Caitrin O'Meara, TCRG

Caitrin O’Meara began dancing at the age of 5. Her strong Irish roots and family support helped contribute to her successful Irish dancing career. Caitrin qualified for the World Championships from the age of 9 until she stopped competing at age 23. She has won the Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas 4 times as well as finishing in the top 5 in the North American Championships. Caitrin’s dedication led her to competitions across the United States, Ireland, England, Scotland, and Spain. Her international medals include 3rd place at the Great Britain Championships and top 10 medals at both the All-Ireland Championships and World Championships.

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Caitrin graduated from Pace University with a bachelor’s degree and is a certified stenographer of the state of New York. In May 2014, she passed her TCRG exam and became a member of An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG) and the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America (IDTANA). Caitrin attributes her love of Irish dancing to her parents, who instilled in her a love of Irish culture from a very young age. Her dream is to instill that same passion in today’s generation of young Irish dancers.

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Mitchell DeSimone, TCRG

Mitchell DeSimone began taking ballet, tap and jazz at age 5, and began Irish dancing at the age of 12. Mitchell has performed with Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games on Broadway and in over thirteen countries worldwide, as well as touring Europe and North America with many independent dance and music shows over the past fifteen years. Mitchell retired from competitive Irish Dance as a five-time CLRG New England Regional Champion of Irish Dance and ranked among the top ten dancers in the world, was named the ‘Best Role Model’ by Irish Dance and Culture Magazine, and now enjoys performing and teaching Irish Dance. He was certified as a TCRG by CLRG in 2018. Mitchell has had the immense privilege of working with Irish dancers and teachers worldwide to improve performance, development and satisfaction through dance instruction and mental coaching. He holds a master’s degree in Sports Psychology, specializing in Irish Dance, which allows him to offer unique insight through workshops, professional development and cognitive training. Mitchell is currently enrolled in a Sport Psychology PhD program.

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Sal

Once an abused stray, Sal was adopted by Caitrin and Mitchell in 2016. Since then, Sal has earned his certification as a service dog and has successfully worked with dozens of dancers to help manage anxiety and stress.
 
Sal continues his training to become part of the ever-growing dance school dynamic. He has discovered a love for children, and always loves the opportunity to participate in Irish Dance. Sal is constantly building on behaviors that will help students cope with the natural stresses of class participation, aid in reinforcement and motivation, and help Mitchell to develop trust and an otherwise facilitative relationship with students.

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Arya

Arya currently has no qualifications to be part of this dance school, but she follows Caitrin everywhere she goes so you'll probably see her around anyway.