InishFree School of Irish Dance Austin 4631 Airport Boulevard, Austin, TX 78751

"I saw Inishfree Irish Dance Studio perform at the Austin Celtic Festival (Nov 6, 2016) and at the St. Patrick's Day festival at Pioneer Farms Austin (March 17, 2017). Their dance performances were impressive and wonderfully varied. They have both ladies and gentlemen; children and adults; solo, line, and group sets; wear hard (jig) and soft (ghillies/reel) shoes; have standard uniforms and fancy costumes; and dance to traditional and popular music (think "Riverdance" and "Lord of the Dance"). Their Irish dancing was the highlight of the festivals for me. My only previous exposure to Irish dancing was at my Catholic school in San Francisco, CA where we had elaborate St. Patrick's Day festivals where everyone sang traditional Irish songs, all the teachers and older students did the group dances (on very limited school dance instruction), and students (many quite young) who had actual Irish dance training performed for us in their elaborate costumes. I haven't seen Irish dancing again until very recently with Inishfree Irish Dance. It renewed my love of Irish dancing, which I feel is the best kind of dancing: it's more upbeat and rhythmic than ballet, more traditional and formal than jazz, can be done solo/paired/grouped and doesn't require a dedicated partner like in ballroom or country dancing, can be spontaneously done in limited space to a live band or precisely performed on a big stage to an audience, and doesn't require any special equipment (though proper shoes and flooring help). Inishfree Irish Dance Studio Austin is open year-round with weekly classes. You can start anytime, with a free trial class (with their permission), which I readily took advantage of when I signed up at their info booth on St. Patrick's Day. They have separate classes for kids and adults, and they tailor instruction to meet individual students' needs and skill level. Their instructors are certified by the World Irish Dance Association, they all have extensive Irish dancing experience (including placing at The World Irish Dancing Championships and performing in Michael Flatley's dance productions), and they've been teaching here for over 15 years. Their instruction is geared toward competition, performance, and enjoyment, so they're an excellent place for anyone interested in Irish dancing, from beginners/hobbyists to advanced/competitors. I can't recommend them highly enough!"