Bluegrass Ceili Academy

Jul122016 by Megan MNo Comments

Get your jig on! Join us for Irish dancing in Lexington!

Ceili Dancing, Irish Dance Classes in Lexington

It's "hump day" in the middle of summer and you're looking for something fun to do, right? Why not try a free night of Irish dancing in Lexington with Bluegrass Ceili Academy! We're hosting a night out at the Spiders Well in downtown Lexington -- dinner, shopping, a pint and your chance to "get jiggy" with it. Join us on Wednesday, July 13, from 7 - 8:30 p.m. Our friends along Upper Street are making a night of it -- we'll have a special dinner item from NAT's Thai restaurant available (last month it was an awesome curry). Failte Irish Shop is extending their hours to give you a chance to pick up some yummy Irish treats or classic Irish gifts. And since we're right next door to McCarthy's, you'll be…

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…

May252016 by Megan MNo Comments

Riverdance in Lexington: Finding inspiration where you can

Local Events

[caption id="attachment_386" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Riverdance performed in Lexington on Wednesday, May 25, as part of One: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Photo via Twitter (@AlltechLA).[/caption] It's not every day that you get to see Riverdance in Lexington. So the last two days have been extra special with the chance to watch a rehearsal and a private performance at One: The Alltech Ideas Conference. On Tuesday, local Irish dancers, including students from Artworks at the Carver School, where Bluegrass Ceili Academy will be teaching beginning this fall, were invited to attend a dress rehearsal by the cast. While many of the Artworks dancers have studied ballet, jazz or tap, this was their first experience with Irish dance. Seeing Riverdance in Lexington [caption id="attachment_387" align="alignright" width="300"] Local Irish dancers, including some future Bluegrass Ceili…

May252016 by Megan MNo Comments

Take a free Irish dance class in Lexington

Irish Dance Classes in Lexington

Show up for the steps, then stay for a pint! Join Bluegrass Ceili Academy for a FREE Irish dance class in Lexington* at the Spiders Well at McCarthy’s Irish Bar. Never danced before? New to Irish dance? Not a problem! We’ll start with the basics. Irish ceili (pronounced kay-lee) dancing is the traditional group dancing native to Ireland. The dances we teach — and the dances you’ll learn — are those generations-old dances handed down through the years. We're returning to offer this free Irish dance class in Lexington at the Spider's Well on Wednesday, June 8 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. McCarthy’s is located downtown at 171 South Upper Street, Lexington. The Spiders Well is through the door along the right wall towards the back of the bar. Want to take another Irish dance class…

May182016 by Megan MNo Comments

Donate your shoes to Lexington Irish dance community-based program

Instruction

When Bluegrass Ceili Academy classes begin this fall at Artworks at the Carver School, it will be the first time our community-based Lexington Irish dance program welcomes students. It will also be the first time in a number of years that Irish dance has been offered through Lexington Parks and Recreation. We're excited to get started, but we need your help to do so! Since we're new to the Lexington irish dance community, with no previous dancers around, there's no "used shoe bin" for our students. To get our new students dancing, Bluegrass Ceili Academy is seeking donations of all sizes of lightly used and outgrown Irish dance shoes. Currently, none of the dance supply stores in Lexington stock ghillies or hard shoes, and local competitions where vendors may be…

May132016 by Megan MNo Comments

Learning traditional Irish dance in Lexington

Instruction

[caption id="attachment_351" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Dancers perform a slip jig choreography. Photo by K. Wilson.[/caption] The beauty, rhythm, grace and tradition of Irish dance are some of the reasons so many dancers are drawn to it. If you're interested in learning traditional Irish Dance in Lexington, Kentucky, Bluegrass Ceili Academy will be starting new classes this fall with an emphasis on team dance, performance and competition. Exploring the traditional roots of Irish dance is something Academy director Megan Moloney has done before by reviving nearly century old dances and giving new interpretations to them. You can watch videos of traditional Irish ceili dancing in action on our website. Another beautiful example of one style of traditional Irish dance not typically seen in most dance schools was shared this week by current Riverdance cast…