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Instructors & Staff

Mary-Sarah O'Hanlon, Artistic Director

Mary-Sarah O’Hanlon starting Irish Dancing at the age of 7. She completed her solo competitive career ranked 6th in the New England region. In 1990, she earned the T.M.R.F. certification from An Comisiun le Rince Gaelacha in Ireland and began teaching Irish Dance. After receiving a B. A. from Boston University, she "ran away with the circus", (Zippo's Circus in London), where she earned a Variety Entertainment certification from The Royal Society of the Arts for her work teaching circus workshops and performing as a Ringmistress and an aerialist doing a static trapeze act (30 feet above the ground without a safety net).

The Flying Irish™ Studio was founded in 1998, as a place to combine Mary-Sarah's unique educational, competitive, and performance experience with a love for encouraging young people to perform at their personal best. In 2000, she founded the Flying Irish Dance Troupe™ to provide pre-professional performance opportunities for exceptionally talented and dedicated students. Mary-Sarah has developed, staged, and choreographed many public performances and extravaganzas. She continues to perform and choreograph dance and theater events while teaching Irish Dance to students at all levels. Mary-Sarah is CORI/SORI certified.

Aurelia Carter, Theatre
Aurelia Carter has been performing for most of her life. In her teens she taught herself to juggle clubs, and has since taken up unicycling, balancing stuff on her face, tap dancing, banjo, skit writing, and various other skills that utilize the body as well as the mind. A former graduate student in archaeology, she taught English and Anthropology for three years.

As an instructor Aurelia particularly enjoys helping students bring out their own creativity at all levels and ages, and believes strongly in the power of humor, teamwork, and the value of physical-mental interaction for adults & teens as well as for children. A member of the Nashoba Players’ Board of Directors, she continues to perform regularly.

Jenny Donelan, Publicity

Jenny Donelan handles public relations for the Flying Irish Studio and The Flying Irish Dance Troupe. She is a writer and editor as well as a student and a dance mom. Please contact her for media information at news@nospam.flyingirish.com. Remove "nospam." when sending email.

   Flying Irish® Academy:  PO Box 351, Ashby, MA 01431,  (978) 386-2325

  email at dance@nospam.irishstepdancing.com

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