INSTRUCTORS

AISLING TOAL CASEY

OWNER, TCRG, ADCRG

My name is Aisling Toal Casey. I am from Belfast, Northern Ireland. I started dancing at the tender age of 4 for the Anne Reid School of Irish Dance in Belfast City. The school was very large and highly competitive which allowed me to take my dance career to a very high level. I grew up competing on All-Ireland, All-England, and World Championship stages. I placed in the top 5 in the All-Irelands and top three in the Region over the years.

Having already received respectable placings at a competitive level, I decided to turn professional. At 17, I traveled to Dublin where I auditioned for a part in the world famous show, Lord of the Dance, and after four grueling hours I escaped the elimination process and earned myself a spot in the show! I traveled all over the world for 7 years and matured greatly as a dancer. I was then offered the lead female role in the show.

It was while I was touring that I met my husband, Denver-native Shaun Casey. We were married in July 2006 and retired from the big stage to settle here in Denver. I am really excited to be teaching at Celtic Steps and continuing my passion for dance. I hope to take all the Celtic Steps dancers to a new level!

SHAUN CASEY

OWNER, TCRG, ADCRG

Greetings to everyone and welcome. I am very excited to start the next phase of my Irish dancing career right here with Celtic Steps. I have been dancing and competing since I was 10 years old and have always loved the very competitive aspect of Irish Dance. I studied in Denver my whole competitive career and place first in the Western Region championship 7 times. I also placed in the top five and the North American championships five times and was very proud to have placed 10th in the 1998 World Championships.

In October 1996, I joined Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance. We traveled around the world and performed for over 2 million people. The schedule was rigorous: six shows a week for the six years I was with the show! I was honored to be asked to dance each of the two principal male roles and worked hard to stay at the top of my game.

I learned a lot about Irish dance over the years and I am eager to give a little back to our students at Celtic Steps. I know Celtic Steps will grow to be recognized as a top school in the United States in the near future! With a little hard work and dedication, everyone at Celtic Steps can follow their dreams and be at their best both inside and outside of dancing. We will enjoy the ride together and I wish everyone the very best!!

EIMEAR TOAL

INSTRUCTOR, TCRG, ADCRG

Eimear Toal McNicholas grew up in Belfast, Ireland and has been dancing since the age of 4. She was the Western Regional Irish Dance Champion and placed in the top 5 in the 2009 and top 10 in the 2010 Nationals. She led her team to 1st place in the World Irish Dance Championships in 2008 and 2011, and is a World Medal Holder for solo dancing at the 2010 World competition. She joined our teaching staff here at Celtic Steps in 2011 when she passed her TCRG exam. She is an invaluable asset to our teaching staff and works hard breaking down steps for our dancers, refining and polishing until they’re mastered. She married Brendan McNicholas in July of 2012 and is expecting her first baby, Caoimhin Michael, this December. She currently runs our satellite studio in Lakewood, and teaches teams and privates in Denver as well.

MAGGIE DARLINGTON

INSTRUCTOR, TCRG

Maggie Darlington, professional Irish dancer for the past ten years, is the principal dancer with Riverdance and Heartbeat of Home. She has been touring the world with Riverdance since 2011, and has performed on some of the worlds most prestigious stages including: Radio City Music Hall and the London Palladium. Prior to her professional career she had a very successful competitive career. Winning eleven Western Regional Championships, three North American Championships, two All Ireland’s, and a World Championship title to her name. Now she is a TCRG and certified fitness, barre, and yoga instructor.

GREG MOLONY

INSTRUCTOR, TCRG

Greg has been dancing since the young age of 5. His competitive career includes three Western USA regional titles, placing top five at the North Americans, and competed internationally at the All-Ireland and World Championships. Greg has done three world tours with The National Dance Company of Ireland’s production of ‘Rhythm of the Dance’ as a lead dancer and dance captain, became a full time cast member of ‘Footstorm’, a modern Irish dance show from the creators of ‘Prodijig’, and toured extensively with Riverdance for six years, the show that originally made Greg begin to Irish dance. Greg gained his TCRG in December of 2018 and loves sharing his knowledge of irish dance with all of the Celtic Steps pupils.