Business Profile:Launch of Concannon Ganley/Academy of Irish Dance

As the dance season winds down for the summer months the midlands' newest dance academy will celebrate its launch in the Hodson Bay this Friday with spectacular style as its champion dancers will put on a display to mark the occasion. The school first began as the Concannon School of Dancing eleven years ago with Christina Concannon at the helm, but now newly qualified Dáirine Ganley, who has been assisting at the school for five years, has come on board as the school becomes the Concannon/Ganley Academy of Irish Dance. Both Dáirine and Christina have danced since the tender age of four. Christina hails from Galway, while Dáirine is an Athlone native and two have danced together for years, travelling to France, Spain, Luxembourg and America with Dún na Sí under Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and also for various European festivals. In 1998 Christina Concannon established the Concannon School of Dancing. Christina, who holds a Teastais De Comhdháil Na Rince Gaelacha (TCRG) qualification in Irish dancing teaching from An Comhdháil, had an ambition to introduce the art and practice of Irish dancing to today's youth. In particular she wanted to give her pupils the opportunity to enjoy Irish dancing. In 2005 Dáirine Ganley joined the Concannon School of Dancing and began assisting Christina with classes. This year she qualified as an Irish dancing teacher with An Comhdháil and now holds a TCRG qualification. Since Dáirine has qualified the two have joined forces and established the Concannon/Ganley Academy of Irish Dance. While the school is launching this week as it begins enrolling pupils for the next term, it will not formally come into operation until September when the new dancing season begins. As the Concannon School of Dancing, the school has been hugely successful, no more so than this year when it picked up its first All Ireland title and three of its students won Leinster Titles. Bláithín McDaid won the U10 Leinster Championship title, Aaron Ganly won the U11 Leinster Championship title and Aoibhin McDaid won the U15 Leinster Championship title. The school also won its first All Ireland title for the U16 Freestyle. As the Concannon/Ganley Academy of Irish Dance the school hopes to build on this year's achievements, while also instilling a love of Irish dance in the students. The school participates in feiseanna around the country, but another side to the school is its dance troupe Fuinneamh, which was established in 2007. The troupe of champion dancers has performed at various events, including The All Ireland Fleadh in Tullamore in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and also wowed audience members at last year's People of the Year Awards in Athlone. The troupe is also available for performances at weddings and other functions throughout the midlands. Fuinneamh's shows are fast moving and colourful and fuse traditional Irish dance with a modern contemporary twist. Each show can be choreographed to suit your needs. The Fuinneamh dancers will be performing weekly shows every Sunday night as part of Seisiún in Dún na Si Heritage Centre in Moate throughout July and August. And if you want to see first hand the talents of this dance school you're in for a treat as the dancers are set to take part in the European People's Festival, which is being held in Athlone at the end of July. Following on from that, in October the school will bring a group to the first ever European Celtic Irish Dance Festival in Euro Disney in Paris, where they will perform over the four days of the festival. At present the school holds classes in Athlone and Horseleap for pupils from age four and up, but now as the Concannon/Ganley Academy of Irish Dance the school hopes to expand across the midlands. The school is dedicated to providing small classes so that pupils can receive individual attention and the expert training and guidance that is necessary to enable each dancer to reach their maximum potential. The teachers are clearly passionate about dance and dedicated to instilling the same passion in their pupils, ensuring that their love of dance will allow them to perfect their skill. The Concannon/Ganley Academy of Irish Dance, which is currently enrolling, holds classes in Athlone and in Horseleap, Co. Offaly. The school provides classes from beginner level up to championship level and the minimum age for enrolment is four.