About Scoil Rince Celtus
Currently, our school has 170 dancers aged between 3 and 75 years who are all connected by the shared passion for Irish dance and music. The classes are held in English with occasional German and Dutch words – no worries, even small children and people who haven't spoken English for years have no problems understanding our teachers – and in every class, there are experienced native German or Dutch speakers to help you!
Come learn your first steps in Irish dance with us and see how much fun it is!
Irish dance
Irish dance is several centuries old and has Celtic roots. Today it is mostly a dance sport for young and old – it trains coordination, flexibility, stamina, and rhythm. By learning the step sequences the dancers develop focus and memory – and most importantly, it is fun dancing to the lively Irish music in a friendly and open environment!
Clothing
It is best to wear comfortable sports clothes to class. Since Irish dance is mostly about leg- and footwork, shorts are a good idea. No special shoes are required for the first several classes, a pair of socks and/or light training shoes are sufficient.
Once you've caught the Irish dance fever you will get your softshoes (pumps for ladies, reel shoes for gents). The pumps are an Irish variation of the ballet shoes, the reel shoes have heel for heel clicks. Once you've mastered the basics you will get your hardshoes, which are the same for ladies and gents. Hardshoes are the Irish step shoes, known and loved for the tapping sound on the floor.
Competitions
Scoil Rince Celtus is a member of the World Irish Dance Association (WIDA) and is very successful at regional, national, and international competitions, both in solo and team dances.
For your first competition (if you want to take part) the girls under 15 will wear a white polo shirt, a green skirt and the typical Irish dance socks called the poodle socks. The boys wear a white polo shirt with black trousers and black socks. Ladies over 15 usually wear a skirt, a t-shirt, and black tights, whereas the gents wear a shirt and black trousers. These are the required beginner costumes.
As soon as you have reached the next level you are allowed to wear the official school costume (a black and orange dress for the ladies, a black shirt with an orange tie, and black trousers for the gents). The advanced dancers wear special custom-tailored sparkling dresses (ladies) or custom-made vests and ties (gents).
