June 2016 – Bluegrass Ceili Academy

Jun292016 by Megan MNo Comments

Dance as if EVERYONE is watching: 2016 Irish Dance National Championships

Ceili Dancing

This week in Orlando, Florida, the 2016 Irish dance national championships are taking place, bringing together some of the best Irish dancers from across North America and the world. With so many talented dancers -- soloists and teams -- under one roof there's a lot of energy and inspiration. One of the inspiring quotes you'll often see about dance is this one: Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth. While dancing as if no one is watching gives you a sense of throwing caution to the wind, moving with the music and freedom, I think it's just as important to remind dancers to step out there on stage and dance as if EVERYONE is…

Jun272016 by Megan MNo Comments

Looking back: Irish dance national championships bring back great memories

Bluegrass Ceili Academy

This week in Orlando, Florida, the 2016 North American Irish Dance Championships, the Irish dance national championships, get underway with several thousand dancers and several hundred teams in attendance. As a brand new school, Bluegrass Ceili Academy won't have any dancers competing this year, but the competition always brings back a host of great memories. Five years ago, in Nashville, I took two teams of dancers to the competition (pictured above). I was coaching at the time with a school in the Washington, D.C. area and was year away from taking my teaching certification exam. It wasn't the first time we had traveled to the Irish dance national championships -- we had gone several times before to Philadelphia, Ottawa (2007) and Nashville (2008) and had placed as high as 3rd. In 2009, we…

Jun212016 by Megan MNo Comments

Lexington’s Bluegrass Ceili Academy heads to dance camp!

Bluegrass Ceili Academy, Community, Irish Dance Classes in Lexington

Remember when summer break was the big thing and you couldn't wait to spend part of it at camp? That's what Bluegrass Ceili Academy is getting to do this summer and we couldn't be more excited to tell you all about it. The best part of camp so far? The energy! With students between the ages of 7 to 13, the room buzzes with summer excitement. As part of the Kiddie Kapers & Company Dance Program summer camp, Bluegrass Ceili Academy is stepping into one of the guest instructor spots each week. For the dancers, it's something new to learn. For the teacher (that's me!), it's an opportunity to work with a great group of girls and boys and introduce them to traditional Irish dance. In the first week, dancers learned the…

Jun92016 by Megan MNo Comments

We know how to have fun! A night of Irish dancing in Lexington

Ceili Dancing

Wow, what a night! We had a great time this week at McCarthy's Spiders Well as we hosted an evening of free Irish dancing in Lexington, featuring food, shopping, dancing and a pint or two. For those who showed up early, dinner at Nat's was a treat. Nat prepared a special curry for those attending the event. If you follow Bluegrass Ceili Academy on Facebook, you might have caught our sneak peak of it as we broadcast live before the event. Our friends at Failte Irish Imports stayed open late so our dancers could do a little shopping. Failte is a great supporter of Irish dancing in Lexington and we're excited to partner with them on these monthly events. They even provided some great door prizes for those who attended. Getting your jig…

Jun32016 by Megan MNo Comments

Supporting your community Irish dance school in Lexington

Community, Instruction

Starting up a Irish dance school in Lexington from the ground up is a lot of work. But we're thrilled to have a running start as we build our community-based program. We've already kicked things off with a series of free Irish dance classes in downtown Lexington at McCarthy's Irish Bar in the Spiders Well. Our first class was such fun that we're doing it again next week. Check out our Facebook event for the details, but consider joining us on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Bluegrass Ceili Academy: Your community-based Irish dance school in Lexington Our next big venture is coming up in the next few weeks as we introduce students from Kiddie Kapers & Company Dance Program to Irish dance. Students attending the summer camp offered by Lexington Parks…