O’Sullivan School – USA
45 Years in the Making

“It’s nice to be a winner
But even better to be a good loser”

The O’Sullivan School has long since been a beacon of Irish Dancing in the United States.  Directed by two generations of the one family, it is renowned, not only in the USA, but all over the world as a Dance School of excellence.
It now spans right across the North American continent, with Deirdre and her mother at the helm in New York and Theresa teaching the sister school in California.
This school has been 45 years in the making.  Yes, you heard correctly, Anna O’Sullivan, a founding member of the North American Teacher’s Association, celebrates 45 years of teaching next year.
What has kept her involved for so long?  She sums it up so simply, “The betterment of my cultural heritage” she smiles.  “I remember starting the class in 1964 and charging $1.00 a student, I was definitely doing it for the love of dancing”.
Anna certainly has seen Irish Dance change over the decades, “It’s an art form now”, she explains, “And not only Irish kids are learning anymore.  Michael Flatley has certainly put Irish Dancing on the map”.
And the O’Sullivan family should know.  They have first hand experience of the popularity of the shows as Theresa performed with “Lord of the Dance” for 2 years,   playing the role of Morrighan, the Temptress.
Both Deirdre and Theresa have been involved with Irish Dancing from the cradle really.  With Anna as their mother, they were entrenched from an early age and now both readily admit that, as teachers, “Dancing is still a major influence in their lives”.
“We honestly couldn’t imagine not being involved at all and many of the decisions we make on a daily basis revolve around our dancing commitments:-What time is class? When is the next Feis? Who needs measurements done for a costume?”
It is amazing, then, to find out that these girls and their mother manage to run a wonderfully successful Dance School while all three hold down full time jobs.
 Not surprisingly, they all work with children.
Anna, herself, works in a Special Education Department, while Deirdre and Theresa are physical and occupational therapists for children with Special Needs.
How do they balance their commitments?
“Make Time” is the assured answer.  Anna is quick to point out that “Dancing is like a drug.  You have to remember that there is an outside world”
This is the motto that they all try to promote in their class.  It is important for their dancers to maintain a balance in their lives and they are delighted that their students are also involved in sports and music.
The girls carry on their mother’s famous legacy and are adamant that their main motivation for teaching is to maintain and promote the Irish Culture and to help the students make new friends.

Theresa holds the highest honour in Irish Dancing as she is 1997 Senior Ladies World Champion and not only that but she was the first American female to win a World Title.  Despite this amazing achievement, none of the O’Sullivan family measure success in terms of awards alone.  Anna smiles as she says, “It’s nice to be a winner but even better to be a good loser”.  What wisdom to pass on to our young dancers.  The O’Sullivan teachers strive to produce determined dancers, dancers who are gracious in the face of defeat but who are focused and motivated enough to strive for improvement and betterment.
The teachers are fiercely proud of their school and their dancers and are quick to point out the litany of champions that they have produced.  Their qualifiers rate highly at the World Championships every year, they have produced American National Champions and their teams always prove to be a force to be reckoned with.  They also love the fact that their dancers are performers, appearing in TV shows,on the stage at the Carnegie Hall and in the New Jersey Performing Arts Centre.
All three teachers agree that Irish Dancing promotes a strong sense of community and one of the best things for them all is the friendships that are made.
“Friends that you make in Irish Dancing are friends forever.  They’re always at your beck and call”.  And that seems to be part and parcel of dancing for this school.  Yes they are successful but more importantly, the sense of school spirit is so strong, it’s almost tangible.
So what is planned for the future?
Simple, Deirdre and Theresa hope to follow in Anna’s footsteps and one day be adjudicators and examiners.  And with regards to the school? Well it’s more of the same.
Theresa has the last word:
“We hope to continue to produce quality dancers who truly enjoy dancing and performing, as well as making new friends and we also hope to maintain our reputation for being one of the top schools in the United States.
With these 2 girls in the driving seat and Anna’s experience and expertise behind them, the only way for the O’Sullivan School is forward.
Their focus on the kids is sure to make this school truly successful.