About The Teacher
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Clare McNeill-Arnall TCRG / ADCRG is a fully qualified Dance Teacher (since 2009) and Dance competition Adjudicator (since 2016) with CLRG - The Irish Dancing Commission in Dublin, Ireland, and The Australian Irish Dancing Association (AIDA) and AIDA Queensland Branch. Clare is also the newly appointed Queensland State Delegate for AIDA.
Clare born and raised in London, England into an Irish family, she commenced dancing at 3 years old. She was a champion Irish dancer, competing at the highest levels from a very young age - winning many championships and placing very close to podium in several Majors. (she was a dancer with the world renowned Griffin O'loughlin and later Tony Tyrrell schools in London). Due to a persistent ankle injury and a love of learning Clare declined the opportunity to be a part of the professional dance shows that were just commencing and choose the path of Tertiary education in the UK and USA and then moving to Australia in her early Twenties to undertake her first Masters degree and subsequently made the Gold Coast her home.
Due to starting a family & stepping away from her career in the University sector she found more opportunity to commit to her passion for Irish Dancing and so officially opened her own school McNeill Academy in 2013 so starting her second family. She has two girls Olivia & Keira -both young Irish dance solo champions in the making and State Champions several times already in ceilidh's Teams & choreography.
Clare has trained and nurtured numerous dancers from Tiny Tots and complete beginners into confident, well-rounded dancers including many champions (if they choose the competition pathway), McNeill Academy currently hold an Australian Championships Title, An Australian International Oireachtas Title and several Qld State titles in solos and Teams for 2022-2023. . Dancers are prepared to conquer any competition stage or dance displays/ performances with confidence. She embraces providing opportunity for beautiful dance friendships and a passion for learning Irish dancing with emphasis on strong technique, timing and heavy shoe rhythms. Positive lifelong learning, habits and values are at the core of her successful and fun teaching style and classes.
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About The School
McNeill Academy of Irish Dance is a dance school for everyone!
Whilst we are very focused on and supportive of our dancers success at Feis (competition). We want the passion for Irish Dancing as a hobby and skill set to be embraced for itself and as such we love the opportunity to offer classes just for the sake of learning this beautiful dance form, learning about your own or another culture and the bonus' in health, fitness and forming great dance friendships it provides.
All dancers are offered the opportunity to learn solo and Team dancing, participate in displays and performances, undertake grade exams and compete in competitions.
McNeill classes are held thoughout the week and on Saturdays at several locations on the Northern Gold Coast including Coomera, Oxenford and Pimpama and Clare also offers Jump'n Jig (a specialised, internationally acclaimed and world first Irish Dance program for 2-5 year olds) in kindergartens on the Gold Coast too.
Our Story so far...
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Established in 2013 with just a handful of beginner dancers
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2014 McNeill Dancers commenced participating in competitions and St. Patrick's Day displays.
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The start of having big Team McNeill memorable end of year child focused fun celebrations!
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2015 McNeill Dancers started becoming winners of AIDA Qld Premiership Titles and undertaking CLRG grade exams with many A/ A+ results!
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2016 gaining more big stage experience, performing at HOTA for a gala event. Clare achieved her ADCRG (Adjudicator status)
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2017 onwards achieving numerous State Championship Titles every year, National and Australian International Oireachtas places including podium levels, and World Championship Qualifiers in both solo competitions and Ceili Teams.
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2019 Introduction of Jump'n Jig - The internationally recognised and original preschool Irish Dance program for ages 18 months+
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Top 3 win at The Australian Nationals in solos and Top 5 win in Ceili Teams (first time ever entering teams at Australia's most elite competition).
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2020 Surviving the sporadic first year of Covid with zoom and many fun Team mcneill dance challenges when classes and the competition session were interrupted / cancelled and coming out an even closer dance community.
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2021 commencement of creating McNeill Academy's own studio space for private/ small group lessons and holiday workshop opportunities. Several McNeill senior dancers form 'The Shamrock Dancers', an independent dance troupe and commenced on the Celtic festival and performance circuit. Our first beginner boy dancer joins the school and Clare coaches him to a State Champion win in both solos and in mixed under 10 teams.
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2021 was also the year the World renowned and first ever Australian Irish Dancing World Champion dancer and Two times world champion winning teacher Fiona-Gaye Moore ADCRG joined McNeill Academy as our workshop teacher, giving our dancers invaluable insight into what it takes to not only dance and win at the elite level but to also coach dancers to the highest level. Such opportunities for them to develop and progress their skills with extra coaching support is amazing and we are especially thankful as the school Fiona-Gaye Moore selected to workshop with in Australia .
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2022 McNeill Academy continued to grow in dancer numbers and extra classes on the Northern Gold Coast. The School became the only Queensland school to bring home a Nationals Solo Title from The 2022 Australian Nationals Championships in Perth, adding to the success of year's Queensland State Titles in solos and Teams, AIDA Qld Mid Year Feis Team titles and The Australian International Oireachtas Titles and World Qualifier podium places won by McNeill dancers is was a great year all round ending in an amazing party for the whole school community...
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So many milestones since 2013....
but OUR STORY is most importantly about the individual dancers who join our fab school, defining their own goals overtime and working with strong supportive and skilled Teachers & Team environment to help achieve them.
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And of course creating so many fun and everlasting lifelong memories and friendships along the way - all our dancers and families are integral to making McNeill Academy (their school) the success and happy dance studio it is today! Want to experience it for yourself and your dancer - book a FREE Trial today and join us in 2023!
Let’s Dance Together
McNeill Academy of Irish Dance
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Current Teaching locations: Coomera, Helensvale, Oxenford, Pimpama / Willowvale, Upper Coomera.
E-Mail: info@mcneillacademy.com.au
Tel: 0417965095