In a mirrored studio on Farmington Avenue, twelve-year-old Aidan O'Reilly laces his hard shoes and runs through a hornpipe one last time before class ends. The click of his heels against the floor is precise, percussive, and deliberately placed—years of training compressed into thirty seconds of explosive movement.
O'Reilly is not alone. Across New Hartford, Connecticut, a tight cluster of Irish dance schools has produced an unlikely concentration of competitive talent, with students regularly advancing to regional championships, national finals, and, in recent years, the All-Ireland and World Championships. What began as a niche cultural pursuit has become one of the most demanding and successful youth arts programs in Litchfield County.
The Schools
New Hartford is home to three established Irish dance academies, each with a distinct philosophy and competitive footprint.
The McBride School of Irish Dance, founded in 1998 by former Riverdance touring member Eileen McBride, is the town's longest-running program. McBride emphasizes rigorous feis preparation—feisanna being the traditional Gaelic festivals where dancers compete in reels, jigs, and set dances. Her students typically log eight to twelve hours of studio time weekly, with additional strength and conditioning sessions.
River Dance Academy, opened in 2009, bridges competition and performance. Director Sean Kelly, a TCRG-certified instructor, fields a touring ensemble that performs at regional festivals and nursing homes throughout the year. Several of his advanced students split their training between solo competition and the academy's ceili (team) dance program.
Celtic Cross Dance Theatre, the newest arrival in 2016, has carved out a contemporary niche. Founder Niamh Byrne incorporates modern step-dance theater into the curriculum, and her senior company premiered an original work, Crossings, at the Warner Theatre in Torrington last November.
Together, the three schools enroll roughly 220 students, from four-year-olds in beginner soft-shoe classes to young adults preparing for professional auditions.
The Rising Stars
Aidan O'Reilly studies with McBride and has emerged as the most accomplished male dancer the school has produced in at least a decade. In March 2024, he placed third in the Under-12 Boys' Hornpipe at the North American Irish Dance Championships in Montreal—the first New Hartford dancer to reach the podium in that division since 2014. He added a seventh-place finish in the U12 Boys' Reel at the same event.
"Mentally, I try to treat a big stage like a small feis," O'Reilly said after a recent evening class. "If I think about how many people are watching, my legs get heavy. I focus on the music and the steps I've done a thousand times."
Maeve Donovan, thirteen, trains with River Dance Academy and competes in the Open Championship level, the highest tier before the elite Major Championships. In April, she earned a recall—advancing to the final round—at the All-Ireland Championships in Dublin, finishing fourteenth in the Under-13 Girls' competition against more than 120 dancers. She is the first student from Kelly's academy to recall at the All-Irelands.
"A recall at that level means you're dancing against the best in Ireland, the UK, and the diaspora," Kelly said. "For Maeve to break through at thirteen speaks to her consistency under pressure."
Other names gaining traction include Ciara Brennan (McBride School), who reached the second round at the 2024 World Championships in Glasgow in the U11 Girls' division, and Declan and Ronan Hickey, twelve-year-old twins at Celtic Cross, whose contemporary duet Two Rivers won the advanced duo category at the New England Celtic Arts Festival in Boston.
What It Takes
The path from beginner to championship level is neither quick nor inexpensive. Dancers typically start between ages four and six. By age ten, those aiming for competition are attending multiple feisanna per year, traveling throughout New England and occasionally to the Midwest or Ireland. Soft shoes, hard shoes, costumes, and wig pieces can cost several thousand dollars annually. Physical demands are comparable to those of gymnasts or figure skaters: core strength, ankle stability, and explosive cardio capacity are essential.
"The ones who stick with it past age ten usually have a combination of two things—family support and genuine enjoyment of the grind," McBride said. "It's not the steps that separate the good from the great. It's the willingness to do the same step fifty times until it's unconscious."
Looking Ahead
New Hartford's dance community has several visible milestones approaching. O'Reilly will compete at the 2025 World Championships in Dublin next April. Donovan is targeting a top-ten finish at the 2025 All-Irelands. Celtic Cross plans a second original production for fall
