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Date Posted: 04:25:27 09/18/02 Wed
Author: Annie
Subject: Irish dance community

Please don't flame me or call me names. I'm an adult and have been trying to learn Irish dance for five years. But the Irish dance community has been far from welcoming. I've tried a couple schools, and I've gotten the distinct impression (or have been told outright) that I'm not good enough for them and to get lost.

It hurts. All I want to do is dance. What's the secret? What do I have to do--that no one's telling me--to get accepted into an Irish dance school as a beginner?

If I didn't love dancing so much, I'd just walk away from it. I've never met such rude people. And I heard from a friend that her relative's little girl was denied enrollment (in another city) because the entire school was full and wasn't accepting any more students when they obviously were.

The last school I tried to enroll with did nothing with my application and check and refuses to respond to my phone calls or e-mails. Classes started two weeks ago, and I'm frantically trying to figure out why I wasn't accepted.

And there aren't any other schools in my area.

Second question. Is there any way to learn Irish dance even if you're not accepted by a school? Is there any way to DO anything with it then? I had originally hoped to get my TCRG.

Please don't flame me. I'm not a bad person. I'm just trying to figure out why this is happening.

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Replies:

[> I'm sorry to hear this is happening to you....... -- Dance for the funof it., 23:52:52 09/22/02 Sun

In order to take the tcrg test, you have to be enrolled in a tcrg school. But if you can't get in, and want to at least learn it for fun, you can learn from videos, there are several good one's out there. That's how I did it because the nearest school is like 8 hours away. Maybe you can get a friend or two to join you. I have met a lot of other non cert dancers and teachers thru the internet, and we exchange videos and get feedback, it's fun. Adults shouldn't be punished for wanting to dance. If you want it bad enough you can do it!


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[> Your problems aren't that different from many of the childrens. There are parts of the country where -- stacy, 21:41:17 09/30/02 Mon


there are not enough certified teachers for children and most parents who drag their children around 4 to 7 hours a week need a way to measure if it is all worth their time and if the teacher is doing their job. You don't have that problemand there are good, if not better, non-certified schools out there. Check with Irish stores, pubs and irish organizations for non certified teachers -- who knows you may have an over supply of certified teachers in your area.


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[> Re: Irish dance community -- Justine, 12:34:16 10/03/02 Thu



I am very sorry to hear that you are having such touble to find a dance school. I don't really know what to say other than I do not dance at a school that has been in business " for over 15 years!", or what ever they say. When I was 13, I was very interested in knowing how to go about learning this lovely dance, and my mom and I looked up some people, came across a lady named Deirdre Sullivan. It turned out that she had not taught for 7-10 years ( i think), we called her up, and then gave the number to a local regular dance studio that was looking for an Irish dance teacher, and lo and behold, Deirdre started to teach there, and it is her 5th year there this year!
I guess after reading your letter, that I was very fortunate to have a good experience. Before we looked up numbers, I went to this Irish dance academy, but their beginner class was HUGE, and the ages were really mixed up ( not that that is a bad thing, but dancing ability comes into question ), and I have seen that school perform at Stonehill college Irish festival, and the owner is kind of loud, and a teensy bit obnoxious. Oh well, there are a few like that in the world. For the sake of politeness, I will not mention the school's name.

Best wishes in your search!

( I guess I would have to say try to look for a smallish school that is interested in growing.) Do you live in MA?

~J. Waterfield


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[> Re: Irish dance community -- Sean, 05:53:51 10/17/02 Thu

First of all what area are you in. If you in Canada ECR eastern region, I can help with pointing you in the right direction with regards to local accredited schools that teach adults. Or even a few non certified teachers, Have you tried a local rec centre some times you get lucky and they have a program going. I used it to get a class started in a city, so check them to. Also check local dance school like jazz tap etc. Some times you can get lucky in them to and find that someone teaches Irish Step for them ( these ones can tend to be not so good) but you never know till you ask. you might just find some Champion Level Dancer trying to earn some pocket money, it's a place to start right.

Good Luck
Sean

Good Luck
Sean

>Please don't flame me or call me names. I'm an adult
>and have been trying to learn Irish dance for five
>years. But the Irish dance community has been far
>from welcoming. I've tried a couple schools, and I've
>gotten the distinct impression (or have been told
>outright) that I'm not good enough for them and to get
>lost.
>
>It hurts. All I want to do is dance. What's the
>secret? What do I have to do--that no one's telling
>me--to get accepted into an Irish dance school as a
>beginner?
>
>If I didn't love dancing so much, I'd just walk away
>from it. I've never met such rude people. And I
>heard from a friend that her relative's little girl
>was denied enrollment (in another city) because the
>entire school was full and wasn't accepting any more
>students when they obviously were.
>
>The last school I tried to enroll with did nothing
>with my application and check and refuses to respond
>to my phone calls or e-mails. Classes started two
>weeks ago, and I'm frantically trying to figure out
>why I wasn't accepted.
>
>And there aren't any other schools in my area.
>
>Second question. Is there any way to learn Irish
>dance even if you're not accepted by a school? Is
>there any way to DO anything with it then? I had
>originally hoped to get my TCRG.
>
>Please don't flame me. I'm not a bad person. I'm
>just trying to figure out why this is happening.


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[> You should do ceili dancing! -- and instead maybe go for your TMRF, 04:46:29 12/05/02 Thu

>Please don't flame me or call me names. I'm an adult
>and have been trying to learn Irish dance for five
>years. But the Irish dance community has been far
>from welcoming. I've tried a couple schools, and I've
>gotten the distinct impression (or have been told
>outright) that I'm not good enough for them and to get
>lost.
>
>It hurts. All I want to do is dance. What's the
>secret? What do I have to do--that no one's telling
>me--to get accepted into an Irish dance school as a
>beginner?
>
>If I didn't love dancing so much, I'd just walk away
>from it. I've never met such rude people. And I
>heard from a friend that her relative's little girl
>was denied enrollment (in another city) because the
>entire school was full and wasn't accepting any more
>students when they obviously were.
>
>The last school I tried to enroll with did nothing
>with my application and check and refuses to respond
>to my phone calls or e-mails. Classes started two
>weeks ago, and I'm frantically trying to figure out
>why I wasn't accepted.
>
>And there aren't any other schools in my area.
>
>Second question. Is there any way to learn Irish
>dance even if you're not accepted by a school? Is
>there any way to DO anything with it then? I had
>originally hoped to get my TCRG.
>
>Please don't flame me. I'm not a bad person. I'm
>just trying to figure out why this is happening.


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[> Unfortunately adults are not taken seriously by most teachers -- me, 05:23:29 12/11/02 Wed

Think about this, there are not enough teachers in the US, so teachers can pick and choose their pupils. There is no where for adults to progress after reaching the advanced level. Children can progress through the 6 levels upto Open, then to Oireachtas, then to a Worldwide level. Teachers time is valuable, they want to spend it on pupils that have potential to go places, that's why they don't want to spend it on adults. Not everyone is the same though!!


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[> Re: Irish dance community -- Janice, 14:48:28 08/12/04 Thu

Do all Irish-step dance teachers have to have their TCRG? Or is it only if you want your children to compete in a feis?


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[> [> Re: Irish dance community -- Jan, 14:49:41 08/12/04 Thu

>Do all Irish-step dance teachers have to have their
>TCRG? Or is it only if you want your children to
>compete in a feis?


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[> [> [> Re: Irish dance community -- Jan, 14:51:31 08/12/04 Thu

>>Do all Irish-step dance teachers have to have their
>>TCRG? Or is it only if you want your children to
>>compete in a feis?


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