Oregon Irish Dance Academy Camps and Classes
The Children's Gym, 1625 Sandy Blvd, Portland, NE 97232
About
Oregon Irish Dance Academy Camps and Classes focuses on Irish dancing through light shoe lessons, heavy shoe lessons, and ceili lessons, along with games and activities and engaging classwork with props. Campers also take part in craft time, a Nonfire Bonfire with songs and stories, Coloring Cafe, collecting camp beads, and free play in a decorated camp room with Irish books and custom-made Irish games and puzzles. The program also offers a free trial Irish dance class for new students.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Three-day 2026 Summer Camp sessions that run Tuesday–Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Price: Tuition for 2026 Summer Camps is $435 total for each 3-day session; camp tuition is charged at enrollment, is non-refundable and non-transferable, and there is no additional registration fee
Oregon Irish Dance Academy is a fully non-competitive and recreational Irish dancing program for kids that offers weekly Irish dance classes and Summer Irish Dance Camps with a structured Irish dance curriculum designed specifically for kids with step-by-step guidance and no rush or pressure. The program states that its goal is to build self-esteem and uplift students through the art and tradition of Irish dancing in a fully recreational format, with level- and age-appropriate challenges and a focus on a positive learning mindset, and it welcomes students of all races, genders, religions, cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, backgrounds, and abilities. New students ages 5 to 11 receive a free trial class plus 50% off the first month of tuition with no registration fee, can start at any time, and do not need dance shoes to get started, as socks work for classes and camps.
Oregon Irish Dance Academy was founded in 2017 by Portland-born-and-raised sisters Christina and Victoria White. Miss Christina passed the TCRG exam offered by An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG) in 2020, earning “Honors” in the dancing section and a perfect score on the music section, and this TCRG certification is described as an intensely rigorous, 3-day-long, 5-part examination considered the most difficult examination available to evaluate Irish dancers’ teaching ability. Christina worked over 3 years to complete the 12 prerequisite Grade Exams that qualified her to take the TCRG exam, and both Christina and Victoria have spent years working with kids of all ages in multiple activities. Christina and Victoria are background checked by The Children’s Gym, and Oregon Irish Dance Academy runs background checks for all additional staff members including camp coaches, workshop teachers, and substitute teachers.
Camps are specially designed for ages 5–10 and prioritize small groups with a coach-to-camper ratio of 1 coach to every 8 campers, and campers can attend Irish Dance Summer Camps for Beginners. Camp activities include collecting various types of camp beads inspired by outdoor school experiences, a Nonfire Bonfire with traditional Irish songs, funny camp tunes, and special campfire stories, and a Coloring Cafe activity featuring “The Chef” and a “Daily Special.” Props and activities used in classes and camps include custom sticker charts, mirror chalk markers, a piggy bank with dance coins, counter items, and parachute time, and campers have free play in a decorated camp room with a rainbow reading corner and custom-made Irish games and puzzles. No dance shoes are needed for camp, as campers may dance in socks or wear ballet or jazz shoes if they have them, while current Oregon Irish Dance Academy students are asked to wear their dance shoes.
Oregon Irish Dance Academy states that it is not connected to any larger Irish dancing organization, operates independently from competitive organizations, and does not participate in competitions or affiliate with competitive dance organizations. The program offers end-of-season recitals that it describes as low-pressure and designed to be fun and memorable rather than high-pressure performances. Camps are held entirely inside a secure-access children’s fitness facility where only current clients and staff are allowed inside and staff manage the doors during check-in and check-out times, and the facility has an updated air filtration system and an air purifier in the dance studio. Campers must enroll ahead of time and provide names of those approved to pick up their camper, and a matching photo ID to the name is required at check-out.
Christina and Victoria are active members of and/or donors to local organizations that promote and support Irish dance, music, language, and culture, including the All-Ireland Cultural Society of Oregon, Irish Network Portland, CCE Oregon (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann), the Céilí of the Valley Society, and the Celtic Heritage Alliance. Each year, Oregon Irish Dance Academy dancers, families, and friends have the opportunity to march and dance in a local St. Patrick’s Day parade that features fire trucks, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Irish wolfhounds, bagpipers, and other family-friendly elements.
