How lucky am I to have combined two of my favourite things—Irish dance and entrepreneurship—to create Rising Tide with Laura? Outside of dance, my background is entrepreneurship and public relations and I’m passionate about making Rising Tide the best experience possible for our community.

In the dance studio, my goal is to train our dancers to be the best they can be all the while making sure their experience in Irish dance is a highlight. I approach teaching from the point of view of a dancer’s whole career. More than having some choreography memorized for a competition, it’s important that dancers have a holistic knowledge of Irish dance, from understanding how and why to improve even the smallest of details, to the history of Irish dance. If at the end of their dancing days our dancers know more and can do more than me, I’ll consider the job done.

Having danced (and lived) in Halifax and Dublin I bring many perspectives to my teaching but also a real love for Ireland which I truly enjoy passing on to our students. James Joyce once said “When I die Dublin will be written in my heart.” and I think the same will be said of me—and maybe a few future Rising Tiders.