In many families, Monday morning (or even Sunday night) through Friday afternoon feeling running the gauntlet - school, work, activities, homework, projects, meetings, CCD, scouts, the list just never seems to end. You might not even have a free night, but on the rare occasion you do it might be your only chance to have a family dinner or have time to slow down.

We totally get it, and in our effort to make Irish dance classes as accessible as possible we hold classes on Saturdays in addition to our weekday schedule! Designed for first and second year students, our pre-beginner and beginner classes on Saturday mornings are perfect for busy families. Whether sports are on the calendar in your house or not, there’s something about Saturday morning that just has more ease to it.

Our Saturday classes are open and ready for new student enrollment! Irish dance classes are very active - even for those who aren’t into sports (psst, I never was!) - while also being extremely social and engaging. We have dancers from all over Connecticut so there are so many new friends waiting for your young dancer to meet. We have fun at every class while learning strong basics and encouraging a love of dance.

Children ages 3-5 are able to join our pre-beginner program from 9:30-10:00am each Saturday while children ages 6+ can join our beginner program from 10:00-11:00am. We have weekday offerings for both programs but they are filling fast! You can register on our website, https://www.irishdancect.com/register.html

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Have you been wanting to try a class but waiting for the right time? Are you counting down the days until the kids go back to school and looking for something to do? Has your calendar looked more like advanced calculus all year and summer has finally opened up some time?

No matter the reason or occasion, we hope you can join us for a free "Try It Out" class on

Monday July 23
​Monday July 30

If your little dancer is age 3-5 you can join us on either day at 5:30 for a 30min class. If your dancer is 6 or older, you can join us either day from 6:00-7:00pm.

This "Try It Out" trial class opportunity is in conjunction with our 2018 summer camps for new students, so there will be plenty of first timers in class for your dancer to meet.

Irish dancing is 

⚡ High energy
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Enjoyable for boys and girls
🎵 Upbeat with infectious music
👋 Social and encourages students to meet new friends

And most importantly, FUN! Come see what all the buzz is all about! You can RSVP by sending in the form below.

Please join us in wishing the very best of luck to our six dancers attending the North American Irish Dance Championships this week in Orlando, Florida. They have qualified through the regional championships and/or achieving Open Championship status, the highest level within the competitive ranks.

They will represent Scoil Rince Luimni, Connecticut/Massachusetts, and the New England Region in the championships against the United States, Canada, Mexico as well as dancers traveling from Australia, Ireland, the UK, and beyond. We are proud of their hard work through their preparation and are looking forward to their training shining on stage. 

Colleen Williams, 11, of Amston, CT and Bella Jensen, 11, of Somers, CT will compete in the Girls Under 12 division on Wednesday July 4th. They are best of friends and are practically inseparable, making training enjoyable for them while they make each other laugh almost constantly. It will be Colleen's second time attending the NAIDC and Bella's debut.

Emma Magnani, 15, of Springfield, MA and Kayla Purcell, 15, of Hebron, CT will compete in the Girls Under 15 division on Monday July 2nd. Both are first time qualifiers and looking forward to experiencing this heightened level of competition together. 

Tara Lynch, 17, of Cheshire, CT will compete on Sunday July 1 in the Girls Under 18 division. She is a second time qualifier and learned a lot at her previous NAIDC in New Orleans last year. She is bringing her wisdom and experience with her this year and loves to perform on the big stage. Lindsey Hoffman, 18, of Columbia, CT will compete on Saturday June 30 in the Girls Under 19 division in her fourth appearance at the championships. After recovering from injury last year, she is giving it everything she has and brings more maturity and perspective than ever before. 

Each division has approximately 130 - 180 competitors and the top 50% of each group will be recalled to dance a third round before being awarded at the end of each day. No matter the outcome, we are proud of each dancer for qualifying for this major championship and their growth as dancers, performers, and competitors in their preparation for this week. 

