Welcome Day at dance classes

Dance with Aaron and Niamh are hosting a Newcomer’s Welcome Day at Kilcullen Community Centre on Saturday, 25 July. 

The event offers free introductory sessions in Ballroom and Latin dancing for children aged 4-10 from 11am to 12pm, and for those aged 11 and above from 12pm to 1pm. 

Attendees can meet the team and learn more about the dance school. To reserve a spot, contact 085 7473562.

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Kilcullen club's young stars in Dance World Cup 2026

Five young gymnasts from Angel’s Gymnastics & Dance Theatre in Kilcullen are seeking local sponsorship to help them compete for Ireland at the Dance World Cup 2026, writes Brian Byrne. Angel Darcy (9), Brigitte Marcinkute (12), Zoe Morgan (11), Polina Gichak (11), and Ava McGrath (8)  have qualified for the World Finals of one of the world’s largest dance competitions, which will be held in Dublin from 8–18 July.

Head Coach Egle Darcy said the achievement is a first for Co Kildare in the acro category at the Dance World Cup, one of the event’s most competitive disciplines.

The Kilcullen club has just 20 competitive dancers and no permanent training facility, with athletes training up to six days a week in rented spaces.

The cost of entry fees, costumes, choreography and training now poses a major challenge for the club and families.

In return for sponsorship, supporters will be acknowledged through social media promotion, branding opportunities on team apparel where possible, and recognition at local events and fundraising activities.

For sponsorship enquiries, Angel’s Gymnastics & Dance Theatre can be contacted at 083 4412209 or gymnasticstheatre@gmail.com.

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K-pop dance workshop

A K-pop Demon Hunter workshop will be held at Kilcullen Community Centre on Sunday, 26 October. The event is organised by Dance Republic Kildare.

Open to those aged four upwards, the workshop will feature K-pop dances and pop songs, and there will be goodie bags for all participants. 

The fee is €20 per dancer. Contact Robyn at 083 0700225 for details.

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Adult social dance classes

A free trial for adult social dance classes will be held in Kilcullen Community Centre on Thursday, 4 September. There are two 45-minute sessions, beginning at 8pm for solo dancers and 8.45pm for couples.

Organised by Aaron Flynn and Niamh Curtin, the trial sessions are in advance of a term beginning on Thursday, 18 September, for any adults who feel like starting a new hobby or getting more active.

Ballroom and Latin styles will be taught. Further information is available via WhatsApp on 085 7473562.

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Boys dance classes

Dance classes for boys will start in Kilcullen Community Centre on Monday next, 1 September. They will be conducted by Aaron Flynn and Niamh Curtin.

The classes are geared to boys aged eight and upwards and will run on Mondays from 5pm for 45 minutes.

Aaron is the All-Ireland Professional Latin Champion.

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Kilcullen's Kayla performs with Riverdance

Third-year CPC student and Kilcullen girl Kayla Reid performed with the professional Riverdance team at yesterday's matinee performance of the show at the Gaiety Theatre.

This followed her attendance at the Riverdance Summer School, where she was picked for the performance.

She's pictured here with Amy Mae Dolan, lead dancer with Riverdance.

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Kilcullen connection to latest Riverdance lead

Caelán Power, a great-grandson of Margaret 'Peggy' Keogh from Nicholastown — the violin player in the famous Gallowglass Ceili Band — is the newest male principal dancer with Riverdance. His grandmother, Irish dance teacher Olive Keogh O’Reilly, and his grand-uncle Sean Keogh, who was also a member of the band, are natives of Kilcullen.

The 22-year-old, who lives in Newbridge, has just returned from the USA Riverdance tour where he performed his first lead show in Chicago in April. The USA tour began in Florida in January and travelled through many states and cities, including New York, where the troupe performed five shows over three days in Radio City Music Hall. He returned to Ireland on 1 July and is now doing eight shows a week in Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre until 10th August. From there, he will move to the UK tour with Riverdance, which begins in Swansea on 12 August and finishes in London Hammersmith on 14 December. 

Caelán developed his love for Irish dance at a young age and has been successful at provincial and world championship levels of competition — winning a title as Leinster Champion in 2019 and going on to achieve second place at the world championships in 2023 before retiring from competition to pursue his professional performing career. 

Before Riverdance, Caelán travelled to and performed in many countries, including Germany and Disneyland Paris with his Irish dance class. He also performed in the Olympia Panto for five years from the age of seven. He set off on his first professional tour in February 2020 to the USA as a Celtic Knights dancer in the show Celtic Angels. Caelán began travelling with Riverdance in 2021, where he spent a number of weeks performing at Expo 2020 Dubai. He has travelled the world with the show since then, performing in China, many European cities, and more recently the USA tour.

His love of dance likely came from his grandmother, Olive Keogh O’Reilly, and his mum, Michelle O’Reilly Power. Olive has been teaching children to dance for many years, and his mother teaches alongside Olive now, co-running the Leinster Academy of Dance in Newbridge. Olive is a founder member of An Comhdháil na Múinteoirí le Rincí Gaelacha Teoranta — The Congress of Irish Dance Teachers. 

If you know of a young child, boy or girl, from the age of three years up who loves to dance, the Leinster Academy of Dance is now enrolling for beginners classes for September. They can be contacted by phone on 087 2978618.

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Roxanne brings home dance silverware

Young Kilcullen dancer Roxanne O'Neill won a slate of trophies at the Dance Sport Ireland All Ireland Championships hosted in the Dolmen Hotel in Carlow last Sunday. She came away as Junior Champion in the 5-Dance Latin and 5-Dance Ballroom categories, as well as taking the silverware for Under 14 5-Dance Latin and Ballroom and the Junior 3-Dance Latin and Ballroom events.

