The Danny Tighe School of Irish Dance
Daniel Tighe was the first Irish Dance Teacher in North
Carolina certified (TCRG) by An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (Irish Dancing Commission).
He began Irish Dancing and competing at the age of 8 in Long Island, NY, with his four brothers and sisters. During his 13 years of competition dancing,
he has competed at the Eastern Region, Canada and Ireland competitions. Additionally, he received awards throughout from Beginner to Champion level, in
solo and team figure dancing. His class instructors included Bob Barrett, Mary Bastis (ADCRG), and Kenny Verlin (ADCRG).
He received his Irish Dancing Certification in 1978 in Dublin, Ireland. "I have been fortunate to be able to perform with some great Irish entertainers and musicians such as: Frank Paterson, The Chieftains , Pat Roper, Clancy Brothers, Andy Cooney, and The Wolftones." He presently, has school locations in: Raleigh, Wake Forest, Rocky Mount, Apex and Cary, North Carolina.
Terra Scarlette Beek-Kenakin began dancing as soon as she could walk! Terra has trained for 15 years in ballet, tap (two styles), hip-hop, jazz, modern, and Irish dance and won four scholarships for her dancing.
She’s been teaching dance to students since she was 11 years old. Terra trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem under Melissa Hayden and Warren Conover (among others), the Boston Ballet,
and the Charlotte Conservatory for ballet in addition to various schools around North Carolina. Terra then shifted gears to train in Irish dance after watching an old beat-up tape of The Lord of the Dance—and the rest,
as they say, is history.
She started with Inis Cairde and then Danny Tighe at sixteen years old. Though Terra loved performing, she switched to the Walsh Kelley School of Irish Dance—training both in Greensboro and in Charlotte four times a week to focus on competitive Irish dance. Under the instruction of Breda O’Brien and Aine, after only one year of competition and at eighteen years old, she became an Open Champion by way of competing across North Carolina (after only four preliminary championships of which she won the last two—Feis na Tara and the CCE feis—consecutively and with a perfect score of 300). Terra has competed in jazz, ballet, tap, and modern and won many competitions in these styles as well (Showstoppers, I Love Dance, Headliners, etc.). Terra was even featured in the international publication Irish Dancing Magazine as a “Girl You Should Know” in the March 2007 issue. She has performed with Cherish the Ladies and done a workshop with Colin Dunne. Terra, as a soloist, placed in the Top 10, and as a competitive figure dancer, placed 2nd in the four-hand and 3rd in the eight-hand at the Southern Regional Oireachtas.
Terra has an Associate of Arts degree and is currently attending classes at UNC-Chapel Hill to achieve her BA (major in drama with a minor in philosophy); she also does martial arts. All in all, Terra loves to choreograph new steps and have fun performing Irish dance. She is thrilled to be an assistant teacher and part of the Danny Tighe School: “Experience is needed with teaching—but what is more important than the imperative skills required is the eagerness and passion needed with which to teach them.”
D
ancing has been a huge part of Amy’s life for over 24 years. She began dancing at age 3 at Fredericksburg Ballet Centre (FBC) in Fredericksburg, VA. She danced at FBC for 17 years where she studied a variety of dance styles including: ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, & hip-hop. She also performed for 4 years in the studio’s Senior Dance Company. Amy has had the opportunity to train with instructors such as Susan Massey, Melanie Richards, & Arnott Mader from Richmond Ballet as well as, attend conventions through Dance Masters & Dance Educators of America.
In 1998, Amy discovered the exciting world of Irish dance and began her Irish dance training. Amy moved to Richmond, VA in 2000 to attend Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and continued her Irish training through various workshops and classes when she was not studying. During college, Amy was also a member of the VCU Dance Team & has had the opportunity to attend National Dance Association & University Dance Association dance camps. Amy graduated from VCU in May 2004 with Bachelors of Science in Business Administration & Management. In 2006, Amy was introduced and began training with Danny Tighe.
Currently, Amy is an instructor at FBC where she teaches Irish, as well as, jazz, pom, and tap. Amy is also an the director for FBC’s Competition Jazz & Tap teams too, which competes in multiple regional dance competitions throughout the year such as Starquest,, On Stage America, Star Systems & Showstoppers. Her dance groups have won many special awards, gold medals and trophies.
Along with teaching at FBC, Amy also teaches Irish classes at Jessica Morgan School of Dance in Midlothian, VA. In 2001, Amy became the Artistic Director for Crossroads Irish Dance Troupe, which is a performing Irish troupe that makes appearances at local festivals, schools, benefit shows, etc. throughout the Richmond area.
Amy continues to compete at Irish dance competitions and is also studying & preparing to take her T.C.R.G. exam. When she is not teaching she works full time as a Human Resources Assistant at the VA Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Her favorites quotes that have inspired her throughout her dance career are: “Practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect” -- Vince Lombardi
“Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.” – Martha Graham
Danny Tighe School of Irish Dance | Raleigh, Cary, Apex and Wake Forest, NC | Email: danny@dannytighe.com | Phone: 919-562-0616 | Address: 6208 Degrace Court Wake Forest, NC 27587