Our Ventura studio is our main hub for Dance Lessons.  

• Increased Physical Skills….

Dancers develop greater body control, coordination, & fitness.

• Increased Mental Skills…

Dancers show increased listening skills, greater attention span and ease in following directions.

• A Healthy Competitive Spirit…

Practicing dance increases the desire to do well and to the best of one’s abilities.

• Lasting Friendships…

Friendships are formed not only with classmates, but through performing and competing.  Dancers meet friends from all parts of the city, state, and country.

Testimonials From Our Claddagh Family

For 14 years our youngest daughter was part of Claddagh Dance School.  It was a wonderful time filled with new friendships and experiences we will always cherish and would not trade for the world.   

Ashley was seven when she expressed a desire to take a dance lesson.  We tried ballet but at her age there wasn’t much dancing involved and she was bored  By chance, we discovered an Irish Dance class nearby.  Until then, Michael Flatley’s Feet of Flames was the extent of our Irish dance knowledge.  After that first lesson we knew we had found the dance class for her.  That class was all she would talk about and the journey began.  

We were so blessed to find Claddagh  There are many good Irish Dance schools in Southern California but it didn’t take long for us to realize we had made the right choice. 

With Claddagh we discovered a new world.  It is a world filled with Irish culture, dance, new friendships and an amazing drive to simply be the best possible version of yourself possible; on and off the dance floor.  It is an environment where every student is judged based on who they are, not what they are.

Most importantly we found Maire O’Connell.  Maire is the heart and soul of Claddagh.  Her passion for Irish Dance and her students is obvious from the moment you meet her.  

Hard work and perseverance are required to train your body to do what you tell it.  Ashley learned at an early age that effort equals results.  She won numerous team titles including five World Championships.  More importantly she learned life lessons that helped to make her the wonderful adult she is today.    

 -Debbie

The Claddagh symbol represents love, loyalty and friendship.  These are the  core values of this dance school.  It is through love, loyalty and friendship that Maire guides her dancers through their dance careers. These values taught me that through perseverance and teamwork I can achieve something great.  Maire taught us to put our best foot forward in every sense and always show support for our fellow competitors no mater what.  In team dancing, i learned that it didn’t matter how talented i might be as an individual because when you’re on a team their losses are my losses and their wins are mine.  Maire taught us to be dynamic and work with team mates who might be different from us.

Claddagh taught me valuable lessons that have shaped my life.  I learned how to work for long term goals, collaborate with team mates and hold my head high in the face of adversity  It also taught me that as much as my head might tell me to give up my body is capable of so much more.  Maire also stressed the importance of being a well-rounded individual.  Not only did she train us as dancers, she also took it upon herself to ensure we always strived to do our best in all of our academic endeavors.  Whether it was a history lesson on Irish culture or convincing me that I could speak Gaelic, she never passed up an opportunity to teach.

As I look back on my time with Claddagh, I see that Maire was so much more than just a dance teacher…she played an integral role in shaping me into the person I am today.  She taught me how to hold myself to the highest standard, while simultaneously never looking down on others.  While instilling these values in me, Maire fostered an environment where i built life-long friendships and the most precious memories.  

-Ashley