachers still have connections to an Irish dance school, or are trying to get teaching experience before they sit their tests. You never know what kind of a gem you'll find!
For information on what your first class might be like, see this page.
Finding a School
As I mentioned above, it can be difficult to find an Irish dance school near you. It was for me! The best thing is to just search online for Irish dance school [your location] and see what comes up. Hopefully you'll find at least one.
As I also mentioned above, Irish dance schools should be certified to ensure a thorough learning experience. If there's one teacher with a certification, you're golden. One is all you need. This teacher sat the teaching examination and passed, and all dancers at the school can compete. It also means they know a whole lot about Irish dancing.
To find out if a school is certified, look for TCRG or ADCRG next to a teacher's name or in their biographies on any available websites or promotional materials. You can also look for something akin to "certified by [insert organization name here]."
Because of its unique place as both a folk dance and a competitive sport, Irish dance offers many different paths for many different people. Your journey can and will change, but if you're able to pick and choose schools or organizations, make sure you understand what your initial goals might be.
First, let's break down how Irish dance is structured.
Affiliations and Governing Bodies
Irish dance is run like any competitive sport: we have worldwide governing bodies that dictate codes, technique, and host competitions, with country-based subcommittees sanctioned by said governing bodies. These committees also work to preserve choreography, music, and history of the dance.
There are two types of governing bodies in Irish dance: closed platform and open platform.
Closed platform means that only affilitated dancers can compete.
Open platform organizations allow the dancer to compete regardless of affiliation. Member of Cumann Rince Náisiúnta (CRN)? You can also compete at World Irish Dance Association (WIDA) events. There are many open organizations. If you are with one of the two major closed platform organizations (listed below), it may be possible to compete at Open events, but you will want to ask your teacher and make sure the results will count. Likewise, some Open organizations are allowed to compete at certain closed competitions. It all depends on the situation and the organization.
There is no real technique difference between closed organizations and open ones. Very generally speaking, Open schools can sometimes be less intense. Some lean towards a traditional look (ie, less bling). However, many open organizations exist as a way for dancers in areas without a tradition of Irish dance (Eastern Europe, Africa) to have access to lessons and competitions.
An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG or An Coimisiún) is the largest and oldest Irish dancing organization, and is what most dancers train under. This is closed platform, meaning that only CLRG dancers can compete at CLRG sanctioned events. There are more CLRG events than in any other organization, and there are hundreds of local competitions across the world every year. Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, and the Trinity Irish Dance Company predominantly feature CLRG-trained dancers, but not exclusively.
An Comhdháil na Muinteoiri le Rinci Gaelacha (An Chomhdháil/Comhdháil) is the second-largest and second-oldest and emerged from a split with CLRG. The only real difference is that Comhdháil has less of an international presence. CLRG and Comhdháil are identical in style and technique. This is also closed platform, but it is run very similarly to CLRG. Grade exam certificates are accepted between CLRG and Comhdháil.
A huge caveat of closed platform is that you have to take at least six months off competing if you transfer schools. This is known as a restyling period, where a dancer learns their new school's choreography.
(Then there is festival style Irish dance, which spun off of traditional Irish dance in the 1970s. The technique is more reminiscent of an older style of Irish dance, with simpler, more traditional costumes, no wigs, tans, or bling, and fewer competitions. They still perform hardshoe and group dancing, but without the showy tricks traditional Irish dancers do. I recommend watching festival style competitions and performances on YouTube to get a sense of their style. This is a much smaller faction of Irish dance that is mostly taught in Northern Ireland.)
Questions to Ask and Consider
When seeking an Irish dance school, first be sure to check out the school's website, assuming they have one. It may be a Facebook page or something similar. Their website should provide their credentials, such as which organization they're with. If they have other social media, you can check out what they get up to. Are there shows, competitions, class photos? Scheduling information?
In addition to credentials, check for class schedules and age ranges, as well as cost. If you're an adult, they may not mention that there are adult classes (those aren't typically the center of attention), so you may want to email or call (or direct message).
A lot of Irish dance schools are pretty terrible at keeping updated websites, so the following questions may be helpful to ask:
- Which organization are you affiliated with?
- If unaffiliated, what is the teacher's background in Irish dance? Are there future plans for certification?
- How much are lessons, when are they, and how long is each session? Do I have to pay for the whole session upfront, or can I pay per class? Are there drop-in options?
- Do or can your students compete?
- As an adult dancer, will I be able to compete or perform?
What to Expect
It will all depend on the sort of school you join, how old you are, and the goals you've set.
An important distinction to make here is the difference between open age levels and Adult levels. Open age levels are for kids and people who began as kids and never stopped competing. There is no age limit on the open levels, hence why the're open.
The Adult category is for people who started when they were adults, or danced as kids but left competition for at least five years (and are over eighteen). The standard of dance in Adult is overall much less rigorous and demanding than in the open age levels, but there are always exceptions.
Because Irish dance has been competitive since its birth, this can add a layer of extra drama on top of regular dance drama, even if you choose not to compete.
Some schools are highly competitive, prioritizing good results at major competitions, and even regularly placing dancers or teams at Worlds. Other schools compete only casually, participating in majors only on a dancer-by-dancer basis, maybe emphasizing performance first. You can probably figure out how competitive a school is by their social media presence and list of accolades on their website. But you won't be able to tell their teaching style and how they handle this pressure until you're in the class. Just like with any dance school.
You might also see that some dance schools have multiple locations, not just locally, but nationally and internationally, as well. The more branches, the bigger the school, the more competitive the environment might be. So make a note of that.
Most dance schools, regardless of how competitive they are, focus on their younger dancers. There are more expectations and opportunities for competing and performing than for the people in the Adult age divisions (though there are some schools with a robust adult presence). Make your goals clear to your teacher. They can help you better if they know what you want. Likewise, they should make their expectations clear for their students. This will avoid misunderstandings, frustrations, and friction between student and teacher.
Statistically, most Irish dancers never get into the championship levels, either by choice or chance. An estimated 1% ever even qualify for Worlds. And as we know, there are always biases when it comes to judged/aesthetic sports like dance.
I recommend taking things one achievement at a time, or you risk burn-out and disenchantment. Focus on the steps you learn, on starting hardshoe, on dancing to full speed music without mistakes, on getting a costume or your first pair of shoes, your first St. Patricks' Day parade or recital, on third place finishes or moving up one level in one dance. Irish dance is a folk dance, and the best way to approach it is from the community perspective. Sharing tradition and joy.
Should I Put My Kid in Irish Dance?
If they want to, then yes.
Much of a child's experience in Irish dance will depend on their school. Their teacher(s) set the tone and conditions under which your child will be learning and growing. Overall, Irish dance is probably less toxic than other forms of dance and aesthetic sport, especially regarding bodies, but it is literally a competitive dance form, and that can inspire insecurities and jealousy and favoritism. A good teacher will try to keep these things at bay and will treat all their students the same, regardless of skill and achievement. But if you don't have a lot of teachers to choose from, you have to take on that role as a parent and not place too much pressure on your child. Allow them to participate in as many activities as they want.
I loved my years as a juvenile (that is, under 18) Irish dancer. I went to a school that was very casual about competition, which certainly helped me and created an atmosphere that wasn't imposing. I was never stressed out by the experience. I wish I had been able to start when I first wanted to, as a wee eight-year-old. I would do it all over again in a minute. The fact that I keep going back probably speaks to how much I enjoy the sport.
I would always remind your child that it's a folk dance first. It's meant for fun. All the rest are just bells and whistles that they can choose to add or not.