OUR SCHOOL

Our Roots

The McGinley School of Irish Dance began as a performance Irish dance troupe in January, 2000. The group was created with six original members and focused solely on teaching and performance.  As the dancers progressed and the school grew, Lena searched for other avenues to challenge her students.  In August 2004, the school became a Cumann Rince Náisiúnta (CRN, Dublin, Ireland), sanctioned school and began to implement CRN’s curriculum in the graded dances.  Lena has built the school based on core values such as discipline, hard work, and dedication and by not losing sight of why we continue to do this, for the kids.

Feiseanna

As a member of CRN, dancers from the McGinley School of Irish Dance participate in Feiseanna (Irish Dancing competitions) at the local, national, and world level. Dancers compete in both solo and team competitions. The school prides itself on always striving for excellence, whether it is through performance or competitive avenues. Because of this, dancers from the school have been very successful in their competitive efforts.

Dancers from the McGinley School of Irish Dance have performed with world-class entertainers such as The Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies, Eileen Ivers, Frank Patterson, Gaelic Storm, The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, The Prodigal, Searson, and Trinity Irish Dance Troupe in venues that include An Grianan Theatre (Letterkenny, Ireland), Carlisle Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Eisenhower Auditorium (PSU), and Radio City Music Hall.  

On a local level, the school is known for their crowd pleasing and entertaining performances throughout Central Pennsylvania. Throughout the month of March, dancers from the school can be found performing at local venues and restaurants. During the summer months you can find them at the local Irish Festivals.

Please feel free to check out our Performances page for information about public performances and our Calendar for a list of upcoming events.