Selections

NTIF Dancers

The various local schools of Irish dance, as well as a number of regional dance groups will again be featured on their very own Emerald Dance Stage.

In addition, the NTIF Dance Callers will host a dance Céilí where all visitors may watch, learn and take part in a exceptionally well organized three hour session on the Emerald Stage.

The Cass Academy

Since being established in 2005 by director Erin Cass, TCRG, Cass Academy has been captivating audiences in the Houston area and beyond! Traditional Irish Dance lessons are offered in three locations for girls and boys of all ages - The Woodlands & Katy (Houston) and Cedar Park (Austin). Cass Academy's competitive success has led their students to compete at the local, national, and world levels. You don't want to miss this electrifying performance group!

Emerald School of Irish Dance

The Emerald School of Irish Dance has been teaching and promoting the art of Irish dance in Dallas/Fort Worth since 1977. Directed by Emily Touzin, a native Dubliner, and Leslie Touzin Middleton, TCRG, Emerald dancers have performed shows 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, and the North Texas Irish Festival, to name a few.

This award winning school includes dancers who have qualified to enter the World Irish Dance Championships and the North American National Championships.  We offer classes for adults and children - beginner through championship - for fun or competition in Dallas, Lewisville, and Arlington.

Join us at the Emerald School Bluebonnet Feis and Ceili on April 17, 2010, Westin D/FW Hotel.

Jackson Irish Dancers

Jackson Irish Dancers, founded in 1998, is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to spread 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, and so far, it’s working!  We offer classes and are available for performance bookings or to call your next céilí.  Our performances feature traditional Irish set dancing, céilí dancing, and solo dancing.

The McTeggart Irish Dancers

The McTeggart Irish Dancers perform throughout the North Texas area, and compete against dancers from all across the United States when they attend a feis, traveling to such cities as New Orleans, Houston, Denver, Oklahoma City, Austin, and San Antonio. Qualifying students also compete at the Southern Region Oireachtas, the North American Nationals and internationally in England and Ireland. Students of all ages are welcome to join for instruction in both competitive and non-competitive dancing.

The McTeggart School of Irish Dancing was established in 1939 in Cork, Ireland. The first director was Peg McTeggart, the eldest of four sisters, all of them champion dancers. The school soon spread throughout the whole of County Cork due to the efforts of younger sister Maureen McTeggart Hall, TCRG and ADCRG. In 1958 Maureen McTeggart Hall and her family immigrated to the United States, bringing with them the art of Irish Dancing and introducing it to the Western Region of the United States.

Maureen McTeggart Hall began teaching in Denver in 1976 and has built one of the most respected schools in the nation. McTeggart schools have consistently qualified dancers for the World Championships in Ireland and proven to be a top school in competitions. A past chairman of the Western Region, Maureen McTeggart Hall is a vice-president of the Irish Dancing Commission and has adjudicated at the North American and World Championships. Other McTeggart schools are located in Alaska, Colorado, Arizona and Oklahoma as well as Texas.

McTeggart Irish Dancers of San Antonio

The McTeggart Irish Dancers of San Antonio have a long history going back to the very first NTIF in 1983. Back then the group was known as the San Antonio Irish Dancers. The group became known as McTeggart in February 2008. The Director of McTeggart Irish Dancers of San Antonio is Maureen Hall, ADCRG, Teacher is Christie New TCRG. Since becoming a McTeggart School the group has grown considerably and now has classes all through the week.

Maguire Academy of Irish Dance

Darren Maguire relocated to Tucson in the summer of 2006 to open the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance after hanging up his Riverdance shoes, having danced with the world-renowned show for ten years

In the spring of 2007, Maguire Academy of Irish Dance opened a branch in Dallas. Maguire Academy teaches classes for dancers ranged in age from four to adult. Students love to compete in Irish Dance competitions throughout the Southwest United States and internationally. In December, 30 dancers were chosen to compete in the 2009 Southern Region Oireachtas championships, with a large number of dancers earning medals. Maguire Academy students will also compete in the 2010 North American Nationals, as well as the 2010 All Ireland Competitions.

