Kate Spanos Irish Dance

Sean nós dance class
2025-05-21 18:30 - 19:30 UTC | CityDance at Parklawn, 11711 Parklawn Dr B, Rockville, MD, 20852, United States
Deepen your musicality and make some noise with Kate Spanos! This sean nós dance class for beginner dancers (all are welcome!) introduces this musical and expressive Irish dance style. Sean nós, meaning “old style” in Irish, originates from the Connemara region of Ireland and is characterized by its improvisational nature and close connection to the music. In this class, students will learn:

The fundamental techniques of sean nós, including close-to-the-floor stepping and relaxed upper body
Basic improvisation skills to develop one’s own style and percussive voice
How to develop a playful and creative conversation with the music, musicians, and other dancers through this form

The class is geared toward beginner dancers (ages 13+). Leather-soled (non-stick) shoes are recommended. If you are not sure if this class is right for you, please talk to Kate.
Semester registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome.

Class details

Dates: Wednesdays, Jan 15 – May 21 (18 classes; no class Mar 19)
Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Location: CityDance at Parklawn in Rockville, MD
Cost: $342 semester registration for 18 classes (family discounts available; contact Kate), $24 drop-in

Classes offered in partnership with EducArte.

Irish step dance class
2025-05-21 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | CityDance at Parklawn, 11711 Parklawn Dr B, Rockville, MD, 20852, United States
Deepen your skills in Irish dance with Kate Spanos! These Irish step dance classes will focus primarily on festival style technique, with an emphasis on strength, control, musicality, and stage presence. In a fun and non-competitive environment, you will learn new steps and choreographies that draw from various Irish step dance styles.
The goal of the class series is to promote a holistic understanding of Irish dance and develop strong performers, well-informed traditional dancers, and inspired creators.
The class is geared toward intermediate/advanced Irish dancers (ages 13+) and will include both soft shoe and hard shoe dancing. New choreography will be introduced every 2-3 weeks. If you are not sure if this level is right for you, please talk to Kate.
Semester registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome. 2-class packages are also available for those wishing to take both sean nós and step dance classes.

Class details

Dates: Wednesdays, Jan 15 – May 21 (18 classes; no class Mar 19)
Time: 7:30-9 p.m.
Location: CityDance at Parklawn in Rockville, MD
Cost: $342 semester registration for 18 classes (family discounts available; contact Kate), $24 drop-in

Classes offered in partnership with EducArte.

Crossroad Concerts: Irish & Brazilian Samba Fusion
2025-05-29 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | New York Irish Center, 1040 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY, 11101, United States
Kate Spanos will perform at the Irish & Brazilian Samba Fusion as part of the series, Crossroads Concerts, at New York Irish Center in Queens, NY.

Festival style Irish dance workshop - Comhaltas Brasil Féile 2025
2025-06-07 11:30 - 12:30 UTC | Online
Kate Spanos will teach a festival style Irish dance workshop for Comhaltas Brasil’s annual Féile. The workshop will focus on foundational techniques in festival style, along with original choreography, for all levels. The workshop will be taught online in Brazilian Portuguese.
Details available on the Comhaltas Brasil website. Registration form available here.

Carroll County Celtic Festival
2025-06-15 10:00 - 17:00 UTC | Carroll County Agriculture Center, 706 Agriculture Drive, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
Kate Spanos Irish Dance will perform at the Carroll County Celtic Festival on Sunday, June 15, 2025, at 11:15AM-12PM in the Shipley Arena. Kate will also teach a sean nós workshop for kids in the Blizzard Building at 2PM.
Learn more about the festival here: https://carrollcountycelticfestival.com/

