WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
Non-Competitive Irish Dancing for All Ages
Our History
OIDA was founded by sisters Christina and Victoria White. Born and raised in Portland, Christina and Victoria fell in love with Irish dancing after seeing Riverdance as young girls. They grew up performing with world-renowned Irish musicians and competing internationally, both earning world rankings! They discovered a passion for teaching non-competitive Irish dancing, and after a combined 18 years of teaching Irish dancing in various locations across Oregon, in 2017 Christina and Victoria officially put all of their classes under one name, Oregon Irish Dance Academy.
Our History
THE Place for Irish Dancing
At OIDA, we love Irish dancing, and it shows! Our program is fully non-competitive. We offer weekly Irish dancing classes year-round for ages three to adult in multiple locations. We hold uniquely awesome day camps for kids during Summer Breaks that you definitely won't want to miss out on! We create opportunities for our dancers to perform, whether it's marching in St. Patrick's Day parades, training on one of our Performance Teams, or dancing in our annual Recitals. Your dancer gets everything in one happy place!
THE Place for Irish Dancing
Our Philosophy
Our Philosophy
We believe in building self-esteem and confidence and helping our students feel successful. We set attainable goals, provide level- and age-appropriate challenges, and promote a positive learning mindset. We inspire through example, showing our students how to see the good in each experience, to value that there is always room for improvement, and to enjoy the journey and the hard work that get them somewhere. We encourage our students to be creative, ask questions, and be the best that they can be!
What Makes Us Different
What Makes Us Different
Our program is the only fully non-competitive program in Oregon. We are passionate about creating a community where as many people as possible can enjoy Irish dancing as a part of their lives. We strive to be leaders in our industry and are committed to being the best that we can be with punctuality, prompt communication, and organization in everything we do. Our instructors are exceptional people whose innovation and dedication are unparallelled. We love Irish dancing -- try a free class with us any time of year!
EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE
At Oregon Irish Dance Academy, we welcome students of all races, genders, religions, cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, backgrounds, and abilities. OIDA is a safe place for all to learn and enjoy Irish dancing. We believe that Irish dancing is universal and has something to offer everyone, and we strive in all we do to make OIDA a positive, joy-filled experience for each person we encounter.
IS OREGON IRISH DANCE ACADEMY ACCREDITED OR CERTIFIED?
The largest and oldest international governing body for Irish dancing is An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha, or CLRG for short. CLRG hosts what they call TCRG certifications, which are intensely rigorous, 3-day-long, 5-part examinations. The TCRG exam is largely considered the world over as the most difficult examination available to evaluate Irish dancers' teaching ability. Miss Christina worked over 3 years to complete the 12 pre-requisite Grade Exams that qualified her to take the TCRG exam. She then passed the TCRG Exam in 2020, with flying colors no less, earning "Honors" in the dancing section and a perfect score on the music section!
IS OREGON IRISH DANCE ACADEMY REGISTERED WITH A LARGER IRISH DANCING ORGANIZATION?
Oregon Irish Dance Academy is not connected to any larger Irish dancing organization. Miss Christina passed the TCRG exam offered by CLRG, but we have chosen to remain independent and not to register with CLRG. One of the main practical functions of CLRG and the other major Irish dancing organizations is to host and regulate competitions, and as OIDA is completely non-competitive, we prefer to operate independently from competitive organizations.
Miss Christina and Miss Victoria are active members of and/or donors to multiple local organizations that promote and support Irish dance, music, language, and culture in our area, including the All-Ireland Cultural Society of Oregon, Irish Network Portland, CCE Oregon (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann), the Céilí of the Valley Society, and the Celtic Heritage Alliance.
ARE OIDA'S TEACHERS BACKGROUND CHECKED?
Yes! Miss Christina and Miss Victoria are background checked by The Children's Gym, Portland's leading facility for children's fitness activities since 1984. OIDA also runs background checks for all additional staff members including camp coaches, workshop teachers, and substitute teachers.