Dancer Information
Dance Class Guidelines
Wear
Black leggings, shorts, or skirts (above the knee)
Clean shoes (ghillies, ballet, jazz, or lightweight tennis shoes) No street shoes.
Short sleeves with a layer
BRING
Dance shoes
Full water bottle with a lid
Long sleeve layer
Be READY
Wash hands & use the bathroom before class
Dance shoes should be double knotted
Practice your steps at home 4-5 days a week for at least fifteen minutes.
Stay in the studio for the entire class.
Costume and Shoe Details
Shoes
There are many companies that make Irish dance shoes. They all have their own sizing methods. This link (also below) gives some general guidance on how to find your Irish dance shoe size, however I recommend referring to the company you choose for instruction to find the most accurate size. There are 3 different size scales to keep in mind US, UK, and Irish. Be sure you know which one to provide when ordering.
The links below are recommended companies that ship within the US, but you are welcome to choose any company. I recommend assuring your shoes will ship within the US to keep shipping costs low for delivery and possible returns / exchanges.
Dance Irish (Missoula)
Corr’s (Boston)
Rutherford (NYC)
An Daire Academy Used Shoe and Costume Exchange Inventory
Costumes
Our costume is a An Daire skirt or black skater skirt, a black leotard, and black tights.
An Daire costumes and merchandise can be purchased from Malley Teamwear approximately twice a year (Fall / Winter). It is the skirt and shawl combo (Fig.1). In general, the skirts seem to run a little small, so order a size up. You should order a size large for the shawl unless your dancer is a small child (6 or younger).
The skirt is paired with a long-sleeved, black mock-neck leotard(Fig. 3) and black tights. The leotard can be purchased here or from any other convenient retailer.
Students may also substitute the skirt made by Malley Teamwear for a black skater skirt such as this one here. Short, black spandex shorts are worn under all skirts and dresses.
The shawl will be delivered as a piece of unfinished fabric. In the case you dancer decides to compete in a feis (Irish dance competition), the fabric will need to be assembled and sewn (Fig.2)
Malley makes other variations on the costume (such as the dress) that are also available for performances but might not meet the standards for feiseanna (competition).
Malley also sells an “Exquisite Leotard and Skirt” (Fig.4).
It is also suggested each dancer have a short-sleeved leotard or black shirt to wear for summer performances.