Maguire Academy Dancers have performed all over North Texas for many local schools, nursing homes, private corporations and for the Dance Council. In the fall of 2009, the Maguire Academy Dancers were honored to be chosen to perform at the opening of Dallas newest premiere performance venue, the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

New Orleans Comhaltas Irish Dancers

The New Orleans Irish Set Dancers are excited to perform for the first time at the North Texas Irish Festival. The group is the only one in Louisiana dedicated to Irish set dancing, a popular form of social dancing in Ireland for 150 years. Sets descended from French quadrilles that were translated into unique folk dances in Ireland. After falling out of favor for a time, they have enjoyed a renaissance over the past few decades.

Members of New Orleans Irish Set Dancers range in age from 20-somethings to septuagenarians, but they all share a passion for Irish music and dance. They have performed at CelticFest in Jackson, Miss.; Celebration in the Oaks in New Orleans; Swamp Celts Festival in Gonzales, La.; the Scottish Highland Games and Festival in Gulfport, Miss. and other festivals and venues.

But the group doesn’t just dance for performances. Members enjoy dancing to live music at monthly ceilis at New Orleans’ historic Deutches Haus and other pubs, and all are encouraged to participate.

If you’re in New Orleans on a Tuesday night, feel free to visit them at their weekly class at 717 Adams St., Uptown New Orleans, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The class is led by Debbie Cornett, who has been attending classes at the Willie Clancy Summer School in Ireland since 2000 to learn the West Clare style of set dancing.

Shandon School of Irish Dance

Instructor Kay Brown LaGreca T.C.R.G. began dancing in County Cork, Ireland at the age of five. After moving to Texas, she grew to love Irish dance under the instruction of Emily Touzin. She continued to dance with Emily until she met Eoin O'Maoileidigh in April of 1994.

Kay attended her first competition under Eoin in June of 1994 and swiftly began to work her way towards championship levels. In March of 1995, after less than a year of dedicated practice and class time, Kay entered her first preliminary championship competition where she won third place. She continued competing successfully for the next three years during which she won the Southern Region Oireachtas and qualified for Worlds.

In January of 1998, Kay's beloved teacher Eoin moved back to Ireland and left the school to Kay. The school was supported by Colm O'Maoileidegh until Kay became certified in October of 2001 when it became known as as the Shandon School of Irish Dance and has enjoyed many successes over the years including regular recalls and qualifications for Worlds at the Southern Region Oireachtas and recalls and placings at the North American Irish Dance Championships. Shandon is proud to announce the success of Jason Hickman in placing 3rd in solos and Qualifying for Worlds at the 2010 Southern Region Oireachtas. The Shandon School of Irish Dance also currently holds the titles of Southern Region Champions in the Adult Ceili Mixed and Ladies 8 hands.

Michael and Susan Harrison

Spurred by Riverdance and the spotlight it shone on Irish dance, Michael and Susan began taking Irish céilí and step dance lessons from the Emerald School of Irish Dance in 1997. They were hooked. Travel to Ireland in 2001 introduced Michael and Susan to Irish set dancing, which they study and practice locally and via dance workshops in North America and Ireland. Susan is a certified céilí dance teacher, having obtained TMRF certification from An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha in 2007. Michael and Susan teach traditional céilí and set dancing via recreation centers and workshops.  They also call the Celtic Céilí dances for the Southwest Celtic Music Association at the ArtCentre of Plano, monthly céilís at Trinity Hall in Dallas, and the Saturday evening NTIF céilí annually.

Lone Star Ceili Band

The Lone Star Ceili Band was born out of the Richardson Sessions at Cafe Brazil. It is a union of the members of two bands, Happensdance and the Irish band known as Jigsaw. More could be said about these musicians than could ever be written on this page.

The pioneering efforts of Ken and Peggy Fleming and Kevin Alewine have spearheaded most of what Dallas has seen of Irish music in the past two decades. They have played in several bands known to Irish music lovers and have helped to form many related events such as the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat and the Trinity Hall Sessions, thus fostering the interests of untold numbers of musicians, listeners, and dancers. This Irish powerhouse joined forces with Happensdance members, Mimi Rogers and Allison Hicks to bring the spirit of the Irish ceili to the contra dance floor.

Irish music has long been a staple for the bands that have played at the Dallas contra dances and never has it been played with such accuracy and ease and with such respect for the tradition as with the LSCBand. This band is splendid addition to our growing wealth of music.