Thanks to such international sensations as Riverdance and Dancing On Dangerous Ground, traditional Irish dancing has a contemporary following. Find out where to learn Irish dancing in Brooklyn.
1. Donny Golden School of Dance
The king of Brooklyn's Irish dancing scene is Bay Ridge resident Donny Golden. In 1995, Mr. Golden recieved a rare National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Award & Fellowship, as a master of folk and traditional arts.According to the Wall Street Journal, this award is "the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on folk and traditional artists." As of 2010, fewer than a dozen Irish artists were honored with this award, among them: "singer Joe Heaney in 1982, uilleann piper Joe Shannon in 1983, fiddler and teacher Martin Mulvihill in 1984, stepdancer Michael Flatley in 1988, flutist Jack Coen in 1991, fiddler Liz Carroll in 1994, singer and multi- instrumentalist Mick Moloney in 1999, fiddler Kevin Burke in 2002, and button accordionist Joe Derrane in 2004."From the school website: "The Donny Golden School of Irish Dancing began in 1972 when Donny started teaching at the age of 19. His school grew as Donny’s strong traditional style and innovative choreography drew attention.. The Donny Golden School is one of the premier Irish dancing schools in the world and has been for over 30 years."
