Mission Statement:
"To nurture a love and passion for Irish dance and culture, foster community, and challenge students to not be perfect but always give a perfect effort in dance and life."
Caitlin Kelly, TCRG, Director/owner, Instructor
Caitlin began studying Irish Dance at the age of seven with the Harling Irish Dance Academy, under the direction of the late Maureen Harling Welty, TCRG, ADCRG. Caitlin performed and competed on the regional and national levels under Harling for fourteen years, traveling nationally and internationally. Caitlin placed in the top 10 at the 2010 Oireachtas and was a member of four second-place Oireachtas teams. She also qualified for the North American Championships multiple times. While Caitlin was finishing her competitive career with Harling and later, another local school, she assisted with solo and ceili classes at both schools.
In the spring of 2012, at the age of twenty-one, Caitlin traveled to Limerick, Ireland, where she passed the T.C.R.G exam. Caitlin is an accredited teacher with An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha. Caitlin directed and operated Drake Fort Lauderdale for three years before establishing the Kelly Academy of Irish Dance in 2015.
Caitlin graduated with honors from Palm Beach Atlantic University in December of 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a specialization in Exceptional Student Education. Caitlin worked at a local private school for three years as a Special Education teacher before committing all of her time to the Kelly Academy.
Matt Smith, TCRG, Workshop Teacher
Matt started dancing at the age of 5 in South Norwood, London. During a successful 13 years of competing, he won 2 All Ireland titles and achieved a ranking of 2nd at the World Championships, as well as multiple Great Britain and National Championships.
At the age of 18, Matt joined Lord of the Dance in Portugal on their European tour and after a year with the show he achieved his ambition by performing the lead role of ‘The Lord’.“ In addition to Matt continuing to tour with the show, he works closely with our dancers, training and pushing them towards achieving their goals.
Sheena Kelly, Assistant Teacher
Sheena is a Florida native and an Irish citizen. She has been Irish dancing since she was three years old and competed regionally, nationally, and internationally. Sheena also has an extensive performance background and even danced on the White House lawn. Sheena was later selected as the Florida Rose representing the state in the Rose of Tralee International Festival in 2016; one of 65 participants from around the world who help foster the “aspirations, ambitions, intellect, social responsibility and Irish heritage" of young women.
Sheena attended the University of Florida graduating with a degree in Psychology and Communications. She then attended law school at Nova Southeastern University. Sheena currently works full-time as an Assistant State Attorney for the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County.
Sheena teaches Irish dance part-time in the southeast Fort Lauderdale studio. She is passionate about sharing her love of Irish dance and mentoring young children as well as performing at civic and social events in the community. The experiences Sheena learned from Irish dance have transcended to her everyday life. She learned the dedication to commit hours of hard work to improve, acquired the discipline to master material, and developed time management skills. Sheena learned to set goals, create a path to reach them, and commit the effort required to attain them. She learned how to persevere to achieve a desired result even in the face of defeat and disappointment. Lastly, She learned how to perform under pressure and revel in the feeling of accomplishment. Sheena looks forward to welcoming your child into the Irish dance world and helping them become the best they can be.
Shannon Tynan, Business assistant & Costume Coordinator
Shannon began dancing at the age of four with a local Irish dancing school (where she and Caitlin met) and later began taking lessons at the Harling Irish Dance Academy. Shannon also excelled in ballet before devoting her time and training to Irish dance. Shannon has many achievements in Irish Dance, such as placing 2nd at the 2013 Southern Region Oireachtas, placing 24th at the 2015 North American Irish Dance Championships, and qualifying for the World Championships numerous times. Shannon was also part of the teams that placed 2nd at the Southern Region Oireachtas.
Shannon graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor's in Business Administration and a Master's degree at FAU in Information Technology & Management. She currently works at Florida Atlantic University as a Senior Business Intelligence Analyst.
Shannon assists with performances, business facilitation, costume and merchandise orders, social media, as well as makes all of the performance costumes for the dancers. Together, Caitlin and Shannon share their love of Irish dance with the KAID dancers and continue to carry on the legacy that was before them.
Chris kelly, Business Administrator
Chris, an active dance mom for fifteen years and an educator for more than 40 years, serves as our business administrator. Chris attended Purdue University and went on to teach and work as a school administrator in Fort Lauderdale while running a long-term home-based business. Currently, Chris is a reading and math tutor and is employed part-time at a local private school.
Chris oversees all aspects of the Jackrabbit Portal, including registration, re-enrollment, and billing. As a seasoned dance mom, Chris often assists with performances and helps new parents navigate competitions.
Caitlin and Shannon 1997
Caitlin and Shannon 2013
Caitlin and Shannon 2015
Caitlin and Shannon 2016
