Irish Dancing Commission

The Shovlin Academy of Irish Dance is a member of An Coimisiun le Rince Gaelacha, The Irish Dancing Commission, is the largest sanctioning organization for Irish dance teachers, adjudicators and competitions worldwide.

An Coimisiun is a membership organization that was founded as part of a government directive under the auspices of the Gaelic League during the early years of the Republic. The mission of the Gaelic League was and remains to revive and educate the Irish populace on aspects of their native cultural heritage, much of which had been neglected or lost altogether during the years of occupation.

The Commission continues today as an independent, international organization and is central to the promulgation of Irish dance, music and other aspects of Irish culture through competitions. These competitions are referred to as feiseanna (pron. ‘fesh-AN-ah‘), which derives its meaning from an old Gaelic reference to a local gathering featuring dance and music in a friendly, competitive setting. Feis (pronounced ‘fesh‘) offerings now also include a variety of items, including instrumental music, English-based and the traditional Gael-style sean nos (pron. ‘shawn noss‘) vocals, Gaelic language and soda bread baking contests, and take place year-round throughout North America, Ireland, Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.