ceili dancing

Aug162016 by Megan MNo Comments

Irish dance classes in Lexington: Register beginning August 24

Instruction, Irish Dance Classes in Lexington

Bluegrass Ceili Academy will begin offering Irish dance classes in Lexington this fall through Artworks, a community cultural arts program. Registration for classes begins online Wednesday, August 24 at noon through the Lexington Parks and Recreation website. Join us on Monday nights for classes at the Carver School in downtown Lexington. Our children's Irish dance class is from 6 - 7 p.m. and has a fall and spring session. The fall session runs September 26 - December 5 and costs $60. The spring session is January 30 - April 17 and is $70. Students ages 6 to 15 are welcome to join our children's class -- no previous dance experience is necessary, but we certainly welcome those with other dance or previous Irish dance experience. We're also excited to offer a new…

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…

Mar162016 by Megan MNo Comments

7 things you should know about Irish ceili dancing

Ceili Dancing

You see the word "ceili" in our name and wonder "What is that? How do you say it? Can I even do that?" Yes you can! Here are answers to some of the questions you may have about ceili dancing and just how fun and easy it can be. 1. It’s easier to pronounce than it looks! In Irish, the word “ceili” is pronounced the same way my niece spells her name, Kaylee! Spelling it might be tricky if you hear it before you see the spelling, but since it’s “I before E, except after C” then you’re good here, too. C-E-I-L-I Irish ceili dancing is the traditional group dancing native to Ireland, first taught by tradition and then, in 1939, put into writing by the Irish dancing commission. The…