ABOUT OIDA
Non-Competitive Irish Dancing
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 kids. They grew up performing with world-renowned Irish musicians and competing internationally, both earning world rankings! They discovered a passion for teaching specifically recreational and 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.
What is OIDA?
Oregon Irish Dance Academy was founded in 2017 and is a Portland-based, fully non-competitive and recreational Irish dancing program for kids that provides weekly Irish dance classes as well as Summer Irish Dance Camps. New students are welcome to try a free class at OIDA anytime of year!
New students start in a class appropriate for their age, and our program is structured so that new students can start at any time and feel right at home! Our lesson plans are crafted so that each student can learn at their own pace and not feel behind or pressured at all. Plus, no dance shoes are needed when getting started - socks work great!
Need to pause or take a break from classes due to scheduling issues, other activities/sports, or any reason at all? No problem! Tuition is charged monthly, which gives families flexibility with low-commitment.
All new students get a free trial class, plus 50% off your first month of tuition (and no registration fee). RSVP today!
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. OIDA offers a structured Irish dance curriculum designed specifically for kids - step by step guidance with no rush and no pressure held in a safe and uplifting environment with encouraging teachers and supportive classmates. We want dancers to leave each class feeling confident, successful, and excited for next time. Our goal is to build self-esteem and uplift our students through the wonderful art and tradition of Irish dancing - all in a fully recreational format. We teach our students to enjoy the journey of learning and that each dancer learns differently and will progress at their own pace. We encourage our students to be creative, challenge themselves, ask questions, recognize their strengths and strides, and to be proud of themselves.
What Makes Us Different
OIDA is a fully non-competitive and recreational Irish dance program. We do not participate in competitions and are not affiliated with any competitive dance organization. We are committed to providing a fun and high-quality experience at our studio with punctuality, prompt communication, and organization at the forefront of everything we do. Our instructors are experienced, kind, supportive, patient, caring, fun, encouraging, positive, and qualified. We want to create a studio environment where our students thoroughly enjoy every moment of their dance classes, their personal learning journey, their teacher and classmate interactions, and their overall experience at OIDA. New students are welcome to try a free class with us any time to see if Irish dancing is something they might enjoy!
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. 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.
Christina and 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! Christina and 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.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADES
We love to dance in our community parades!
Each year OIDA dancers, families, and friends have the opportunity to march and dance in our local St. Patrick's Day parade! We get dressed up in our best green/Irish/shamrock outfits for a super fun event showing our support for local Irish dance, music, and culture. Any of our dancers, little and big, beginner and advanced, are welcome to dance their way down the street for as long as they would like! There are fire trucks, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Irish wolfhounds, bagpipers, and more. It's a super fun, family-friendly, and memorable event -- we are already counting down the days!
END-OF-SEASON RECITALS
A chance to dance for friends and family!
We love to celebrate our students’ hard work at the end of each season by holding a recital. Our recitals are designed to be a fun and memorable experience, nothing high-pressure or too nerve-wrecking! Students perform what they’ve been working on in class in front of their family and friends. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to congratulate your dancer on a job well done! Current families, check your email for all the Recital info!