The primary purpose of the Teelin Student Handbook is to summarize the information that pertains to current students of the Teelin School of Irish Dance. The Teelin website is the source of these summaries. Some pages within the “student info” section of the website are password-protected. The login for these pages will be sent by email in late-September to enrolled students, and then sent again if the login is changed. Please do not share the login publicly (for example, on Facebook or a message board). If you forget the login, send an email to info@teelin.com. Emails with the subject li ..read more

Teelin is committed to providing top quality dance instruction, promoting Irish culture through traditional step dance, exploring innovative choreography, and increasing performance opportunities for Irish dancers. This is accomplished through the two branches of Teelin: the SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE, and the PERFORMANCE COMPANY. Owner/Director Maureen Berry,TCRG, is passionate about Irish dance, Irish music, and dance performances. Maureen’s sister, Kathleen Young, TCRG, is a Co-Owner, an Instructor, and also serves as the Business Manager. And the third Berry sister, Eileen Narvell, is the Teeli ..read more

Irish step dancing is a niche activity. When Riverdance hit the world stage in 1995, it brought to public attention an aspect of Irish culture that previously had been largely confined to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, cultural events and dance competitions. Since then, the popularity of Irish dance has skyrocketed. For those who are new to the world of Irish Dance, this brief introduction may help. In Irish dancing, a step is a sequence of foot movements, leg movements and leaps, choreographed to fit a certain musical cadence. The sequence is danced through 8 bars of music for the “right foo ..read more

Most students enter the Teelin School lesson program either through the Summer Camp program, or by enrolling in an entry-level class at the beginning of the school year. Students with previous Irish dance experience may interview for possible transfer into our program. Class levels are defined by a dancer’s ability to perform the requisite skills appropriate to that level, NOT by a dancer’s number of years of experience. In May of each year, students are given a recommended class placement for the following year. For students who compete, class placement is determined by a dancer’s current app ..read more

If you know that a student will miss their scheduled dance class, then please send e-mail to kathleen@teelin.com so that we have accurate expected attendance numbers in each class. (See below if a student is on a figure team, or in the champ program, or in company.) Make-up opportunities are limited, in order to keep our class sizes manageable.  Any requests to attend a make-up class must be submitted by e-mail to kathleen@teelin.com. Attendance in any make-up class must be confirmed in advance. NOTE FOR CHAMPS: Make-ups in the M/Th Champ classes will not be permitted during SRO prep time ..read more

Some students enjoy the opportunity to compete, and some students prefer to focus their efforts on other aspects of Irish dance. Choosing to compete is a personal decision; Teelin supports and respects each dancer’s various interests. For Teelin families who are new to Irish dance…. The Irish word feis (pronounced “FESH”) means festival, but is more commonly used to describe a sanctioned Irish dance competition. Dancers who compete must be students in good standing of a TCRG (certified instructor). With instructor’s consent, these students are eligible to compete in feiseanna (plural of feis ..read more

There are a few important things for students to know if they would like to continue their Irish dance training on a “part time” basis, especially if they are moving away for college. According to CLRG (the Irish dancing commission) rules, any student who enters a sanctioned competition (i.e. – a feis) must be a student in good standing with a registered Irish dance school. Ultimately, every dancer in competition is a representative of their dance school. Dancers may only compete under the Teelin name with Maureen’s knowledge and permission. If a Teelin college student would like to compete, b ..read more

Independent practice is a chance to take what you’ve learned in class, and to figure it out. It feels different to dance on your own than it does in class. This is an opportunity to apply the lessons you’ve learned in class, rather than just following instructions with a group. Teelin recommends that all dancers, regardless of current level, work to establish effective independent practice habits. For dancers who aim to dance at a championship level, effective independent practice outside of class is mandatory. As a general rule of thumb, there are four parts to a good independent practice: W ..read more

The move from Prizewinner Grade competitions to Preliminary Championships is significant. Each dancer transitioning into the Teelin Champion Program will attend the next available orientation meeting, which will offer the dancer and her/his family an overview of the program and access to additional resources on the Teelin website. Champion level Irish dancers are top-level athletes, and it is important for each dancer to be aware of her/his own body’s strengths and weaknesses. A high overall fitness level is required of each dancer. Teelin will recommend certain stretches and exercises to danc ..read more

The Teelin Irish Dance Company is an advanced level performance team comprised of students auditioned from the Teelin School of Irish Dance. Being a member of company requires significant commitment, probably best comparable to the commitment required of a travel soccer team. (Note: Many students in company also participate in Irish dance competitions, but the Teelin Irish Dance Company is a performance team, NOT a competition team.) Each year, as the Teelin School of Irish Dance grows and develops, the Teelin Irish Dance Company also evolves. Company dancers must excel in four areas: excellen ..read more