Ballet teacher Eilis Heneghan has been dancing since she was six years old, and her passion for ballet saw her qualify as an ISTD teacher during the pandemic. Now, she is bringing her love of ballet to children and teenagers in Galway through her dance school, Na hEalaí Damhsa.
Eilish's love of ballet began when she joined Corrib Dance Academy at six years of age. From there, she trained with Antionette Casserly in Salthill. By the time she was a teenager, she knew her future lay in dance.
After completing her Royal Academy of Dance exams she studied at GMIT, but decided her real passion was teaching. And so she moved to Dublin and enrolled with the Inchicore College of Further Education to study ballet.
"I decided that dance was my passion and what I wanted to do," she recalled. "The course director Marian Lennon inspired me to teach. She gave me a lot of inspiration to be the best I could be. She basically helped me make my dreams come true."
Eilish studied a wide range of dance styles including tap, hip hop, and jazz, as well as teaching, choreography, and other disciplines during her time at Inchicore. An Erasmus placement in Paris also added to her experience in choreography and teaching.
Ultimately, Eilish decided to study the ISTD Imperial Classic Ballet curriculum, the crème de la crème of ballet teaching qualifications.
Now, she has her own dance school and hopes to instil in the next generation of young dancers the same passion for ballet which she picked up from her teachers.
"My goal is to give kids like me the opportunity to dance," she said. "People who can't afford it, but love it. I want to make sure classes are at an affordable price. I also want to make sure that everyone is seen. I want to make sure that everyone is equal, and everyone gets the chance to reach their full potential and enjoy ballet for fun, or if they want to pursue it more."
Classes will begin in Shantalla Community Centre on Wednesday, September 13. The school caters for children aged four and up, with a primary and grade 1 class at 3pm, and grade 2 and 3 at 3.45pm.
Eilis Heneghan also teaches dance classes for children and adults at Galway Dance Centre in Terryland. To find out more about Na hEalaí Damhsa or other dance classes, see her website www.eilishballetschoolgalway.ie