You can follow the highlights on our Facebook page or for a more detailed look at each day, you can follow us on Instagram through our posts, stories, and IGTV. 

Exciting news out of our class of 2018! Among our Scoil Rince Luimni dancers, two have been named their class valedictorian for 2018. We congratulate Lillian Bluestein, St James School Class of 2018, and Tara Lynch, Cheshire Academy Class of 2018, on their outstanding achievement in their respective schools. Both Lilly and Tara exemplify how Irish dancing and academic achievement go hand in hand. 

As dancers progress, their time in the studio increases and coupled with getting older, dancers quickly have to learn how to manage their time in order to stay on track in school and with their dancing aspirations. We tend to see dancers figure out how to manage their time rather than curtail their dance career, a trend that is seen not only within our school but the greater Irish dancing community as well. Over the last few years we've seen the oldest competitive age bracket expand and split to manage the higher number of dancers pursuing their competitive goals after college graduation, joining the workforce, and beyond. 

As dancers learn how to manage their time, they also learn to prioritize what is really important to them. It's no surprise that both Lilly and Tara find time to fit in community and family time as well as other commitments - Lilly is involved in her church and Tara is a soccer player. Other dancers within our school are involved in school clubs and sports which gives each dancer 3-5 priorities that come before screen time, trivial activities, or getting into trouble ;)

Irish dancing is a disciplined and fairly regimented sport so this continues to feed the goal-focused, work-first, and continuously striving mindset that brings achievement in both academics and dancing. We teach goal setting and maintaining a positive mindset in ways that go beyond dancing and can be practiced in real life. 

We are sure Lilly and Tara will continue to do great things both in and out of the studio! Lilly will continue her studies at Northwest Catholic High School in the fall and Tara has been accepted to Ithaca College for communications. 

Our annual Showcase is Saturday May 19th beginning at 5:30pm. This year we will be holding our event at East Catholic High School in Manchester, CT. Each year our Showcase features all of our classes and dancers as well as scholarship and award winners to recognize each dancer's achievements and growth throughout the year. 

Tickets go on sale tonight at 8pm - we have two ticket types, Gold and Standard.

Gold ticket holders will be admitted beginning at 4pm for a pre-show reception and early seating in the auditorium. There is no assigned seating, so gold ticket holders will have early access and first dibs on seats.

Standard ticket holders will be admitted beginning at 5pm to select from remaining seats. There are no bad views in this large auditorium and there are only 150 gold ticket available.

Both ticket types will have access to our post-show reception, our raffle baskets, and an amazing show!

Thank you to everyone who spent St Patrick's Day with us at any point during the months of February and March! We performed at over 40 events and appearances, bringing smiles, steps, and Irish culture to thousands of people this season. Here are some of our favorite photos from this month, captured by dance parent Melissa Carter. 

Bookings for 2019 will be open soon - make sure to snag your spot ASAP!

Our season of performing and sharing Irish music and dance with the masses began the last weekend of February but the main attractions are just around the corner!

Many of our events are private, but we've compiled a list of public events that anyone can attend! Some of these events do require reservations or tickets, so please check with the hosting venue for more information.

Farmington Library - Registration required

NBMAA Museum After Dark - Tickets Required

See you soon at one of our events! Happy St Patrick's Day!

It’s winter - darkness looms in the early afternoon, the bitter cold snaps at your skin, and just seconds of being outside feel like a punishment. The winter affects everyone differently and children are no exception. As a parent, you may silently rejoice when your dancer whines, “but do I have to go to dance class tonight?” and give in without much of a fight in favor of a movie night in, cozy sweatpants, and a glass of wine.

On occasion we all need a night off, a mental health day, or time to regroup. Please make no mistake this is not what this article is about. Rather, this article is about the growing number of children that haven’t learned to - for lack of a better term - ‘suck it up.’ This may be a controversial statement to make, but I am not talking about truly harmful situations here - like dancing through an injury, true psychological issue, or in any kind of bullying. We’re talking about children going through temporary bouts of feeling unmotivated, a little lazy, or even a bit burned out.

