Stepping into her mother’s dancing shoes

That was 16 years ago and, since then, Sheila Sweeney has been doing her best to continue her mother’s legacy at the McDade School of Irish Dance.
Tucked away in Newton Square, Philadelphia, Maureen’s school has been going strong since its inception over four decades ago and, says Sweeney, it was her mother’s passion for the dance that planted the seeds of her own curiosity.
“My mother was the lead teacher of the McDade School when I was a child,” said Sweeney. “She brought us to her practices every Friday and Saturday. I loved it from the start.”
A talented dancer herself, Sweeney began taking lessons as a toddler in her own home, where her mother taught her first classes in 1963.
“My mom continued to teach over the next three decades in the Philadelphia area, training many champion dancers. She truly loved the art of Irish dance,” said Sweeney.
After her mother’s passing in 1993, Sweeney stepped up to the mark to ensure the school’s continued success.
Ending her own competitive dancing career, Sweeney trained for and received her teaching qualification along with family friend, Bridget Fullerton O’Connell.
“My mother’s shoes were hard to fill, but we did the best we could to keep the school’s legacy alive, with the help of my sister Maureen Heather, my father John and brothers Jimmy and John.”
The dedicated pupils of the McDade School of Irish Dance and their parents also provide a huge backbone of support for Sweeney and her team of teachers.
“There is a big Irish contingent in our dance school,” explains Sweeney. “Many of our dancers are named Ciara, Pearse and Fiona! The majority of our pupils have Irish roots and the passion their families share for enriching their children with Irish customs is what makes our school thrive so well.”
Having recently put three dance drama teams, an eight-hand Ceili team and eight soloists through their paces for the Irish Dancing World Championships in Philadelphia last month, along with teacher Katherine Skehan, it’s clear to see that the Pennsylvania dance school is thriving under its new directorship.
Keen to foster social responsibility in all her pupils, Sweeney ensures that her pupils also use their talents to help others, “This time of year is when I am especially proud of our dancers,” she said. “They travel to retirement villages, nursing homes and other establishments and spread the Irish cheer to everyone who sees them.
Sweeney feels that her greatest achievement is having the opportunity to foster a love of Irish culture and heritage in Irish American children.
“I love kids so much,” she said. “They love to learn Irish dancing and to make their parents proud.”
For more information on The McDade School of Irish Dance, email Sheila Sweeney at: Sheila@mcdadeschool.com.