revised 8/01/07

Maureen O'Grady and Colleen Schroeder at Irish Dance World Championship' 07,
Glasgow, Scotland

 
MAUREEN O'GRADY WHITE
COLLEEN SCHROEDER
Maureen literally introduced Irish dancing to the Lehigh Valley, starting a school from scratch with 10 students in 1992 and growing student enrollment to over 150 within a few years. Her experience as an Irish dance instructor and businesswoman is well known in the Lehigh Valley, with thousands of students passing through her studio doors and competing and performing on local, national and world stages. A dancer beginning at age 4 under Peter Smith, Maureen enjoyed competitive success - including on the National and World championship levels - throughout her childhood. She is a member of the Irish Dance Commission, Lehigh Valley Arts Council, and Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. A teacher of children by heart, Maureen has been an ESOL instructor in the Allentown School District since 1990.

Colleen began dancing with Maureen O’Grady at the age of eleven. She instantly fell in love with the art form and with Maureen’s help and encouragement she began to develop her skills. Colleen was soon competing in Regional and National Competitions and dreaming of one day having her own school. Colleen joined the Coyle School of Irish Dance, in Philadelphia, at the age of 15 and achieved her first goal by qualifying and competing at the Word Championships in Galway.
In the year 2000, at the age of 20, she passed her TCRG exam and completed her second goal by founding the Quinlan Academy of Irish Dance. Within the past 5 years, Colleen has achieved success on a competitive stage by producing championship dancers who now compete in various competitions regionally, nationally, and internationally. Her students have also graced the stages of the Lehigh Valley musical festivals and beyond!

contact Maureen O'Grady White