It’s a slippery slope if you give in - it starts with a song and dance about not wanting to go to class. I’m too tired, it’s cold, I don’t want to get in the car. Then it manifests to other things - I don’t like this dinner, I want macaroni and cheese. I hate the dentist. I’m not doing my chores. I don’t want to go to school today. I’m willing to bet if you let your children get away with doing nothing EVERY time they said they didn’t feel like it, nothing would get done.

There are lots of things that even as adults we don’t want to do. Do I light up with joy thinking about going to the doctor? Cleaning my toilets? Waking up early? Paying bills? No, but I do them anyway without dragging my feet (at least most of them time). As an adult I am not motivated 100% of the time, but by working through moments of boredom or tension, trudging through tasks or activities I didn’t want to do at that precise time, and putting my head down and getting stuff done as a child I learned the difference between genuine dislike of something vs trying moments that are worth working through.

We often talk about dance class being about more than just dance instruction - it’s about life lessons and here’s a BIG one! Even if getting your dancer in the car to go to dance class in the winter feels like a trek across the Sahara, chances are as soon as the music turns on they’re so glad they came. I hate to tell you, parents - but most of the time children save their best drama and sass for you.

Use dance class as a lesson for your child about commitment - what it means to make a commitment and what it means to follow through. Teach them about work ethic and how nothing worth having comes easy. Teach them how to live responsibly by reminding them their classmates and their teacher are counting on them to show up. We don’t always have to “feel it” but we have to push through together. You’ll thank yourself as your dancer ages and the temptations to back down on our commitments grows during middle school, high school, college, and even as young adults enter the workforce.

So the next time your dancer opens their mouth to say they’re too tired, bored, busy, [insert excuse of the day here] to do what you know is the right thing to do, make sure they show up anyway.

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From November 17 - 19, droves of New England’s best Irish dancers descended upon the Connecticut Convention Center in Downtown Hartford for the annual regional championships. A home game for SRL, our 29 dancers who reached our qualification standards competed for placements across three divisions - traditional set, solo championships, and teams.

Beginning with our traditional sets, SRL had many first time competitors competing in this division designed to give intermediate dancers the opportunity to test their skills against others from the New England states. We are proud to say that of our 16 traditional set competitors, 11 of them placed in the top 50% to appear at the awards ceremony. Of those 11 dancers, here are their results:

Gabby G - 3rd place
Isabella R - 4th place
Lilly B - 6th place
Ciara D - 7th place
Cara Maye W - 9th place
Ellie D - 9th place
Paige M - 10th place
Audrey M - 14th place
Jane C - 15th place
Mairi C - 19th place
Cassidy T - 19th place

In the solo championships, dancers from the two championship levels - preliminary and open - compete for placements in the top 50%, berths to the North American Irish Dance Championships, and later qualification to the World Championships. SRL had 9 solo championship competitors with 4 earning the honor of a recall and competing in the third round of competition. Three were awarded on stage:
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Colleen W placing 19th and qualifying for NAIDC 2018
Emma M placing 41st
Kayla P placing 48th
Tara L, Lindsey H, and Rebecca K are pre-qualified for NAIDC 2018 in Orlando, FL

On Sunday, our 3 four-hand teams competed as well as our eight-hand. This was our first big team year after sending a pilot team in 2016. With stiff teams competition in the New England Region, we are thrilled that our Girls U12 team placed 14th! Well done to Bella J, Colleen W, Irelyn L, and Audrey M for their excellent teamwork and beautiful dancing. Our youngest four-hand was just one place away from making the 50% cut and our mixed four-hand was just three places away. Our eight-hand kept pace with the best of them and made SRL proud.

We have several dancers right in the mix to qualify for the NAIDC 2018 and we’re looking forward to our upcoming winter feis season!

