Irish Step Dance
Styles - A Mix of Traditional and Modern Irish Music
Techniques - Soft Shoe (Ghillies) and Hard Shoe (Heavy Jig Shoes)
Cheryl is upbeat and energetic in class. Irish dance involves a lot of jumping and controlled movements, so she tries to make sure students are having fun while also showing proper form and getting a great workout. Timing and rhythm are so important, so when teaching something new she likes to slow down the music so students can get a feel for the timing of a dance even if their feet aren't quite ready to go at full speed yet. She tries to keep class challenging and push students a little outside of their comfort zone.
For 12 years, Cheryl competed in local, regional, national, and world competitions. During that time she was able to perform at venues across the country including Epcot Center, Downtown Disney, the Chicago Bears halftime show at Soldier Field, the ellipse in Washington, D.C., the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, and the official St. Patrick’s Day mass and brunch reception with Mayor Daley at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago. You can even catch a quick glimpse of her in the movie The Fugitive during the St. Patrick’s Day parade scene. In addition to Irish dance, Cheryl enjoys taking flying trapeze lessons!
Education: Graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a major in Marketing.
Started at the Old Town School in August of 2010