Monthly sean nós dance jam
2025-06-22 13:00 - 14:15, 2025-07-13 13:00 - 14:15, 2025-08-03 13:00 - 14:15, 2025-09-14 13:00 - 14:15, 2025-10-12 13:00 - 14:15 UTC | School of Musical Traditions, 7112 Willow Ave, Takoma Park, MD, 20912, United States
Join us for a monthly guided sean nós dance jam held at the School of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park, MD. These dancer-led sessions for Irish/percussive dancers and musicians offer a supportive environment to work on your footwork, share steps, improvise with live traditional music, and deepen your connection to this fun, uplifting tradition.
Kate Spanos will lead the session with a guided warm-up and some improvisational prompts and games to get everyone working together. Then we will open up the space for free improvisation and sharing rhythms with your fellow dancers. We will have 1-2 traditional Irish musicians playing live at each session, deepening our ability to connect not only to the music but also to the people playing it. So bring your shoes, your musicality, and your personal style!
All levels are welcome, as well as dancers from other styles of percussive dance.
We also hope you will join us after the jam to socialize at one of Takoma Park’s nearby restaurants/coffee bars. The idea is to not just dance together, but also get to know each other!

Event details:

Monthly on Sundays

Fall 2025 (second Sundays): Sep 14, Oct 12, Nov 9, Dec 14
Winter/Spring 2026 (second Sundays except May & June): Jan 11, Feb 8, Mar 8, Apr 12, May 3, Jun 7

1-2:15 p.m. (join us for a social hour afterward!)
All levels and ages are welcome, children must be accompanied by an adult
Leather-soled (non-stick) shoes or taps/hard shoes are recommended
$15 to participate
Location: School of Musical Traditions, 7112 Willow Ave, Takoma Park, MD
Free parking on site!

This program is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org)
Photo © Maryland State Arts Council 2022, MSAC.org

Summer 2025 Intensive: Irish Traditional Set Dances
2025-07-09 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-07-16 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-07-23 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-07-30 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | University of Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park, 20742, United States
Wednesdays, July 9, 16, 23, and 30, 7-9 p.m.
College Park, MD (exact location TBA)
$120 full session, $35 drop-in
This special summer intensive invites you to dedicate the month of July to learning eight traditional Irish set dances from both CLRG (An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha) and non-CLRG repertoire. These dances will allow you to experience diverse styles and rhythmic interpretations from various counties throughout Irish dance history, with some sets dating back as far as 1700 BC.
The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, July 9: Maggie Pickie (Co. Donegal) & Priest And His Boots (Co. Clare)
Wednesday, July 16: Blackbird & St. Patrick’s Day by Jeremiah Molyneaux (Co. Kerry)
Wednesday, July 23: An Súisín Ban / The White Blanket (Co. Cork) & Humours of Bandon
Wednesday, July 30: Garden of Daisies (Co. Cork) & King of the Fairies (Co. Cork)

Classes will emphasize not only the steps but also the unique style of each set, so come ready to explore different techniques! By focusing on these historically significant dances, you will gain insight into the regional variations and cultural importance of each set dance.
Teaching will be fast-paced so this intensive is best for students with previous Irish hard shoe experience.
Classes offered in partnership with EducArte.

Sean nós dance class
2025-09-03 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-09-10 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-09-17 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-09-24 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-10-01 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-10-08 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-10-15 18:30 - 19:30 UTC | The JaM Space, 12009 Nebel St, Rockville, MD, 20852, United States
Deepen your musicality and make some noise! This sean nós dance class introduces this musical and expressive dance style from Ireland. Sean nós, meaning “old style” in Irish, originates from the Connemara region of Ireland and is characterized by its improvisational nature and close connection to the music. In this class, students will learn:

The fundamental techniques of sean nós, including close-to-the-floor stepping and relaxed upper body
Basic improvisation skills to develop one’s own style and percussive voice
Approaches to developing a playful and creative conversation with the music, musicians, and other dancers through this form

The class is geared toward beginner and advanced beginner dancers (ages 13+), but all levels are welcome. Leather-soled (non-stick) shoes are recommended; taps or Irish dance hard shoes are also acceptable. If you are not sure if this class is right for you, please talk to Kate.
Semester registration is encouraged, but drop-ins are welcome. A 15% discount is applied when you register for the semester for both sean nós and step dance classes (automatically applied at checkout).