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Did you know SRL offers yoga? That's right, certified LivFree yoga instructor Colleen Macsuga teaches Vinyasa yoga here at our studio. A popular program with parents, students, and the public, Colleen guides everyone through a practice that is suitable for their level. If you're a beginner, Colleen will make sure you have the foundations down while being encouraged and uplifted - this is absolutely a #judgementfreezone. If you're an improver or a veteran yogi, Colleen will modify for you to ensure your practice is appropriately challenging.

Yoga is on Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30pm from Wednesday November 1 through December 20. Classes are drop in, however you must register to appear on our class roster. Create an account and then log-in to select "Yoga for All" from the yoga tab. Once you've registered, you'll store the card of your choice on file so we can auto-debit it after only classes you've attended. 

Come see us on Wednesday with a mat and comfortable clothing. SRL Studio is located at 400 Chapel Road 1A, South Windsor CT 06074. 

The 2017 New England Oireachtas (or Irish dance championship) is coming to our home city of Hartford from November 17-19th. Over the Oireachtas weekend, competitors from all six New England states will gather to compete for titles and placements in three main disciplines - solo championships, traditional set, and ceili. 

Our solo championship competitors will be vying for positions within the top 50% to earn placements and medals at the evening award ceremony. From there, competitors will also look to earn berths to the 2018 North American Championships in Orlando, FL and/or the 2018 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Our solo championship representatives are Colleen Williams of Amston, CT & Isabella Jensen of Somers, CT in the Girls Under 11 category, Emma Feeley of Springfield, MA, Emily Messier of Glastonbury, CT, Emma Magnani of Springfield, CT, Kayla Purcell of Hebron, CT, and Mackenzie Richards of East Longmeadow, MA in the Girls Under 14 category, Tara Lynch of Cheshire, CT in the Girls Under 17 category, Lindsey Hoffman of Columbia, CT in the Girls Under 18 category, and Rebecca Kall of Farmington, CT in the Ladies Under 22 category. Lynch, Hoffman, and Kall are already pre-qualified to attend the 2018 North American Championships.

Our traditional set dancers are preparing to compete in the solo championship category in the future by showing mastery of their technique, timing, and musicality in one of the seven traditional set dances. These dances stem from the dance masters that would travel from village to village or county to county in Ireland teaching steps to men, women, and children. Various versions were passed on and preserved and are still prominent in the dance tradition today. Representing SRL in various age groups include Isabella Robinson, Jane Carty, Nora Carty, Mairi Carchrie-Leigh, and Irelyn Lash, all of South Windsor, CT, Cara Williams of Amston, CT, Ciara Doyle and Abby Quinby of Windsor, CT, Audrey Miner of Tolland, CT, Paige Miele of Westfield, MA, Katelyn Hall of Manchester, CT, Cassidy Thompsen of Ellington, CT, Lilly Bluestein of Broad Brook, CT, Ellie Diver and Gabby Gorman both of Farmington, CT, and Kelly Beyus of Harwinton, CT. 

In the ceili category, dancers compete on teams of 4, 8, 16, or in Dance Drama. The 4 and 8 hand ceilis are another passed down, traditional aspect of Irish dance. A book of 30 dances must be mastered as part of the teacher certification process and features in the competitive repertoire to preserve historic pieces of Irish dance. The 16 hands and Dance Drama competitions represent the more modern interpretations of Irish dance with new, innovative, teacher generated choreography. SRL has three four-hand ceilis; our U8s featuring Isabella Robinson, Jane Carty, Nora Carty, and Cara Williams, our U10s featuring Michael Jensen, Mairi Carchrie-Leigh, Ciara Doyle, and Angelina Mundo, and our U12s featuring Isabella Jensen, Colleen Williams, Irelyn Lash, and Audrey Miner. SRL also has a eight-hand ceili in the Under 15 section featuring Gabby Gorman, Kayla Purcell, Emily Messier, Lilly Bluestein, Ellie Diver, Paige Miele, Cassidy Thompsen, and Mary Gombos. 

