About Us

The Teelin School of Irish Dance specializes in traditional Irish Step Dance and also offers unique opportunities to students interested in a well-rounded dance education.  Our dance students range from ages 3-adult, with interests varying from recreational dance to performance opportunities and international dance competitions.

Irish dance classes are offered at three locations across central Maryland: our main studio in Columbia, and our two satellite locations in Millersville and Timonium.  Our Columbia studio also offers an eclectic mix of classes in other dance styles designed to nurture the artistic development of our students. [Teelin's Clogging classes, in particular, are quite popular!]

Teelin Owner/Director, Maureen Berry, has been performing and teaching dance in Maryland since earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1997 from Towson University's Dance Performance program.  In 2001, Maureen was awarded her TCRG certification by An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha (the Irish Dancing Commission, in Dublin, Ireland), thereby permitting Teelin School of Irish Dance students to compete in internationally sanctioned feiseanna.

As lead teacher for the Teelin School of Irish Dance, Maureen is joined by a very talented teaching staff, which includes her two sisters, Kathleen Berry Young and Eileen Berry Narvell!  Kathleen is also the Business Manager for the Teelin School of Irish Dance.  Several enthusiastic parents and adult dancers are involved with various administrative responsibilities, thereby enhancing the "Teelin Family" atmosphere enjoyed by all Teelin dancers and their families.

Maureen's professional experience as a performer and choreographer inspired her to establish the Teelin Irish Dance Company.  This student-based dance company enjoys "wowing" audiences throughout Maryland and the Metro DC area with its creative choreography and lively performances of traditional (and some "not-so-traditional") Irish dance shows!  More information about booking the Teelin Irish Dance Company for a performance may be found within the Performing Company section of this site.

What Does "Teelin" Mean?

As the mother of three young girls, Brigid Berry spent countless hours driving her daughters (Eileen, Maureen, and Kathleen) to Irish dance lessons, practices, feiseanna, and performances.  (Sound familiar, parents?!)  Years later, when Maureen had the opportunity to establish her own school of Irish dance, she decided to honor her mother by using the name of Brigid’s birthplace, the village of Teelin, Co. Donegal.

Teelin (Teileann) is a small coastal village in the northern part of Ireland known for its unspoiled beauty.  Teelin has a very rich tradition of music and song; it is also one of Ireland’s unique Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) regions.  The village lies on the west side of Teelin Bay where a rough road, called pilgrim’s path, leads to Carrigan Head and Bunglass, the starting point of Slieve League (Sliabh Liag).

The cliffs of Slieve League are the highest maritime cliffs in all of Europe!  They rise 2,000 feet above the crashing Atlantic Ocean.  (Think of that powerful sound when you’re dancing hard shoe steps!)  Some say that on a clear day you can see a third of all of Ireland from the summit of these spectacular, colorful sea cliffs.

The village of Teelin has been called “Teileann an tSeanchias agus an Cheoil”, which means “Teelin of Tradition and Music”.  Here in Maryland, we connect ourselves to those roots through the expression of dance - bringing music to life.