Introduction:
During the lockdown period, many individuals sought solace and engagement through new hobbies. Among these, dancing emerged as a popular choice, with people of all ages turning to online dance classes. While online dance learning offers numerous benefits, it is essential to be aware of both the advantages and challenges before embarking on this journey.


Benefits of Online Dance Learning:

1. Flexibility in Scheduling: One of the significant advantages of learning to dance online is the flexibility it provides. Unlike traditional classes with fixed schedules, online learning allows students to create their own timetables. This freedom ensures that individuals can learn at their own pace and choose the most suitable time to practice, making dance accessible to those with busy lifestyles.
2. Access to Global Instructors: Online platforms break geographical barriers, granting access to the world's best dance instructors. Students can learn from renowned professionals and diverse styles, enriching their dance experience and broadening their understanding of different cultural influences on dance.
3. Cost-Effectiveness: Traditional dance classes often come with additional expenses like transportation and specific dance attire. In contrast, online dance classes can be budget-friendly, as students can practice from the comfort of their homes and wear whatever they prefer. This cost-effectiveness widens the appeal of dance learning to a broader audience.
4. Fostering Independent Thinking: Online dance courses encourage students to think independently and take charge of their learning. When individuals are not overly reliant on instructors, they develop a deeper understanding of the dance techniques and movements, empowering them to progress more efficiently in their dance journey.
   
   
   

Challenges of Online Dance Learning:

1. Self-Motivation: One of the primary challenges in online dance learning is self-motivation. Without the external accountability of attending a physical class, students may face procrastination. To overcome this obstacle, setting personal goals and maintaining a consistent practice schedule is crucial.
2. Reduced Face-to-Face Interaction: Compared to traditional dance classes, online learning may lack face-to-face interaction, which is integral to the social aspects of dance. Although digital platforms often include forums and communities, students must make an effort to connect with fellow dancers and share their experiences.
3. Importance of Technique: Proper technique is fundamental in dance, and when learning online, students must be vigilant about getting the fundamentals right. Addressing minor technique issues becomes more challenging as individuals progress to higher levels, highlighting the importance of a well-structured online course with ample drills and exercises to improve technique.

​Conclusion:
The benefits of learning to dance online are undeniable, offering flexibility, access to top instructors, cost savings, and the fostering of independent thinking. However, potential challenges such as self-motivation, reduced face-to-face interaction, and technique considerations must be acknowledged and addressed by aspiring online dance learners. By understanding both the advantages and challenges, individuals can make informed decisions to embark on a fulfilling and enriching dance learning journey online.

Our classes are in the Carry Centre, Killiney.
We teach in Killiney every Thursday and Saturday. We make our classes as fun as possible, with an aim for instilling a love of Irish Dance in our students. We educate and train our students so that they will be able to participate in grade exams when they are ready. We have an end of year class showcase, at Christmas, so parents can see what they have been learning. And at the end of the school year, in June, we have a class feis (friendly competition) to give our students the opportunity to get up on stage and perform for family and friends. 

​We are located in The Carry Centre on Killiney Hill Road. Just up from Cuala GAA Hall on Hyde Park Road. We are around the corner from Glenageary and Killiney National School

Schedule:
Thursdays 4.30 ~ Beginners
Thursdays 5.15 ~ Intermediate
Thursdays 6.15 ~ Advanced
Saturdays 10.30 ~ Advanced

​Our address is
The Carry Centre
102 Killiney Hill Road
Killiney
Co. Dublin
A96 FE04

Servicing Areas
Killiney
Dalkey
Dun Laoghaire
Glenageary
Ballybrack
Sallynoggin
Shankill
​Sandycove

​​Nearby National Schools
Glenageary and Killiney National School
​Dalkey National School
Loreto Primary School
St. Patrick's National School, Harbour Road, Dalkey
Castle Park School
Harold's Boys School
Scoil Lorcáin, Blackrock

Many people developed new hobbies and interests during the lockdown period. As people stayed at home, some decided to pass their time doing their favourite hobbies. Dancing was one of the many activities that helped people get through the tough times. People of all ages turned to learning to dance online. 

