Am I too Old?
Absolutely not.
As with almost all dance forms, especially dance forms with an elite competitive or professional level, the advice is always to start as young as you can. Taking their first steps? Quick! Get them to a studio before it's too late!
There's sound enough reasoning to start any activity young. Children are generally more physically flexible and energetic, and mentally fearless. They also have a lot more time on their schedule. If you want to get perfect turnout and oversplits, starting the process at six is going to be a lot easier than starting at forty, and the results will probably last longer even if the child quits.
But there's no reason to not start just because you're a teenager or an adult, and I created this section to help push you towards start.
The most important thing to remember about Irish dance is that it's a folk dance. It's meant for fun, for some culture, and for community, which are the things my first TCRG (teacher) always valued above competition. If you can enjoy yourself while dancing on the beat, you've done all Irish dance needs you to do.
I mention this multiple times on my site because it's important to remember: statistically, most Irish dancers do not reach the championship level or go to a major. Only 1% ever qualify for Worlds. The vast majority of Irish dancers move at their own pace, with their own goals in mind. There are probably a good quantity who never compete or even perform. Competing isn't for everyone! Neither is performance! And it doesn't mean you're not a good dancer or that you can't progress. And even if you're struggling, it doesn't mean you shouldn't keep at it. Just have fun; that's what dancing is all about.
I began in eighth grade. That's late, by childhood dance standards. Within a year or so, most of my friends who had been born dancing (ballet) would start to retire, while I was moving up the ranks.
The benefit of starting in my double-digits was that I (and my class) generally progressed at a much more rapid pace than the young beginners. We started hardshoe sooner, competed sooner, performed in big shows sooner, and perfected technique sooner. We also just generally learned steps more quickly.
Were we veteran dancers with ten years of experience by age sixteen? No. Would that be cool? Absolutely. But it should not be discouraging. Everybody who dances has a different journey. Misty Copeland started ballet at thirteen, the same age I was when I started Irish dance. And for ballet, that is extremely late.
The journey of many dancers at my school, even the journey of my first TCRG, was winding. Many of the kids I started with stopped around college age (which, when you consider that we were all twelve and up, meant we hadn't danced that long). Some took breaks and joined other schools. The oldest beginner in our teen class came back to dance in her twenties, reached the championship levels, went to the oireachtas, then got her TCRG and opened a school of her own.
A kid who started at the end of high school ended up qualifying for Worlds within two years.
Even among the elite Irish dancers, Michael Flatley started at eleven, was told by a teacher that he was too old, and won a World title six years later when non-Irish and non-British dancers were struggling for success (he was the first transatlantic dancer to win).
Too many examples of people who reached Open? I agree.
My first TCRG began at age five, but only danced casually throughout her life. After becoming a mom of three, she taught basic steps to local kids, it caught on, and soon enough she opened a school and achieved her TCRG. Now, though she passed away too young in 2004, her school has sent hundreds of dancers into the world, has qualified more and more students for every major championship, sent dancers to professional companies, spawned other TCRGs (and at least one new school), and gained a reputation in two communities that will last forever. And she changed my life!
And there's me, I guess, whose first competition in nineteen years after three months back was 5th plade in the Adult Traditional Set at the oireachtas. That's not so bad.
Let nothing stop you from trying.
Truly, the biggest obstacle to starting as an adult is finding classes in the first place.
Off-and-on throughout time, adult classes have gained and lost popularity as a whole in Irish dance. The bulk of the dancers at any given school are under eighteen. However, in North America particularly, the Adult scene has once again blossomed. Championship levels are now offered, as well as solo competitions at the oireachtas and even Nationals. Some regions even have age divisions within Adult, as well as a separate Advanced/Masters category for dancers with previous youth level experience.
However, unfortunately, not all schools really care yet. Adult levels, whether Advanced/Masters or not, cannot qualify for Worlds and bring home the glory. Also, not all adults want to take dance classes, so there just may be a lack of interest in your area. Of course, you can always ask, or take private lessons.
If you're beginning as a teen, you'll probably have more luck. Whatever school you choose has probably dealt with this situation before and has a plan for late non-adult beginners.
It's also possible that adult classes aren't listed. Since the usual adult class isn't the star focus of a competitive school, they might not bother to include that information on a website, for example. An email or phone call could shed some light on all of the specialized classes meant only for those with inside knowledge. Also, check any social media, as that might be updated more frequently.
If you're lucky enough to live in a city with a few schools to choose from, the odds are high that at least one will have adult classes. Some might even have competitive adult teams that go to majors, or be willing to guide you towards a very specific goal. For instance, taking your grade exams.
And you do not have to stay in the Adult levels if you start as an adult! If your goal is to compete in the "youth" levels and see how far you get, showing up and doing the work will convince many teachers to let you keep up with the kids. Yes, some teachers may resist this and keep you in Adult because, yes, some dance parents and teachers complain when there are adults in the &Over age categories. But if the kids are better, they'll beat you. You don't get Bonus Adult Points or Bonus Kid Points. As a teen, I didn't care at all if a parent-age competitor was in my, say, 16&Over group.
But again, jumping into Irish dance lessons does not mean you need to compete or even perform. The first goal of Irish dance is to have fun.
Of course, the other obstacle is your body.
Only you (and your doctor) can assess how physically capable you feel about starting Irish dance later in life, but I will say that Irish dance requires less conditioning and flexibility than something like ballet or gymnastics, making it easier to advance at a later age. Especially in the Adult category.
Don't get me wrong—Irish dance athleticism has skyrocketed since Riverdance. Watch the incredible (and World Champion) Bernadette Flynn dance 25 years ago and you'll find her turnout and crossed legs lacking compared to today's dancers. Champion dancers now have to be able to go into full splits for their kicks, and some 180 degree turn out won't hurt, either.
Once upon a website, I said Irish dance aims for the ballet fifth position but won't ever go there. I was wrong.
But you can do very well in Irish dance, learn all the steps you want, and perform, teach, and compete without working like an Olympian. Again, Irish dance is a folk dance. Yes, competition is part of that folk dance history, but nobody cares about your level or your $3000 costume when you're doing a half-drunk Waves of Tory in a pub. That's what Irish dance is.
Me? I'm pigeon-toed, my legs don't straighten, and I've got gastrocnemius equinus. In high school, my physical therapist recommended gastrocnemius lengthing surgery to reduce my foot problems—of which I have many. Wearing hardshoes feels like knives being stabbed in my big toe metatarsal, for instance.
But in two years, I went from Beginner to Prizewinner. The only reason I didn't compete in Prelim was because I stopped competing entirely (see those foot problems). But now I'm back, and I even got to compete (and make the podium three times) at my first oireachtas. I've made a lot of friends and am building a new community. And it's fantastic. Please, come join us! We need you!