Parent testimonials describe campers talking at length about camp stories such as “the parrot story,” enjoying activities like beads, “The Chef,” “ubby dubby,” and crafts, and wanting to return to Irish dance camp. One parent reports that their 5-year-old gave them an hour and a half lesson at home after three days with Christina and Victoria and comments on Christina and Victoria’s teaching style, while others note that their children talk extensively about the camp activities when they get home and that crafts are a favorite part of camp.
Last updated January 5, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Three-day 2026 Summer Camp sessions that run Tuesday–Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Price: Tuition for 2026 Summer Camps is $435 total for each 3-day session; camp tuition is charged at enrollment, is non-refundable and non-transferable, and there is no additional registration fee
Oregon Irish Dance Academy is a fully non-competitive and recreational Irish dancing program for kids that offers weekly Irish dance classes and Summer Irish Dance Camps with a structured Irish dance curriculum designed specifically for kids with step-by-step guidance and no rush or pressure. The program states that its goal is to build self-esteem and uplift students through the art and tradition of Irish dancing in a fully recreational format, with level- and age-appropriate challenges and a focus on a positive learning mindset, and it welcomes students of all races, genders, religions, cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, backgrounds, and abilities. New students ages 5 to 11 receive a free trial class plus 50% off the first month of tuition with no registration fee, can start at any time, and do not need dance shoes to get started, as socks work for classes and camps.
Oregon Irish Dance Academy was founded in 2017 by Portland-born-and-raised sisters Christina and Victoria White. Miss Christina passed the TCRG exam offered by An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG) in 2020, earning “Honors” in the dancing section and a perfect score on the music section, and this TCRG certification is described as an intensely rigorous, 3-day-long, 5-part examination considered the most difficult examination available to evaluate Irish dancers’ teaching ability. Christina worked over 3 years to complete the 12 prerequisite Grade Exams that qualified her to take the TCRG exam, and both Christina and Victoria have spent years working with kids of all ages in multiple activities. Christina and Victoria are background checked by The Children’s Gym, and Oregon Irish Dance Academy runs background checks for all additional staff members including camp coaches, workshop teachers, and substitute teachers.
Camps are specially designed for ages 5–10 and prioritize small groups with a coach-to-camper ratio of 1 coach to every 8 campers, and campers can attend Irish Dance Summer Camps for Beginners. Camp activities include collecting various types of camp beads inspired by outdoor school experiences, a Nonfire Bonfire with traditional Irish songs, funny camp tunes, and special campfire stories, and a Coloring Cafe activity featuring “The Chef” and a “Daily Special.” Props and activities used in classes and camps include custom sticker charts, mirror chalk markers, a piggy bank with dance coins, counter items, and parachute time, and campers have free play in a decorated camp room with a rainbow reading corner and custom-made Irish games and puzzles. No dance shoes are needed for camp, as campers may dance in socks or wear ballet or jazz shoes if they have them, while current Oregon Irish Dance Academy students are asked to wear their dance shoes.
Oregon Irish Dance Academy states that it is not connected to any larger Irish dancing organization, operates independently from competitive organizations, and does not participate in competitions or affiliate with competitive dance organizations. The program offers end-of-season recitals that it describes as low-pressure and designed to be fun and memorable rather than high-pressure performances. Camps are held entirely inside a secure-access children’s fitness facility where only current clients and staff are allowed inside and staff manage the doors during check-in and check-out times, and the facility has an updated air filtration system and an air purifier in the dance studio. Campers must enroll ahead of time and provide names of those approved to pick up their camper, and a matching photo ID to the name is required at check-out.
Christina and Victoria are active members of and/or donors to local organizations that promote and support Irish dance, music, language, and culture, including the All-Ireland Cultural Society of Oregon, Irish Network Portland, CCE Oregon (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann), the Céilí of the Valley Society, and the Celtic Heritage Alliance. Each year, Oregon Irish Dance Academy dancers, families, and friends have the opportunity to march and dance in a local St. Patrick’s Day parade that features fire trucks, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Irish wolfhounds, bagpipers, and other family-friendly elements.
Parent testimonials describe campers talking at length about camp stories such as “the parrot story,” enjoying activities like beads, “The Chef,” “ubby dubby,” and crafts, and wanting to return to Irish dance camp. One parent reports that their 5-year-old gave them an hour and a half lesson at home after three days with Christina and Victoria and comments on Christina and Victoria’s teaching style, while others note that their children talk extensively about the camp activities when they get home and that crafts are a favorite part of camp.
Last updated January 5, 2026.
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