There is a big case for learning online as it helps students to think independently.  But learning dance through online platforms has its pros and its cons. People interested in taking up online dance classes should consider all these points before signing up for online dance classes.

Benefits of learning to dance online

Some of the main pros of learning to dance online are:

• No fixed hours: Since you are learning to dance online by yourself, you can have flexible learning schedules. There are no fixed hours in which you have to attend a class. You can learn to dance online at any time.

 

• No geographical limitations: With online classes, you can have access to the best dance teachers around the world. It's possible to sign up with international dance teachers as there are no geographical limitations to online platforms.

 

• Less expensive: If you were to learn dance in a studio, there would be other associated costs aside from the class fees. For instance, travelling and clothing expenditure. With online dance classes, you can stay at home and wear whatever you like.

 

• Thinking independently: We have noticed that when our students use our online dance course to learn, the very fact that they are not relying on us to guide their every move brings a much deeper understanding of what they are learning. They learn to think independently and figure things out by themselves, which compounds over time, and makes learning new moves and routines a lot easier. 

Drawbacks of learning dance online

For all its benefits, there are some cons to learning to dance online. Some of them are:

• Self Motivation: Sometimes the hardest part is just starting your online dance class. Because you are learning in your own time, procrastination can be a problem. You must stay motivated and develop your own schedule to stick with it. 

 

• Face-to-face interaction: There is less face-to-face interaction when learning online. Which naturally inhibits the social side of dance.  

 

• Technique: If you are learning to dance online, it's very important to get the fundamentals right, otherwise little problems with technique can be harder to fix as the student progresses to higher levels. a good course will have have plenty of drills and dance exercises that you can do to improve technique

Irish Dancing stems from a point in time where the Celts and the druids who wandered the island of Ireland, before the birth of Christianity and any outsider influences. The druids had many rituals involving the use of group dancing, predominantly in a circular fashion around scared trees. The Celts also had their own type of folk dancing, which used similar patterns of dance.

Of course, the dancing was accompanied by singing or music and took place mainly at religious ceremonies. One of the biggest held by Celtic communities was called the ‘Feis’ (which we still have today, but is usually more of a showcase of Irish dancing and music). Modern Irish dance competitions are also called feis or feiseanna.

In the 12th century, the Normans invaded and brought their own native dances and customs, which resulted in a change of the traditional circular formations to more line formations. It wasn't until the 18th century that Irish dancing became what it is today.

Today, Irish dancing is quite different to the dancing style of old, there are also many different types of Irish dances:
● The reel - it is a lively dance that involves jumping steps
● The jig - is a fast upbeat dance and is the most popular in Ireland. It can be a light or hard shoe dance
● The single jig - is similar to a regular jig, with slightly different rhythms
● The slip jig - is danced in a soft shoe and has graceful movements
● The hornpipe – has a slower tempo and danced with hard shoes
● All of these dances can be learned in our Irish dancing masterclass.

There are many other types of Irish dancing but what all these dances have in common are remnants in formations and patterns from the Celts, Druids and Normans.
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You can’t talk about the history or Irish dancing and not talk about Riverdance. This amazing show brought the attention of Irish dance to a worldwide audience when it debuted at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. It was a 10 minute interval act that was choreographed and performed by Michael Flatley and Jean Butler and a large ensemble cast of Irish dancers. It was produced by John McColgan and Moya Doherty, and it was composed by Bill Wheelan. Because of this performance it was developed into a full length show and  went on in the same year to perform at the Royal Variety Show. The audio was number one in the Irish charts for 18 consecutive weeks. And the show sold over 120,000 tickets in the first run of shows in Dublin.

Michael Flatley subsequently left Riverdance and created his own show called Lord of the Dance. This was also a huge success, selling to sold out arenas around the world and winning multiple awards.

These wonderful shows brought the history and legacy of Irish dancing from Ireland to the rest of the world. The creativity in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance made Irish dance what it is today.