When people think of the Irish in Lake Nona, they may automatically think of golf, but Lake Nona’s a hub for Irish dance, too. Now entering their sixth year of teaching Irish dance classes in Lake Nona, Central Florida Irish Dance is an award-winning Irish dance academy founded and owned by Irish native Sarah Costello.

Costello hails from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her Irish dance classes. After travelling the world with professional Irish dance shows and performing in 31 countries, she was recruited by Walt Disney World to be a performer and musician in 2011 and has lived in Central Florida ever since. Costello graduated in 2007 with an honors degree in theatre and Irish language from Queens University in Belfast and became a qualified TCRG (Irish dance teacher) in 2008. She is a professional Irish dancer and musician and also performs with her own Irish band, Irish Echoes. 

She had always dreamed of opening her own dance school but never thought she would settle in Florida and open a school on this side of the Atlantic. After finishing working with Disney in 2013, Costello decided Central Florida would be the place to settle and pursue her dream of becoming a small business owner and founded her Irish dance school. Starting out eight years ago with only one student, Central Florida Irish Dance now has 10 locations and over 130 students throughout Central Florida and in Augusta, Georgia. After meeting her fiancé from Pittsburgh in an Irish pub on St. Patrick’s Day in 2019 while she was performing, Costello is now planning a wedding in Ireland for springtime of next year.

In 2016, Costello started classes in Lake Nona at NorthLake Park Community School as an after-school program and then continued classes in Movez Dance Inc. on Narcoossee Road. These classes were the first of their kind in the Lake Nona community and brought many from the Irish and English communities together. With the strong golf community in Lake Nona, lots of Irish connections were made with families who have come over and settled here.  

Irish Echoes, Costello’s professional Irish musical troupe, has been lucky enough to perform throughout Lake Nona over the years with her dance students alongside. Irish Echoes performed at the first-ever St. Patrick’s Day event in Boxi Park back in 2019. Costello has been fortunate enough to perform for celebrities and at major events throughout Orlando over the years – including dancing for the Irish golfers at the PGA’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill on St. Patrick’s Day, dancing with former Orlando Magic star Bo Outlaw, and touring with some of the most popular Irish dance professional shows across the U.S.

Central Florida Irish dance has won many awards since opening in 2013: the Irish American Chamber of Commerce Florida Harp Award for outstanding contribution to Irish culture and community, Best of Orlando Magazine Top 3 Performing Arts Group Award, Orlando Weekly Best Dance Company, and multiple Top 3 Awards at FusionFest Orlando Dance Contest. Over the last eight years, the dance school has attended competitions worldwide and has national champion titles as young as five years old. The academy also has world championship medal holders and prides itself on successfully molding young students from complete beginner to open champions.

Classes cater to children from ages three and up, and the academy has a specialized preschool program called Jump n’ Jig, designed specifically as a fun intro activity for younger students.  

You don’t have to be Irish to join. Anyone can try a free trial class at any time throughout the year. Classes run for both competitive and non-competitive students from September through May each year on Wednesdays and Fridays at Movez Dance Inc. and are one hour long. Classes focus on musicality, timing, rhythm and technique and cater to all levels whether you’re a complete beginner or have experience in Irish dance. Opportunities to perform are offered throughout the year as well as optional competitions and recitals.  

Central Florida Irish Dance is located in Lake Nona at Movez Dance Inc. (7480 Narcoossee Rd., Suite 100-C). More information can be found on the website www.centralfloridairishdance.com or by emailing Sarah Costello on [email protected]. You can also keep up to date with the dance school on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

Schedule:

Wednesdays at 6 p.m. – All Levels Irish Dance

Fridays at 4 p.m. – Jump n’ Jig

Fridays at 5 p.m. – Intermediate/Advanced Irish Dance