Sheeaun Academy Of Irish Dance
Contact Moira Speer T.C.R.G.
Ph: (203) 395-1175
moira@sheeaunacademy.com or frank@sheeaunacademy.com
About Sheeaun Academy
Sheeaun Academy was started by Moira Speer. The word Sheeaun (pronounced she-on), means 'a fairy hill' in Gaelic. Sheeaun is a mountain in County Leitrim, Ireland, where her ancestors are from. The Sheeaun Academy's mission is to share our experience and our love of Irish Step Dancing with children and adults of every age. We want our students to learn strength, discipline, stamina, and confidence through competing and performing, and most importantly, we want them to love the dance and to have fun!
If a dancer chooses to compete, we will provide everything they need to be successful at every level based on our experience, commitment, and dedication, and we expect the same commitment and dedication in return. Whether dancers choose to compete, or to dance for the love of it, we believe in a supportive and positive atmosphere so that they not only feel motivated, but they feel a sense of confidence. Want to register for our classes? We have adult classes too! Click Here!
About Moira Speer
Moira began Irish step dancing at the age of four and was dancing competitively at age seven. After receiving awards at many local Feisanna, she started competing on a championship level in both solo and ceili competitions. Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards in Regional, National, and International Championship competitions, most notably receiving first place in the New England Oireachtas (region) and medaling at the World Championships, which is considered the highest honor in Irish dancing. Dancing has taken her across America, as well as to Ireland, England, and Scotland.
In addition to competing, she has performed in shows throughout her dancing career, including performances with Eileen Ivers, formerly of 'Riverdance', Cherish the Ladies, Ronan Tynan of the Irish Tenors, and Hal Roach, as well as local and national television appearances. For over ten years, Moira has assisted in classes teaching both solo and ceili dancing to children and adults of every level, from beginner to championship. She retired from competition after nineteen years to pursue a career in teaching and received her T.C.R.G. (teacher's certificate) in 2007. She is a registered teacher with An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha in Dublin, Ireland, and the Irish Dance Teachers Association of New England and North America.
About Frank Rupp
Since the age of 7, Frank has been Irish Dancing both competitively and in shows throughout the northeast. Since his first Oireachtas in 1996, Frank has competed on a local, national and international scale. His most notable achievements include winning 1st place in the New England Regional Championships in 2005 and 2006, and medaling at the North American Championships twice. He qualified for the World Championships five times, and enjoyed traveling to Belfast twice and once to Ennis for the competition.
While Frank's experience with solo and ceili competitions have shaped his work ethic and team mentality, it is through the various performances at festivals and other events that he came to love the sport. He joined Moira in the performances mentioned above, and has choreographed multiple numbers for use in the Fairfield County Irish Festivals as well as other recitals and shows. In addition to choreography, he has been developing his ceili and solo teaching skills with students aged three through seventy for the last 6 years.
Frank graduated from Fordham University's College of Business Administration in May 2010. He received his T.C.R.G. (teacher's certificate) in November, 2010 and looks forward to continuing his teaching career with the Sheeaun Academy. He is a registered teacher with An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha in Dublin, Ireland, and the Irish Dance Teachers Association of New England and North America.
School Guidelines
What To Wear?
• Please make sure students are dressed and ready - shoes double knotted, hair pulled back, etc. - before they come into class.
• All students (girls and boys) must wear SAID Logo Wear to all classes. Girls may wear shorts or skirts and a tank top, and boys may wear shorts and a t-shirt. Please visit our Dance Apparel page to order what you need. Girls should wear poodle socks and ghillies which can be purchased through the school, and hair of any length should be pulled back out of the face
Make-up Classes/Closures
Unfortunately, we do not offer make-ups if a student misses a class, however, they are more than welcome to make it up at one of our other locations. Check with Moira for appropriate days and times. You will be notified by e-mail no later than 1PM if class is cancelled due to inclement weather. If you do not receive an e-mail, you may assume there IS class. Remember: we do not follow public or private school closings so we may still have class even if school is cancelled! In the event that class is cancelled for any other unforeseen circumstance, you will receive an E-mail and a phone call. Any missed classes will be made up at the end of our Spring Session in June (not at the end of the winter session in March).
Tuition
Tuition, along with an annual registration fee of $25 per student/$40 per family, is due by the first day of each semester. Payments can be mailed in with your registration form.
Observation/Recital
Parents are kindly asked to wait outside during class as it is a distraction to the students. We will have a "parents week" at the end of each session when parents will be invited to observe. Our annual recital is held in June. If you have any questions, please e-mail Moira.
Benefits of Irish Dance
Benefits of Irish Dance
Irish Dance provides improved confidence, stamina, co-ordination and levels of fitness due to the physical nature of the hobby. It improves social skills for children as they will meet people from around the world with whom they share a common interest, whether it be class mates, fellow performers or competitors. It provides improved mental skills from listening to and remembering steps. And finally, it improves family relationships, as Irish dancing gives families the opportunity to spend time together on the weekends attending feisanna and performances. People are attracted to Irish dancing for many reasons, some enjoy the music, others the physical exertion or the beauty of the movement. Some enjoy the social side, others the excitement of competitions. Whatever the dancer's reasons, the benefits of Irish dancing are well documented.
"A lot of people don't know very much about Irish dancing, apart from what they've seen in Riverdance and most people would see it purely as a cultural activity, rather than an intensive exercise or sport. It turned out Irish dancing has a MET value of 8.2 [at Intermediate/Open level], which means it uses more energy than high-impact aerobic dance (7 METs) and ballet (6 METs)." 'Memories in Motion: The Irish Dancing Body' by Alexandra Hahn.
The qualities and benefits offered by dancing depend on the form concerned but as a general rule, it improves physical health by developing strength, suppleness, coordination and balance in varying amounts. Some of the more 'energetic' forms of dance - Cajun jitterbug, Irish set dance and Scottish country dancing are good examples - provide excellent aerobic exercise. Read more in the article 'Dance As A Form Of Exercise' by Zoe Bremer.