Competitions will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center all day November 17, 18, and 19. Admission is free for spectators and we would love your support! 

Back to school is coming! Along with the paperwork, getting those back to school supplies, and the settling those first day of school jitters, it’s time to start thinking about after school activities! Most parents want to expose their children to a variety of activities while they’re young to see what their natural talents may be, allow them to experience different communities, and fill up that after school time while the homework load is light.

If you’re considering Irish dance as an activity this year, you’re probably also weighing up the risk of your picky, finicky, young one rejecting your choice. It's a common predicament, kids really can be so fickle when it comes to activities. To help with your decision, here are some popular archetypes of kids who end up loving Irish dance:

1. The Energizer Bunny: never stops moving, twirling, running, jumping, and maybe even more dangerous moves. These energizer bunnies need something to channel their energy into, and I'm sure you've made this realization. But why is Irish dancing such a good choice? If your young one is a mover and groover, they need music! Sports aren't done to a backing track and Irish dance combines the best of sport and art! Both the dance and the music is high energy, so your active little man or lady has plenty of stimulation at dance class to tire them out before bedtime.
2. Mommy’s Extra Leg: sometimes you may feel like you have a third leg because your child. Just. Won't. Let. Go. Of. You. You want some time for yourself and you know your extra appendage needs time to develop on their own too. Why is Irish dancing such a great choice? Well, this might be an SRL unique draw, but our classes are very structured which helps nervous, vulnerable, new dancers find comfort in the routine, focus on their lesson, and slowly grow confidence and independence. Our teachers really go the extra mile to ensure these dancers are engaged and immersed in the moment rather than worrying about mommy.
3. The Closet Extrovert: chatty, energetic, and even a little sassy at home or with family but transforms into a shy, withdrawn, and stoic little person in front of new people. Sound like someone you know? I bet your biggest worry with dance is, “but how are they going to get on stage and do a recital at the end of the year? I don't want to traumatized him/her!” A worthy concern - especially since most dance forms do build up to once big recital at the end of the year. At SRL, we actively work on students comfort and familiarity of being on stage from the beginning. From performance opportunities at libraries, farmers markets, schools, and more - all open for beginners - students associate being on stage with fun, friends, and praise rather than getting nervous or upset. By the time we get to our year-end dinner dance, even the shyest of students are ready to go!
4. The Rule Follower: always serious, usually focused, and never puts a toe out of line! Our structured classes, consistency in giving feedback, and opportunities to reward hard work speak to our rule followers who just love to impress. These types of kids live off making corrections to hear positive feedback, showing that they’re always prepared and ready to learn more, and their desire to be a model student. Teachers love them, their classmates love them, and most importantly - the kids love to dance!

Do you know someone who fits into one of these categories? Send them this article and see if Irish dance is an activity they'd consider for this year!
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SRL qualified four dancers to compete at the 2017 North American Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana from July 4 - July 9. To qualify for the North American Championships dancers must advance to the top competitive level of Irish dance, "Open Championships," or place highly enough at the regional qualifying event.

Our 2017 North American Championship qualifiers were: Rebecca Kall (Farmington) in Ladies U22, Lindsey Hoffman (Columbia) in Ladies U18, Tara Lynch (Cheshire) in Girls U17, and Colleen Williams (Hebron) in Girls U11.  

Our qualifiers trained tirelessly through the spring and early summer to put their best foot forward on stage. They made our entire school so proud and the experience gained by our qualifiers has benefited both their personal growth and the growth of their classmates who hope to qualify themselves this November. 

Channel 3 News was there to catch all the action on Friday for SRL's performance at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. Passengers arriving and departing from Bradley were treated to Irish dancing in Terminal A!

Check out the live video here: 
​https://www.facebook.com/WFSB3/videos/10155105753414197/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE

We visited WWLP in Springfield, MA this St Patrick's Day to teach co-hosts Seth and Lauren a few steps!

