In a former railroad depot turned arts hub, the wooden floors of White River Junction will reverberate with the rapid-fire rhythms of Irish dance this spring. Beginning March 15, a month-long series of workshops will bring together beginners, returning dancers, and the simply curious to learn one of the world's most percussive dance traditions—right here in the Upper Valley.
Who these workshops are for
You don't need step-dance shoes to show up. You don't need Irish ancestry, either. The workshops welcome three kinds of people: those who have always wanted to try Irish dance, those who want to get back into it, and those who just need an excuse to move to live fiddle music on a Saturday morning. Weekly sessions split into beginner and intermediate tracks, so nobody spends an hour trying to keep up with steps three levels above their own.
What you'll actually do
Each two-hour session balances technique with context. Beginners start with the reel and light jig, building the upright posture and quick footwork that define the style. Intermediate dancers work on the hornpipe and slip jig, plus contemporary choreography that borrows from steps made famous by Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.
Here's what the month includes:
- Feedback you can use — classes cap at 15 dancers, so instructors can correct your alignment before bad habits set in
- A performance goal — all participants are invited to take part in a showcase at the end of the month, part of White River Junction's spring arts festival
- History that sticks — short talks between drills cover how Irish dance survived colonial bans, why competition costumes grew so elaborate, and what makes a "set dance" different from a ceili
- A closing-night ceili — the final Saturday features live music, group dancing, and the unofficial tradition of staying past midnight
The people leading it
Head instructor Maeve Donnelly, who toured with Riverdance for six years and now teaches out of Burlington, will lead the intermediate track. Beginners work with Sean O'Brien, a TCRG-certified teacher whose students have medaled at the North American Nationals. Both emphasize the social side of the tradition as much as the technical.
"I walked in knowing nothing except that I liked the sound of hard shoes on wood," says former participant Clara Hensen of Lebanon, NH. "By week three I was laughing at myself in the mirror with people I'd never met before. The showcase was terrifying and completely worth it."
Why this matters now
White River Junction has spent the last decade rebuilding itself around craft, performance, and collaborative arts spaces. Adding Irish dance to that mix isn't about importing something foreign—it's about giving the community another way to gather, make noise, and remember that culture is something you do with your body, not just something you observe.
Registration opens February 1. Early-bird pricing ($180 for the full four-week track, $55 for drop-ins) runs through February 20. Last year's pilot session sold out in nine days.
[Register here] or email [email protected] with questions.
We'll see you on the dance floor.
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