The five dances in the Latin segment are Cha-Cha, Samba, International Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive. The standard dances in Ballroom are the White Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep.

Roxanne is a member of the Aaron and Niamh School of Dance, who hold Saturday morning classes at Kilcullen Community Centre. She is pictured here with her professional Latin and Ballroom teachers, Niamh Curtin and Arron Flynn.

It's Roxanne's first year competing at this level.

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Jiving lessons in Narraghmore

A three-week Jiving lessons series starts in The Old Hardware in Narraghmore on Monday 7 July. 

The sessions will be on Monday nights from 7.30pm-8.30pm and will include line-dancing.

Contact donoghue.emma@gmail.com or call 086 2011244.

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Kilcullen Drama Group to host Culture Night 2025

Kilcullen Drama Group will be hosting an event in the town on Culture Night, Friday 19 September, writes Brian Byrne, aimed at including all strands of cultural activity from the town.

The group are currently inviting musicians, writers, comedy practitioners and dance groups to participate.

The event is being designed to focus on inclusion and have an Irish theme. "It's for all ages and abilities," says organiser Eilis Philips of Kilcullen Drama.

It's too soon to provide details, but if anyone wants to participate or help they should contact Eilis.

Culture Night was initiated in 2006 and has been a huge success in celebrating Ireland's creative talent at every level and in every cultural discipline.

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Kilcullen dancers do well in first 2025 outing

Dancers from Angel's Gymnastics and Dance Theatre, based in Kilcullen GAA, had a successful weekend in Cork in their first competition of 2025, writes their coach Egle Ella Darcy. In two days with 400 participants, Kilcullen's girls were outstanding and brought home loads of trophies.

They competed at lyrical dance, acro and open categories. 

1st place 9 & under team: Angel Darcy, Cesara Ghemica, Lara Raftery, Nicole Raftery, Polina Gichak, Sofia Raftery. 

2nd place 12 & under team: Aiva McConnell, Brigitte Marcinkute, Claire O'Sullivan, Esmé Bolger-Harrington,  Sophie Moran, Vaneska Mojzesova, Zoe Morgan. 

3rd place 12 & under team: Vaneska Mojzesova, Brigitte Marcinkute, Sophie Moran, Aiva McConnell. 

2nd place duet: Vaneska Mojzesova, Claire O'Sullivan. 

2nd lyrical dance: Lara Raftery 

2nd lyrical dance: Sofia Raftery. 

2nd lyrical dance: Zoe Morgan.

2nd acro: Brigitte Marcinkute.

2nd acro: Vaneska Mojzesova.

3rd lyrical dance: Ada-May Beham.

3rd lyrical dance: Angel Darcy. 

3rd lyrical dance: Brigitte Marcinkute.

3rd lyrical dance: Vaneska Mojzesova.

3rd acro: Claire O'Sullivan.

Currently open to new members.

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Kilcullen dancers take trophies home from Cork

It was a very successful trip last weekend when pupils of Angel's Gymnastics and Dance Theatre travelled to Cork for the Lyrical Dance and Acro competition, writes Brian Byrne. Many trophies were brought home in what has been described as an 'outstanding' performance.

The group is based in Kilcullen GAA and operated by coach and choreographer Egle Ella Darcy.

Individual winners were Zoe Morgan (1st place 9 & under), Angel Darcy (3rd place 9 & under), Vaneska Mojzesova (2nd in Acro and 3rd in Lyrical, 16 & under) and Claire O'Sullivan (2nd in Lyrical 16 & under).

In the team events, the group won the top place in 9 & under Lyrical dance, with Angel Darcy, Lara Raftery, Nicole Raftery, Sofia Raftery, Polina Gichak, and Evelin-Cesara Gherila. The older team in 12 and under Lyrical Dance took second place with Vaneska Mojzesova, Claire O'Sullivan, Holly Berney, Brigitte Marcinkute, Zoe Morgan, Fiadh Shortall, Sophie Moran, Esmè Bolger Harrington, and Aiva McConnell.

Pictures here provided by Egle Ella Darcy.

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Geraldine School of Irish Dance new term

The Geraldine School of Irish Dance is resuming classes from tomorrow, 6 September, in Scoil Bhride in Kilcullen.

The sessions are from 4pm-7pm, divided by each hour into Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced Competition.

Enrolment can be made by phone call or text to 087 6533706.

Classes on Fridays at Suncroft from 6.30pm and on Saturdays at St Laurence's GAA from 11.30am.

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Community Centre dance classes resume today

Robyn Mahon's Dance Classes are resuming this afternoon, 5 September, in Kilcullen Community Centre. Sessions are 4-5pm in the upstairs room, and fee is €8 pay as you go. There are sibling discounts.

Classes cater for age 4 and upwards, and the genres include Lyrical, Hip Hop, Slowdance, Freestyle, Musical Theatre, Dance Games, Fitness, and there's lots of fun guaranteed.

All students will take part in the school's Dance Show in the Visual Theatre in Carlow on 19 November.

To enrol, send a WhatsApp message to 083 0700225.

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Kayla readies for Montreal World Championships

Kayla Reid is heading to Montreal in Canada in two weeks' time to represent Leinster in the u12 category in the 51st Irish Dancing World Championships.

The event runs from 2-9 April with some 6,000 participants and over 25,000 spectators. 

A Scoil Bhride pupil, Kayla is daughter of Kevin and Cecilia Reid and dances with the Curley-Brennan Dance School in Newbridge. Her mother Cecilia danced in her youth with Jenny Landers in Kilcullen.

She has qualified no less than four times for this year's World Championships — from last year at the World event, at the Irish Nationals last June, at the Leinster Championships, and at the Killarney All Ireland event in February.

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