Class details

Dates: Wednesdays, September 3 – December 17 (15 classes; no class November 26)
Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Location: The JaM Space (12009 Nebel Street, Rockville, MD) (parking available; within walking distance of the North Bethesda Metro station)
Cost: $300 semester registration for 15 classes, $24 drop-in

Classes sponsored in part by EducArte.
Registration fees are non-refundable.
Photo credit: © Maryland State Arts Council 2025, MSAC.org

Irish step dance class
2025-09-03 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-09-10 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-09-17 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-09-24 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-01 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-08 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-15 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | The JaM Space, 12009 Nebel St, Rockville, MD, 20852, United States
Deepen your Irish dance technique and rhythm! These Irish step dance classes draw from various Irish step dance styles, especially festival style technique from the north of Ireland, with an emphasis on strength, control, musicality, and stage presence. In a fun and non-competitive environment, you will learn new steps and choreographies that will challenge and inspire your dancing.

The goal of the class series is to promote a holistic understanding of Irish dance, in all its styles, and develop strong performers, well-informed traditional dancers, and inspired creators.
The class is geared toward experienced Irish dancers (ages 13+) and includes both soft shoe and hard shoe dancing. New choreography will be introduced every 2-3 weeks. If you are not sure if this level is right for you, please talk to Kate.
The program is especially designed for dancers who may no longer be interested in competing, but still want to find joy in dancing and performing. Students will have opportunities to perform with Kate Spanos Irish Dance throughout the year.
Semester registration is encouraged, but drop-ins are welcome. A 15% discount is applied when you register for the semester for both sean nós and step dance classes (automatically applied at checkout).

Class details

Dates: Wednesdays, September 3 – December 17 (15 classes; no class November 26)
Time: 7:30-9 p.m.
Location: The JaM Space (12009 Nebel Street, Rockville, MD) (parking available; within walking distance of the North Bethesda Metro station)
Cost: $300 semester registration for 15 classes, $24 drop-in

Classes sponsored in part by EducArte.
Registration fees are non-refundable.
Photo credit: © Maryland State Arts Council 2025, MSAC.org

Maryland Folk Festival
2025-09-20 12:00 - 17:00 UTC | Maryland Folk Festival, 115 S Division St, Salisbury, MD, 21801, United States
Kate Spanos Irish Dance will perform at the Maryland Folk Festival in Salisbury, MD. The group will perform at 12:15-1:15 p.m. and Kate will teach a céilí dance workshop at 4:15-5 p.m.
Photo © Maryland State Arts Council 2025, MSAC.org

The Crabtown Frolic
2025-09-27 12:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Annapolis, MD, Annapolis, MD, United States
Kate Spanos will present scholarly work and dance at the Crabtown Frolic presented by the New Century American-Irish Arts Company in Annapolis, MD.
About The Crabtown Frolic
The Crabtown Frolic is a two-day traditional music festival featuring intimate performances, presentations, repertoire workshops, social dances, and music sessions. Located in downtown Annapolis, Maryland, it showcases unamplified performances of traditional music in 18th and 19th century spaces to explore the symbiosis of historic architecture and music. It demonstrates for modern people the aesthetics in which our ancestors entertained themselves using the gifts of their creative genius.
The Crabtown Frolic embraces the ethos of the Gaelic Revival—to cultivate a rich, intellectual life within Ireland’s music, language, sport, art, literature, and history—and extends the same ethos to Chesapeake culture. It examines the Chesapeake’s extant 18th and 19th century traditions with concern for their future, and unites tradition bearers to explore the encounters that cradle our Tidewater culture.
Learn more: www.newcenturyirisharts.com/crabtownfrolic