Check out the video here: wwlp.com/2017/03/17/irish-step-dancing-live-in-studio-one-a/​

Have you heard the news? 

From now until St Patrick's Day, SRL is including a chance to win 2 RT tickets to Dublin on Aer Lingus with every car magnet purchased from our online store! The winner (to be drawn 3/18) and a guest of their choice will receive 2 economy tickets to fly from Bradley to Dublin and back to be used on dates of their choice (some blackout dates apply). If Dublin isn't your destination du jour, you can add a ticket to almost any destination in Europe for a nominal fee. The same applies stateside if Bradley isn't your local airport; you can add a connecting flight on partner airline JetBlue to make your dream vacation to Dublin a reality!

How do you enter? Visit our online store and purchase your desired quantity of magnets (each magnet purchased = 1 ticket into the draw). We can mail them to you or have your favorite SRL dancer deliver it to you by indicating their name in the notes section. By placing your order, we will have all the contact information we need to notify you should you be drawn as our lucky winner!

Our last blog was about how dancers can make their dancing both in and out of the studio. However, a motivated and enthusiastic dancer is only part of the puzzle - for a dancer to be truly successful they need to the support of both their parents and their teacher. Today we’ll explore the role of the parent in a dancer’s training and how you can help them along the path to greatness!

Each dancer has different goals for their dance education and their goals may change over time. Your goals for the dancer may be different than the goals they set for themselves, and that’s okay too. Some dancers have the goal of making friends in class and attending the St Patrick’s Day parade. Other dancers want all of that plus making the top competitive rank of Open Champion. No matter what your dancer’s goals are or what your goals for them are as a parent, here’s how to foster and encourage them throughout their training:

1. Show interest - It sounds simple, but many of us are so caught up in our lives or aren’t verbal enough about showing an interest in those we care about. Asking your dancer about what they learned that day, what they’re excited for in their next class, or what friends they talked to at class reminds your dancer that you’re interested without being pushy or overbearing.
2. Encourage practice, but don’t force it - Yes you heard right, don’t force them! Often parents think that if their dancer isn’t practicing, they aren’t interested. However, this isn’t always the case. What you may not see is their legs moving under their desk at school, skipping down the halls or the grocery aisles, or their playtime turning into their stuffed animals participating in a class at their bedroom studio. Depending on where your dancer is in their dance journey and their age, this is a perfectly acceptable means of practicing. In my book, dancers who are self-directed and enjoying their practice time will be so much more successful in the long run than dancers who set a timer with a frown on their face because mom or dad is making them practice.
3. Encourage your dancer out of their comfort zone - Especially for very shy dancers, dancing is a palatable way for them to ease out of their comfort zone. Gauge what your dancer is comfortable doing (going into class on their own, asking questions, socializing with classmates) and encourage them to take a step forward when the opportunity presents itself. With St Patrick’s Day coming up, dancers have many different avenues to build their experience and confidence while tackling challenges. Your dancer may be initially apprehensive to participating in a parade or dancing in front of their school, but if parents present it as a fun way to show off their hard work and really celebrate their achievement the dancer will feel amazing afterwards. That same dancer will feel better about trying new things in both dancing and in life following a positive new experience.
4. Ensure preparation - Whether it’s for class, a performance, the recital, or anything in between, ensure your dancer is ready for anything. Make sure your dancer is dressed appropriately, has their shoes and equipment for class, or brings what they need to an event or performance. The dancer can take age appropriate responsibility in packing their bag or costume, but as a parent you can ensure you print out a list provided by the teacher or double check it before getting into the car. For anxious dancers this is particularly crucial in ensuring they have a positive and exhilarating experience.

Since I'm sure you don't hear this as much as you should, thank you to all the dance parents out there, on behalf of your dancer(s) and their teacher(s).

