Brennan-Lucey Irish Dance Academy | Irish Dancing School CT

Why Irish dance?

Besides being a lot of fun, Irish dancing is both an art form and a sport. Not only will you learn about Irish culture, music and its traditional dance form but you will also gain coordination, stamina, fitness, agility, sportsmanship, musicality and camaraderie. Above all, it’s enjoyable!

Irish dancing can be done competitively or just for fun and at Brennan-Lucey we cater to both types of dancers. There are many performance opportunities for the students including St. Patrick’s Day parades and displays, weddings/private functions and an end of year recital. There are also many competitions throughout the year that the students are encouraged, but not mandated, to participate in.

Do I need to be Irish to Irish dance?

Absolutely not! Even if you’re not Irish, it’s an amazing form of dance; its energetic, technical, exciting and great exercise. Irish dancing is fun for anyone and we welcome everyone to come try a class and see if it’s right for you.

What should we wear to classes?

As a dancer, you or your child should wear shorts or stretchy leggings and a t-shirt or tank top to class with hair tied back. No denim shorts, long sleeve shirts, or baggy sweatpants. Dancers need to be able to move, sweat and jump around!

We do implement a Brennan-Lucey class uniform of all black and/or any Brennan-Lucey merchandise any color, with hair tied back and proper Irish dance shoes. The class uniform helps promote unity and teamwork between all of our dancers and also eliminates distractions. Irish dance socks ('Poodle Socks') are preferred for females and plain black tube socks for males. Turn Out Socks are also acceptable and encouraged for classes however they are not allowed to be worn in performances or competitions. Poodle Socks can be purchased here and Turn Out Socks can be purchased here. If participating in a ceili class, black tights are to be worn by females underneath black (or BLA) shorts. The uniform is encouraged for all levels of dancers in all classes.

As for footwear, beginners can wear jazz/soft ballet shoes with socks or just socks to class however purchasing the proper shoes ('Ghillies') will be required for any competitions or recitals. Check out the video below for how to tie them. As you or your child progress, Hard Shoes (similar to tap) will be required. You can purchase brand new shoes from Fay's Shoes online store, from Center Stage in Monroe, CT, or from vendors at Irish dancing competitions. Please do NOT buy any Irish dance shoes off of Amazon or other websites as most shoes from them are poorly made and do not fit properly/last long. We do have a Brennan-Lucey pre-loved bin (current dancers check the 'Parent's Area' for inventory) where you can purchase and sell pre-loved shoes at a discount. Be aware that these shoes tend to run in ‘Irish sizes’ which are different to our standard American sizes! Use this sizing chart to help find the right size for you.

How to Tie Soft Shoes

Fees, Make-up Classes, and Closures

To find out more about our pricing, simply email info@brennanlucey.com. If you're already enrolled in classes and would like a reminder, simply enter the 'Parent's Area' by clicking here. We unfortunately cannot offer refunds if you miss a class, but we offer free make-up classes! You're always more than welcome to come along to any of our other locations within a month of the missed class for your make-up class. If we have to cancel a class due to weather or any other unexpected circumstance, we will let you know via email by 2:00pm. If you don't receive an email from us, assume class is still on and come along as usual but please use your discretion if there is iffy weather.

Brennan-Lucey Merchandise

We have a range of Brennan-Lucey merchandise available in our online shop. To enquire about purchasing Brennan-Lucey merchandise, simply visit our online shop, ask us at class, or email info@brennanlucey.com

If you or your child would like to participate in any of the performances or competitions, you will be required to wear the school performance outfit. Visit our private 'Parent's Area' for all of the information you'll need. These will be worn at all of the Academy’s performances and at competitions (i.e. feiseanna) up until the Prizewinner level. To enquire about a fitting, or to purchase a Brennan-Lucey costume, please email info@brennanlucey.com or ask us at class! We're always happy to answer any questions you may have.

What is a 'Feis'?

A feis (pronounced 'fesh', plural 'feiseanna' pronounced 'fesh-ee-ah-na) is an Irish dance competition. There are many feiseanna in the tri-state area throughout the entire year. If you or your child choose to compete they will start in the Beginner category and work their way up to the highest level, Open Championship. The levels are as follows: Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Novice, Prizewinner, Preliminary Championship and Open Championship. The ultimate goal of a competitive Irish dancer is usually a medal/top placement at the World Championships (the Olympics of Irish dance, held once a year) however each individual dancer has unique goals and we aspire to help each of our students to achieve any goal they might have, be it competitive or personal.

What is a 'Ceili'?

A ceili is a team or group dance. At Brennan-Lucey each student is encouraged to participate in ceilis’ as they are a great platform to encourage teamwork and sportsmanship while also providing a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of Irish dancing, music and traditional Irish culture. These will be performed just for fun in a weekly class but can also be performed at various competitions and performances throughout the year.

Is there a sibling discount?

Yes! To find out more about our Sibling Discount, simply email info@brennanlucey.com. If you're already enrolled in classes and would like a reminder, simply enter the 'Parent's Area'.

Yes! We do shows/performances!

Please contact us for any event or function you may have. We perform at weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, team building retreats, and St. Patrick’s Day events! Email info@brennanlucey.com for fees and pricing.

How can my dancer practice at home without damaging my floors?

1) Shower Pan Liner. It is sold in Home Depot in the plumbing section in rolls of 4ft by whatever you cut it off to in length. A precut 5ft x 6ft section runs around $35. This is essentially the same rubber mat type flooring (Marley) that we use in dance class so will have the same feel when danced on. You can roll the shower pan liner right over any wooden/laminate floors you have in the house (We would do words side up in case the ink imprints off to the floor; we have never had this happen but you never know). It will protect the floor from any scuffs and from most divots the shoes would make in the wood itself.

2) If you only have a rug/concrete/tile space you would be rolling this over I would then purchase some cheap plywood the same dimensions of the area you will cover with shower pan liner and some gaff tape (doesn’t leave a sticky residue like duct tape) and tape the shower pan liner to the wood when in use so it doesn’t slide around. It isn’t great for dancers to practice long term on concrete/tile so the wood underneath creates a small barrier to help and the wood over the rug will help with sound! If you wanted to go a step further you can get those foam puzzle pieces and tape them to the bottom of the wood to create a “sprung floor” effect. This is a good idea if practicing for hours on tile/concrete!

Gaff tape can be purchased on amazon or at guitar center. It is not shiny and has a rougher surface than duct tape. Stage hands use it all the time!