IRIDAN is a Russian representative of a classical Irish dance school. It has the multi-level system of student training. Everyone fond of Irish dance is welcome to attend the classes at our school.

IRIDAN creates original stage performances, takes part in various festivals of Celtic culture, some of the students have taken part and reached high results in European Feisanna, including Central European Feis and Nordic Feis. Our irish TCRG is Therese Rooney McHugh.

The program of the School includes both traditional soft shoe and hard shoe dancing and nontraditional compositions, created by the School.

Both teachers and students turn lessons to an exciting creative work. However, we never forget that this work must be hard, so the lessons do not get confused with revelry. Still there is enough time for fun: several holidays are yearly celebrated in the School.

Each group of beginners has to attend a special test lesson where the teachers evaluate the level of coordination of movements and sense of rhytm of each student. However, according to our experience 99% of the students succesfully pass the test and continue studying in our school.

We start new groups in January and in September. All newcomers first take part in the pilot lesson: they are asked to repeat easy movements and to do them to music. That is when the teachers check their ability to tell one foot from another and to count to 8. According to the results several groups of different levels get arranged.

In its stage performances IRIDAN is eager to combine Irish dance with other national dances of the world, e.g. Flamenco, Indian dance, Georgian dance, tap dance, e.t.c. We like fresh ideas and are always ready to cooperate with other dance companies.

Our basical aim is widespreading the culture of traditional Irish dance in Russia. IRIDAN has cultural contacts with Irish Embassy in Russia, Russian St.Patrick`s Society, Russian Caledonian Club.

HISTORY

In January, 2000 future art-director of IRIDAN Igor Denisov had organized the first class of Irish dance for a group of enthusiasts. The classes were very energetic and full of inspiration so in a month`s time a big figure dance was completed. This success gave the idea of establishing a school and already on the March,1 2000 the first lesson for a big group of beginners took place, and this day is traditionally celebrated as an IRIDAN`s birthday.

Performance group of IRIDAN first appeared on stage in February, 2000. It has become a permanent participant of the most part of Moscow Festivals of Celtic culture, Moscow St.Patrick`s Day Parades.

IRIDAN collaborates with the St.Patrick's Society of Russia and the Moscow Caledonian Club. So in March 2000 and 2003 IRIDAN took an active part in the St.Patrick's Parade in Moscow, in June 2000 - in the traditional annual festival for celtic music Moscow Fleadh, in April 2001 - in the first international festival for celtic music and dance Ceildh Celtica. IRIDAN performed many times during this festival, participated in the many-hours-long dance&music marathon and made a workshop together with The Emerald Isle Irish Dance Team (Ireland). In summer 2001 IRIDAN performed it's full program in the Fun Celtica festival.

There are many dancing projects in the program of the School which were made in collaboration with other dance and music groups. IRIDAN performed with music bands Tintal, Puck&Piper and even presented a dance to the music of the rock-band TimeOut, taking part in their concert. The School also worked with Flamenco dance groups Costa del Flamenco and Almas del Fuego, Indian dance groups Jankhar and Tarang, Georgian dance group Mtiulury.

The big dancing show "The Ireland Isle" was first performed in the hotel "Kosmos" concert hall on 17.March 2002. It was a great present for all IRIDAN fans: not only "dancing group" was performing, but also the newcomers who started acquiring Irish dancing few months ago. Dances combining Irish steps and Russian or Indian motives, or even Rock-n-Roll steps, were also included.

The next performance of IRIDAN in the "Kosmos" concert hall (26.April 2002) kept on the tradition of combining different folk dances with Irish steps. This concert was organized together with Compania Violeta Gonzalez - a Flamenco dance group. The core of the show was the strong energy and the hypnotizing rhythm of the folk dance. Most surprising were items that consisted of both Irish and Spanish steps. The best one was the dance representing the duel of the two groups, where Irish hard shoe steps and Spanish zapateado steps got mixed up.

In September 2002 Michael Flatley, the founder of the great Irish shows "Riverdance", "Lord of the Dance" and "Feet of Flames", visited the School twice. The students of the School performed in front of him. Michael highly appreciated their level.

During his second visit (before the "Lord of the Dance" performance in Kremlin) Michael brought his choreographer and the principal dancers of the show to the School to make a workshop for IRIDAN students.

In June 2003 Michael came back again and established the Michael Flatley Irish Dance Academy, where the choreographer of his show - Marie Duffy - and it's principal dancers - Bernadette Flynn, Damien O'Kane, LeighAnn McKenna, Desmond Bailey - worked with the dancers from Moscow, Orenburg and Odessa.

The next program, called simply "IRIDAN", was performed on 1.December 2002. The tragic events of October 2002 did not prevent the dancers from making this outstanding show. Compania Violeta Gonzalez, the Indian dance group Jankhar and the Georgian dance group Mtiulury took part in it, keeping on the tradition of combining different cultures.

In March 2003 IRIDAN established and participated in the first annual festival for Irish dance and music "St.Patrick's Week", in March 2004 the second annual festival for Irish dance and music "St.Patrick's Week" took place.
In October 2003 IRIDAN performed in the Kremlin Concert Hall before the "Lord of the Dance" show.

IRIDAN performs it's big shows twice a year in different halls. Now the School is working on a live music program with the Irish music band Celtologia.

In June 2004 students of the School took part in the Warsaw Feis - Irish Dance Competition - and came back with a set of medals and a cup.

Another world-famous Irish dance performer, Colin Dunne during his visit to Moscow in April, 2005 made a workshop organized by IRIDAN and VORTEX (school of modern dance). Colin was greatly impressed by the level of russian dancers, so only a half of a year passed until his next visit.