Frequently Asked Questions These are a selection of the questions that have been emailed to me over the years. How old does my child have to be to start Irish Dancing If they can skip, they candance. But they need to be old enough to listen and copy. If you want to start before they can skip start them in baby ballet for toe pointing skills and moving to music. A number of schools teach both. Read Choosing a School page.

Can boys dance too.

Of course. Read up on the benefits of boys dancing here.

Can Adults start dancing

Yes, some schools have adults' classes. Make sure you join an adults' class, as big and little isn't a good mix of teaching styles. Think about Ceili dancing it is very social.

Can I hire some dancers for my wedding?

Yes but have the info they need ready.

Do you have to compete?

No, but you probably will eventually. It is so much fun. Not like other dancing competitions. Instead of 1st 2nd 3rd they will give up to 50th place. So no matter who you are, you can achieve personal bests.

Will it be expensive?

It is cheaper than ballroom and ballet, more expensive than netball. But travel is where you can be frugal or extravagant. Irish dancing is more of a community than any of these other activities. There are plenty of second hand opportunities. You don't need to get sucked into spending too much. I find some mothers, because they can't actually dance the dance for their child, over-compensate by over spending. It is not Toddlers in Tiaras; it is a group of athletes doing extrodinary things to music. A talented child will win wearing a sugar bag.

Where can I get a dress?

Beginners' dresses are simple and can be a leotard and a skirt. The Open dresses are very elaborate but there are hundreds of second hand ones available at Dance Again. New ones can be ordered through a dressmaker.

Where can I get dance music?

On-Line. Or buy CDs see the music section.