About Us
The Forristal School of Dance is a long-established dance school running in Gweedore, The Rosses, and Cloughaneely in Donegal, teaching Royal Academy of Dance Classical Ballet, Modern Theatre, Jazz, Tap Dance, and fitness to children and teenagers.
Set on the beautiful Atlantic coast in Donegal, dance exams and assessments are offered and students perform in local events and in a fully staged dance production on stage in An Grianan Theatre.
Deirdre also runs Summer Schools and regularly brings in guest teachers for dance workshops at different times during the year.
Deirdre Forristal
The owner & principal of The Forristal School of Dance, Deirdre Forristal, LISTD, has a demonstrated history of working in the performing arts industry.
Skilled in Choreography, Performing Arts, Musical Theatre, Dance, & Teaching, Deirdre is a strong educational professional with an RAD Teaching Certificate focused in Classical Ballet from The Royal Academy of Dance, London and a DDE and Licentiate from The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London.
Deirdre began her training in Kilkenny with Cynthia O'Dunlaing. She continued her training with Aedeen O'Hagan, Debbie Allen and Dublin City Ballet before heading to London to train at The Royal Academy of Dance.
While in London she studied Classical Ballet, Dance History, Anatomy, Psychology, Music and Repetoire. She graduated with a Distinction in her Teaching Certificate and returned to Ireland to teach with Cynthia O'Dunlaing in Dublin and Bray.
Deirdre then began her own dance schools in Edenderry, Athy and Kilkenny. She also continued her dance studies and took her Associate, Licentiate and Diploma in Dance Education in Modern Theatre Dance with the ISTD. She choreographed musicals in Kilkenny and Athy and both her students and herself have performed at many events in Ireland.
Upon moving to Donegal, Deirdre began her school in Gweedore in 2001. It has now grown to 4 venues around the county providing a centre of excellence for dance.
Deirdre also teaches in many of the local primary schools providing fun, energetic dance classes to the children. She continues to upskill, attending courses in Dublin and London to keep up to date and to use in her classes.
Deirdre has an innate love of dance and has seen the huge benefits of dance in her experience working with children over the years. Her aim is to pass this love of dance on to her students so they can enjoy the gift of dance.
Key Points
- Royal Academy of Dance Tutor
- Licentiate & DDE. ISTD
- Dance Exams & Assessments
- Perform in Local Events
- Full Dance Stage Production
