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  WELCOME OUR NEWEST TEACHER ERICA BULL!
Pictured above: Kathleen Graham-Kelly, Patty Darrah & Jennie Kelahan Kathleen Graham-Kelly - TCRG In 1996, Kathleen Graham-Kelly founded the Graham Academy of Irish dance. She set out to establish a dancing studio that was rich in tradition and strong in values. She has built a school that not only encompasses that, but is also an environment where children can learn Irish Dancing in a fun, safe, and positive manner. Kathleenʼs belief is that a child is happiest when they truly enjoy what they are learning. Therefore, she encourages a well-rounded dancer that has other interests in academics, sports, and the arts. Her beliefs come from her background. Kathleen is the youngest of five siblings. Her mother is from Ireland and father from Scotland. She started dancing at the age of three by Valerie Hazelton. She retired from competitive Irish dance in 1996 from the Lavin-Cassidy School. There she danced under the direction of Ann Lavin Cassidy. Kathleen has won several championship competitions and is a four time World Qualifier. Kathleen Graham-Kelly has led the Graham Academy on to four 1st place Mid Western Championship titles and countless other Regional, National and International wins. She is TCRG certified and is a member of CLRG An Cominisiun le Rinci Gaelacha, IDTANA, and IDTAMA. Patricia (McCarthy) Darrah - TCRG Patty started dancing at the age of 9. She was trained by one of North America’s premier dance teachers, adjudicator and examiner, Rita O’ Shea of Boston, Mass. Under Rita’s direction Patty became a champion level Irish dancer. During her dance career she competed numerous times at the New England Oireachtas, Boston Oireachtas, and National Championships. She placed top three numerous times at her Oireachtas appearances, 2nd being her best. She placed fifth at National Championships and was World Qualifier numerous times, although never got to attend. She was a member of many winning choreography, ceili and drama teams. After retiring from competition, Patty continued dancing, expanding her knowledge in other forms of dance. She auditioned with 500 dancers and earned one of 19 coveted spots as a cheerleader/dancer for the Superbowl Champion New England Patriots. She was a 6-year member and earned captain 5 of those years. She was voted Cheerleader of the Year and represented The New England Patriots at the Probowl in Hawaii. Patty was also a backup dancer for Dion Sanders debut concert, and performed with Santana. After retiring from the Patriots in 1997, Patty moved with her husband to Toronto Canada. She was hired by the Canadian Football league, as the director and choreographer for the Toronto Argonauts dance team. Her team made local and national headlines. They appeared on numerous television shows, and were the most sought after dance troupe for corporate and charity events in Ontario. While in Canada, Patty was also hired by McDonalds Corporation to choreograph their McWrap commercial, she worked with The Shopping Channel, and appeared in the National Post, CTV Breakfast television, The Sport Network and more. Patty continues to consult for professional sports dance teams including, the OHL, AFL,NFL, and more. She recently adjudicated the NFL’s Buffalo Bills dance team tryouts, and has been asked to consult with a new Canadian Football league team in 2009. In 2000, Patty, her husband Matt and daughters Dierdra 10, and Reagan 8, (both now dancers) moved to St. Louis.Being settled in St Louis allowed Patty the opportunity to teach her first love Irish dance at Graham Academy. Only problem was she had put off getting her TCRG!! With the encouragement and support of Kathleen Graham and Jenny Kelehan, Patty received her TCRG in March 2007, passing with Honors on her first try! Special thanks to Kathleen Kelly Graham TCRG, Jenny Kelehan TCRG, (Graham) Mike Smith TC/AD, (Smith/Houlihan Boston), Lisa Chaplain (O’shea/Chaplain TC/AD),Brenda Finn TC/AD, ( O’Shea/Chaplin Boston), Paul Mayer, Matt, friends, parents and students with helping her pass her exam. “ Special thanks to my teacher Rita O’Shea. You gave me a place to shine and a whole lot more." Jennifer Kelahan - TCRG Jenny began Irish dancing in 1996 at age 12. She started dancing with Kathleen Graham-Kelly and stayed with Kathleen for her entire dancing career. Throughout her 10 years of dancing, Jenny ranked in the top 5 at the Midwest regional championships, qualified to go to the World Championships 3 times, attended the All-Ireland Championships, and ranked 11th at the North American National Championships. The last 4 years that Jenny was competing she was attending St. Louis University working on her bachelor's degree in Occupational Science. While starting her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy, Jenny studied for and took the T.C.R.G. exam in Los Angeles with Patty Darrah, T.C.R.G. In March 2007, she found out she passed the exam on the first try. In June 2008, Jenny received her Master's degree from St. Louis University in Occupational Therapy. On top of teaching at the Ballwin Graham Academy studio, she works at St. Louis Children's Hospital in the Therapy Services department.
Erica Bull Erica began her dancing career in 1988 when she joined the Kathleen O’Keefe School of Irish Dance in upstate New York. Soon after, Erica began attending competitions locally which allowed her to compete in regional, national, and world competitions. In 1998 she was asked to join the Celtic Storm Dance Company, based in Las Vegas. In 2000, Erica moved to Las Vegas and began dancing and choreographing under the direction of Sharon Lynn. After receiving her BA in dance from UNLV in 2002, Erica moved to Seattle where she danced on an international tour with local band, The Suffering Gaels. During this time Erica’s international appearances included Phucket Island, Thailand and three tours in Japan. Erica’s additional tours include Common Ground, The Three Irish Tenors, and as a soloist with Michael Londra from Riverdance. Recently, Erica received her MST from Le Moyne College (Syracuse, NY) in Elementary and Special Education and is teaching at Woerther Elementary. Erica is currently preparing for her TCRG exam
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TCRG Teachers 
