irish dance in lexington

Feb252018 by Megan MNo Comments

Irish dance March madness in Lexington is on its way!

Local Events

The month of March is made for Irish dancers -- so much so that we have our own version of March madness in Lexington, with festivals, parades, performances and lots of fun. Our Bluegrass Ceili Academy is heading into March, as they say, like a lion -- with a full lineup of events where you can meet and dance with us! Check out our March madness in Lexington schedule Here are some of the places you'll find us this March. March 10 – Irish Dance at MovementLust (workshop): Get your jig on just before St. Patrick's Day with this family-friendly Irish dance class at Movementlust. Join Central Kentucky's community-based Irish dance school at Lexington's hottest new dance studio to learn the basics of Irish step and group dancing. This special class is…

Sep202017 by Megan MNo Comments

Irish dance in Lexington: Traditions, history give growth to new community

Bluegrass Ceili Academy, Instruction, Irish Dance Classes in Lexington

When I talk about what I want Bluegrass Ceili Academy's role in Irish dance in Lexington to be, you'll hear me describe our goal of being a community-based cultural arts resource for Central Kentucky. It's that perspective that we want to share with our dancers, families and supporters. We're just days away from the start of our second full year of classes at Artworks at the Carver School and we couldn't be more excited to welcome both our new and returning students. But before the new year begins, I wanted to share with you more about what Bluegrass Ceili Academy is, where we came from and our mission in being a vital part of the community. The legacy of Peggy O'Neill [caption id="attachment_945" align="alignright" width="234"] Peggy O'Neill. Photo courtesy of…

Apr62017 by Megan MNo Comments

Irish dance March madness gives way to a busy April!

Bluegrass Ceili Academy, Community

It's hard to believe that Bluegrass Ceili Academy's Irish dance March madness has come and gone and we're already into the month of April! This past March was our first St. Patrick's season as the newest dance school in Central Kentucky. Our dancers stepped onstage for the first time for a number of local performances and we had a BLAST all month long! Take a look at some of the highlights: (And yes, that's your Academy director dancing *with* a fractured heel...The show must go on!) What's next after Irish dance March Madness? While we love our month of Irish dance March madness, we're looking forward just as much to this April as we celebrate spring at Lexington's Kite Fest and our dancers take the stage again for the Kiddie Kapers &…

Feb52017 by Megan MNo Comments

Bluegrass Ceili Academy brings “Something Irish” to the stage

Bluegrass Ceili Academy, Community, Local Events

When I left Lexington in 1995 to head to Washington, D.C., I left behind friends and my work in the local theatre community here. In D.C., I stopped acting and started dancing. On St. Patrick's Day this year, I get to go back to my theatre roots and I couldn't be more excited. Bluegrass Ceili Academy will be joining Woodford Theatre this March 17 and we are inviting our community to celebrate the day with "Something Irish." Explore Irish dance, music and language and meet the folks behind Translations, by Irish playwright Brian Friel, which opens March 24. [caption id="attachment_694" align="alignleft" width="291"] Click on the image to see a larger version.[/caption] It's an evening full of Irish arts and culture! 6 p.m. - Social Irish dancing with 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…

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…