McNulty School of Irish Dance

McNulty School of Irish Dance offers Irish dance lessons where dancers learn both solo and team dances. Dancers start in Irish soft dance shoes and then progress to heavy shoe dances over time. The program also organizes performances for a variety of events, including concerts, corporate events, traditional shows, weddings, and educational programs.

• Ages: 3–18 years old

The McNulty School of Irish Dance was founded by Barbara McNulty T.C.R.G. in 1971 in Naperville, Illinois. The school is recognized by An Coimisiun (the Irish Dance Commission in Dublin, Ireland) and the North American and Mid-American Irish Dance Teachers Associations, and because of these accreditations, students are eligible to compete in sanctioned Irish dance competitions throughout the world. The leadership team includes Barbara McNulty T.C.R.G., Kaija Bole T.C.R.G., Heather Dusek, Shailagh Gibbons, and Emily Allen. The school offers pre-school, youth, teen, and adult classes, and offers classes for all ages and experience levels in six locations in Northern Illinois as well as Iowa and Wisconsin. The program states that it is designed to challenge each dancer to achieve personal bests on and off the dance floor, and that students develop concentration skills, coordination, and self-confidence. The mission of the school is to cherish Irish dance as an art form, pass it on to children, and share it with the world, while supporting and encouraging dancers through praise, discipline, and performance opportunities. The McNulty Irish Dancers perform in exquisite costumes and present dances of Ireland at events, with a range of performance options that include concerts, corporate events, traditional shows, weddings, and educational programs. The school notes that all students have the opportunity to perform and compete, that Irish dance can connect Irish-American families with their heritage, and that Irish dance is open to students of any cultural or ethnic background.

Last updated May 27, 2026.