Dancers, do you want to impress your teacher(s), make steady progress, or become the best you can be? Here's 5 ways you can make your teachers say WOW!
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1. Come prepared - Bring everything you need for class including shoes, a water bottle, and anything else your teacher requires. Make sure to be dressed appropriately or according to the dress code and leave distractions - like toys, games, and devices - at the door.
2. Listen - Teachers have so much knowledge that they want to pass on to students but you have to be listening to soak it all up! Aside from teaching you steps, your teachers will often point out life lessons or share personal experiences during classes that are valuable to each student’s dance education. Your teacher will give you corrections and feedback on how to make your dancing better, so listen to your own corrections as well as feedback given to others to maximize your potential.
3. Ask (relevant) questions - If you don’t understand something or need clarification, don’t be afraid to ask! Your teachers are here to help you become the best you can be and appreciate a student who takes the time to think about something deeply enough to have a question. It shows your teachers that you’re interested, engaged, and have initiative. Just make sure to ask your teacher by raising your hand at an appropriate time so you don’t disrupt their lesson or your class.
4. Set goals - Goal setting helps everyone take action steps towards achieving something big! Think of a long-term that you want to achieve - dancing in hard shoes, making a ceili team, or qualifying for a certain competition - and each week set smaller goals to help you get there! Get your friends and family involved to help keep you accountable or document your progress in a practice log or journal.
5. Practice, practice, practice - Think about how long you spend at school each day and how much homework you do each night in order to stay on track with your grade level. As a young dancer, you spend as little as an hour a week at dance class and go as long as a whole week before your next class. If you practiced for even 10 minutes each day you’re not at class, you’re already doubling your dance time and can improve so much faster! Practice can be anything from going over a step that’s been giving you trouble to pulling out the dress up closet and putting on a show for your family. The most important thing is that you’re dancing outside of class with a goal in mind.

Upon reading the title you're probably thinking one of three things:

• "Sounds like fun!"
• "I'm not so sure...."
• Or, "I can do that?!"

Adults CAN take up Irish dancing even as a 20, 30, 40, 50-something, or beyond! Even studios with competitive programs for children can have recreational programs for adults too! 

Irish dancing is such a great form of exercise (with adults burning up to 400 calories an hour!) that is also enjoyable and socialable. Why let the kids have all the fun?!

At SRL, our adult program is made up of students who are first time learners, "boomerangs" who danced as children, and even moms of former/current Irish dancers. These men and women range from 20 somethings to over 60, so there's room for anyone of any age to learn.

Classes consist of a mixture of styles including solo step dancing, ceili and set dancing (group dances), as well as old style sean-nos dancing so you're guaranteed to find something you love and never get bored. If you decide through your journey that you wish to pursue Irish dancing at a deeper or competitive level, we have programs for that too!

Ready to try it yet? Come along for a free trial class and see for yourself! Our adult classes are on Tuesdays in Farmington from 8-9pm and Thursdays in South Windsor from 8-9pm. Hope to see you soon!

The 2016 New England Oireachtas was held in Providence, RI from November 18-20 so New England's top dancers across three divisions could go head to head. SRL took 13 dancers and 1 team after many months of preparation, hard work, and sacrifice. Our dancers brought their best to the stage from our little first timers to our championship veterans. We had 4/5 soloists make the cut for top 50% of their age group with 3 qualifiying to the North American Championship to be held over the July 4th holiday in New Orleans, Louisiana!

Our traditional set squad consisted of almost exclusively first timers to the Oireachtas stage and their performances made us so proud! We had 3 dancers make the final cut for awards on stage with some fantastic results!

Our final division of competitors was our first ever ceili team! Our girls 4-Hand are the trailblazers for our school's ceili/teams program that will only grow from here. Teams are such an important part of Irish dancing and we hope to have all dancers experience this side of dancing in the coming years. Our team did not make the cut for awards, but they were pretty close to the recall line for a team that has only been together for a short time. Well done girls!

Next year the Oireachtas comes to our home city of Hartford! We plan to include even more first timers and teams to allow our hardworking dancers to opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd.