Irish Dance
Brandy Torres, Instructor
Room 305
721-6800 ext. 1183
A uniform and two pairs of shoes are required for this class. There will be one mandatoryperformance this year, between March 28th and April 2nd. This performance is not optional. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns about the following information.
Shoe Information:
Safety is very important to me. Appropriate shoes are a must- this is not a barefoot dance style. Girls and boys will both need soft shoes and hard shoes. Soft shoes are gender specific, while hard shoes are unisex.
Girls: You need one pair of soft shoes, also called ghillies. These can be purchased new for about $39 from this website: These can also be purchased for about $45 from I am the most familiar with Rutherford- I can generally answer sizing and quality questions about this brand. If you take care of your shoes, it is likely that you will be able to sell them on to a future student at MSA.
If you would prefer to save your money for the hard shoes, you may purchase lace-up black jazz shoes.
Boys: You need lace-up jazz shoes. These can be found on discountdance.com. These shoes are very affordable and come in many price ranges.
Hard Shoes- Girls and Boys: Hard shoes will need to be purchased during first quarter. We will begin using them at the start of second quarter, or earlier if everyone purchases them sooner. A new pair will cost around $96.00. Basic hard shoes can be purchased from or Look for the cheapest shoe- it is a beginner shoe and is appropriate for this class. If you would like to consider a used pair of shoes, contact me and I will try to help you locate something suitable.
Dressing out is mandatory, and a failure to dress appropriately will result in a significant grade reduction. Please see below for the acceptable uniform pieces for this class. Please note: "That other dance teacher lets me wear this" is not an acceptable excuse for being out of dress code in my dance room. The teachers in the Dance Department have all designed our uniforms to be appropriate for the specific style we teach.
Accepted Irish Uniform Pieces:
Black MSA T-Shirt
Black MSA Leotard (Undergarments must not show)
Black MSA Shorts
Black MSA Sweat Pants (rolled to knees)
NOT Accepted:
Friday Shirts
PE Shirts
Crew Shirts
Production Shirts
TKD Shirts
Sweatshirts
Booty Shorts
Jeans
Patterned Shorts
Anything that is not specifically listed above under "accepted"
Ladies- Please Note! Irish is a very high energy, high impact dance form. You will be moving, a lot. Sports bras are highly recommended and should not show. If you are wearing a leotard and need extra support, it must be black so as to show as little as possible.
Student Conduct
Students are expected to follow the school code of conduct and the posted classroom rules at all times.
I have a zero-tolerance policy for disrespect, bullying, harassment of any kind, gum chewing, plagiarism, cheating, tardiness, and cell phones. Do not have your cell phone or MP3 player out in my classroom at any time. Cell phones are only allowed in the lunch room. I will confiscate any phone that I can see or hear, and you will have to get it back from Student Support.
Grading
Students receive a grade each day for being appropriately dressed out. Shoes are part of this grade- if you forget any part of your uniform, your grade will drop accordingly. Participation is a must! Students will receive a grade for participating. In addition to uniform and participation grades, students will have regular skills tests. Students also receive a grade for performing in showcase.
Please contact me if you have any questions. I am looking forward to an exciting year of dancing!
Parent/Student Acknowledgement
We, ______(print student name) and
______(print
parent/guardian name) have read and understand/acknowledge the policies and procedures as set forth in the Torres Irish Dance Syllabus.
Student Signature: ______
Date: ______
Parent Signature: ______
______
Date: ______
Parent Email Address: ______
Parent Phone Number: ______
Preferred Method of Contact (circle one): Email Phone