‘Dance gives me that safe space to release emotions’

She only took up ballet at 14 but Athboy woman Aine Mooney wasted no time pursuing her passion, training at a prestigious London dance school before embarking on a teaching degree back in Ireland. She tells SALLY HARDING about the sense of freedom that comes with dance which she believes you don’t get anywhere else and why it’s never too late to pursue your dreams

A dance teacher from Athboy has spoken of how the arts can open up a new world for children who struggle to express themselves.

Twenty-five year old Aine Mooney’s dance journey started relatively late in life taking up ballet at the ripe age of fourteen.

Despite her passion for dance not coming to fruition until she was a teenager, the young Athboy woman has made up for lost for time training at a prestigious London dance school before embarking on a teaching degree back here in Ireland.

Recently coming fourth in a competition to be a senior brand ambassador for Dance World Ireland - one of the biggest and dance shops in the country - where she was shortlisted from 300 people, the Athboy creative is making waves in the field.

Now working as teacher in The Navan School of Ballet where she attended her first dance class as well as a school in Dublin and previously working with Class Act Stage School in Athboy, Aine not only relishes in expressing herself though the medium but now has the chance to instil that love into children she tutors.

Speaking on how dance changed her life she said:

“I find it hard to express myself vocally with words when it comes to getting emotions out verbally I find that very difficult sometimes so I think dance gives me that safe space to release emotions, it is such a cathartic experience, it is my happy place be it on a stage or in my sitting room, it’s just such a sense of freedom that comes with dance that I don’t think you can get anywhere else.

“When I’m teaching, I see how it harnesses a sense of confidence it is amazing the difference we see in kids that come in the first day shy as anything and by the end of the lesson they are leaping around the place and making friends.

“It is a form of expression that doesn’t require talking. There is such a lovely creative expression with dance, and we access imagination and allow them to be themselves.”

Not starting ballet until she was fourteen made Aine more determined to prove her talent as she explains:

“I didn’t start dancing, until very late, usually you get put into classes at three or four, but I didn’t actually do my first ballet class until I was fourteen, I was a very late starter.

“I think if anything it made me more driven because I knew that I had to catch up quickly. I asked mam to put me in more classes and I was basically dancing every single day. I’d go to a stage school on Saturday mornings then go to my dance class Saturday night so it was full on.

“In my very first ballet class I was put in with the toddlers because my teacher wanted to see how good or bad I was at it.

“It was very embarrassing, but I loved it, the teacher was so nice and I think she knew after a few minutes that I didn’t need to be in the junior class!”

After secondary school Aine had a difficult choice to make. She was only one of 30 accepted into Trinity College to study English Literature and Drama but her instinct brought her in a different direction and she decided to focus on dance full time. She added:

“Once I did my Leaving Cert I planned an academic career path. We decided that I’d do my foundation diploma in Cork with dance for a year. My parents were saying this can be your trial run to see if you like doing dance full time and if it’s something you’d actually like to do and if it is we have deferred your Trinity application.

“After my year in Cork I decided to audition for schools in London and I was accepted into CPA, Collins Performing Arts School.

“I went there to get my degree in professional musical theatre so I studied there for two years, it was a three year course but in my third year I had to leave because my mum became very ill and I had to go back home, it was a tough time but she got through it and everything worked out for the best.”

The London dance dream wasn’t all it was cracked up to be according to the Athboy teacher who describes how a dog eat dog mentality was instilled into students there.

“It wasn’t as glamorous as you’d think. The style of teaching in London is vastly different compared to how we do things in Ireland, academically and in the performing arts sense they are so much harder on you.

“They haven’t progressed as much as the Irish dance community has in that they are still very concerned with your weight, your measurement and what you look like. It was a lot to deal with as an 18-year-old living in a different country that no one can pronounce your name.

“It was really hard but the training helped me quite a lot and confidence wise with being accepted into somewhere in the UK but sometimes I think I would have been better doing a full time dance degree in Ireland just for mental health reasons, it was a very nurturing environment to be in.

“I loved London so much, a little piece of me still belongs there.

“In my very first year I met my now fiancé Alex and we have been together ever since and he came back to Ireland with me and we are hoping to get married next year.”