The O’Shea Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance has been teaching traditional and modern Irish dancing to boys and girls age 4 and up to adults for 70 years. The school was started by Director Rita O’Shea in Galway, Ireland in the 1950s. Then, she moved to the Boston area and the school has been going strong ever since, with both her daughter and granddaughter becoming certified teachers. Our mission is to pass on our love of Irish dancing, culture, traditions, and heritage to the next generation. We treat all of our dancers as individuals. We want each dancer to be the best dancer he/she can be and to make friends and have fun along the way! Our dancers compete at local, regional, national, All-Ireland, and World championships. Over the years we have had many solo and team titles at all of these competitions. We also provide many noncompetitive events throughout the year, such as ceilis, clinics, grade exams, performances, and summer camps. Our dancers perform throughout the year at concerts, festivals, schools, hospitals, parades, weddings, and corporate events. We have performed at the State House, Fenway Park, Boston’s First Night, Faneuil Hall, and at Boston City Hall, to name a few. Several of our senior dancers have gone on to dance professionally in Lord of the Dance, Riverdance, Gaelforce, Rhythm of the Dance, Busch Gardens, Downtown Disney, Cherish the Ladies, and Rockin’ Road to Dublin. Our teachers are all members of the Commission in Dublin, Ireland and are involved in regional, national, and international committees.
