2018 Dance Performers

Inishfree School of Irish Dance

The Emerald School of Irish Dance joined with the highly acclaimed and award winning Inishfree School of Irish Dance in 2015. The Inishfree School has been one of the most prominent Irish Dance Schools in the state of Texas for over 15 years. Inishfree is a competitive Irish Dance School with locations throughout Texas, Mexico, New York, Massachusetts and Belfast and has produced multiple Regional, National and World Champions. It is directed by World Champion Neill Reagan, ADCRG, Patrick McCarthy, ADCRG, and Pierce Beach, TCRG.

Inishfree Dallas, originally directed by Emily Touzin, a native Dubliner, and her daughter, Leslie Touzin Middleton, TCRG, was first established in 1968 in Vermont. Then opened in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in 1977 and has been teaching and promoting the art of Irish dance in North Texas ever since. The dancers have performed throughout the North Texas area, including the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center with the world famous Chieftains, the Bass Performance Hall with the Trinity Irish Dancers, with renowned fiddler, Eileen Ivers at the North Texas Irish Festival, and corporate events to name a few. We pride ourselves on giving Texas children a place to flourish within the competitive world of Irish Dance. Inishfree dancers have placed at the regional, national and world level, but the objective of the school is not just to produce champions, but to continue to pass on to its students of all ages, the traditions and joy of Irish Dance! Celebrating this joy, our dancers continue to regularly perform throughout North Texas, giving even our youngest children the chance to show off their skills.

At the Southern Region Championships held December 1-3, 2017, Inishfree had 7 1st place champions, 11 podium placers (top 3), and 19 World Qualifiers, and 2 of our 8 hand ceili teams won their championships making it the most winning school once again in the Southern Region.

Classes are open to children and adults - for fun or competition - in Dallas and Lewisville. Solo and team classes for beginner through adult. We accept new students all year long. Email: inishfreedallas@verizon.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emeraldschool/ Website: www.inishfreedallas.com.

Jackson Irish Dancers Dancers

Jackson Irish Dancers, founded in 1998, is a non-profit corporation that spreads knowledge, enjoyment and understanding of traditional Irish dance through instruction, performance, and social gathering. In other words, we started this group so we’d have more folks to dance with… so far, it’s working!

We offer classes in the Jackson, Mississippi metro area, and are available for performance bookings or to call your next céilí. Our performances feature traditional Irish set dancing, céilí dancing, and solo dancing, under the direction of Catherine Sherer Bishop, MFA, TCRG.

Visit www.jacksonirishdancers.org or call 601-291-3378 for information. See you on the dance floor!

Maguire Academy of Irish Dance

The Maguire Academy of Irish Dance is directed by Darren Maguire ADCRG with studios in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona, Houston and Dallas, Texas, Edmond, Oklahoma, and Queretaro, Mexico. He is ably assisted by instructors Andy McLane, TCRG, Helen Buck, TCRG, Carina Balsa, TCRG, Jackie Ross, Alexis Plevel, and Paris Turgeon.

Darren Maguire relocated to the United States in 2006 to open the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance, retiring from Riverdance after performing with the show for ten years. Darren is the oldest son of renowned Irish dancers Kathleen and Michael Maguire, who run the highly-regarded Maguire O’Shea Academy of Irish Dance in London, England.

Darren expanded the Maguire Academy to Dallas in the Spring of 2008. To date, numerous Dallas dancers have competed in Worlds, All Scotlands, and Nationals, as well as the Southern Regional Oireachtas.

The Maguire Academy has locations in East Dallas and Frisco and offers classes to boys and girls aged 4-years-old to adult. When they are not competing, the Maguire dancers love to perform all over the DFW Metroplex for school and cultural groups, sporting events, the State Fair of Texas and the North Texas Irish Festival. For more information, please visit our website MaguireAcademy.com or find us on Facebook at Maguire Academy of Irish Dance Dallas.

McTeggart Irish Dancers of North Texas

The McTeggart Irish Dancers of North Texas, founded by Maureen McTeggart Hall T.C.R.G, A.D.C.R.G. and currently under the direction of Anne Hall T.C.R.G, A.D.C.R.G. has been offering classes in competitive and performance Irish step dancing in the DFW area since 1984 and is home to the southern region’s only 2 time World Champion.

Our dancers not only compete locally, regionally, and internationally but they perform throughout the area at schools, retirement homes, and major cultural events to promote and keep alive the art of traditional Irish dancing.

We offer outstanding instruction to help our dancers meet their goals and develop a lifelong love of dance! Visit our website at: www.danceirish.org.

Shandon-O'Regan Irish Dance Academy

Under the instruction of sisters Kay LaGreca, TCRG, and Maura Anderson, TCRG, the Shandon-O'Regan Irish Dance Academy is a certified school of traditional Irish step and ceili dancing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, The school is registered with An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (the Irish Dancing Commission in Dublin, Ireland), the Irish Dance Teachers of North America (IDTANA) and the IDTANA - Southern Region.

Shandon-O’Regan caters to all ages and levels of dancers in our classes in Richardson and McKinney. We aim to foster a supportive and caring environment that instills tradition and inspires champions.

Shandon-O'Regan Irish Dance Academy competes regularly at local feisanna and celebrates many successes over the years including recalls and qualifications for Worlds at the Southern Region Oireachtas and recalls and placings at the North American Irish Dance Championships, also known as Nationals.

Shandon-O'Regan celebrated its 20th anniversary in January 2018 and continues the tradition to teach the love of Irish dance to students in the DFW area!

New Orleans Irish Set Dancers

New Orleans Irish Set Dancers is a group born of a shared love of Irish Set Dancing. Taught by veteran set dancer Debbie Cornett, we meet for weekly classes and monthly ceilis. We also enjoy performing at regional festivals and events including Mississippi Celticfest, Irish Fest New Orleans, and North Texas Irish Festival.

The group is affiliated with the New Basin Canal Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, an international organization dedicated to the promotion of the music, song, dance and language of Ireland.

Find “New Orleans Irish Set Dancers” on Facebook or email debbie@thecornetts.com for more information. All of our performances end with audience participation, so come and join the fun!