Welcome to the Hubbardston Irish Dance Troupe!
The Hubbardston Irish Dance Troupe is a performance group of traditional Irish dancers, focused on preserving and continuing the Irish heritage and culture through the fine art of Irish dance. We were founded in the community of Hubbardston MI, and have been dedicated to teaching and promoting Irish music and dance to children ages 3 to 18 since 1998. The Troupe has proudly performed in a variety of venues, from schools to nursing homes, festivals to family parties, churches to children’s hospitals. With the support of our parents, we are able to perform year round, all around the mid-Michigan and surrounding areas, even to Mackinac Island and Walt Disney World. In the last 20 years, the Troupe has grown tremendously from a small group of young dancers, to over 90 members this year!
A Little Bit O' HistoryThe Troupe was founded in 1998 by Patricia McCormick Baese in the small Irish community of Hubbardston, MI. The Troupe was designed as a way to teach Irish dance to the youth of Hubbardston, and to keep the Irish culture streaming and present in the lives of children. The children in the Troupe have always been encouraged to show their creativity through original choreography and the use of traditional and modern Irish music. Each dancer who has graduated through the Troupe has gone on to higher education and to do wonderful things! The Troupe is so proud of the positive influence it has had in the lives of so many dancers!
The community of Hubbardston is a small town with big heart and plenty o’ Irish influence. The people of Hubbardston have always shown so much love and support to the Troupe, who is very lucky to have a wonderful backbone and support system. Over the past 20 years, the Troupe has grown with more and more dancers each year, and has reached its largest year yet, with over 90 dancers, from Hubbardston and beyond! Meet our Director |
Emma Jandernoa (formerly Emma Phelps) specializes in Irish dance education and performance. She started Irish dance at the age of 7, under Meghan McCartney and later expanded her dance education at Heinzman School of Irish Dance. Emma also studied a variety of other dance styles, including lyrical, jazz, tap, ballet and contemporary. Emma began teaching in a hometown studio in 2004, where she built an Irish program that saw many dancers learn and love the art of Irish dance. After teaching in her hometown studio and others for 8 years, she became the new director of the Hubbardston Irish Dance Troupe. She has directed the dancers in the Troupe since 2010, when direction changed hands from Pat Baese, the founder of the Troupe.
Emma currently resides in Grand Ledge, MI with her husband and 4 children. She is so proud of what the Troupe has grown to and is so thrilled to be able to continue teaching in a positive setting to provide Irish dance education to children of all ages!
Emma currently resides in Grand Ledge, MI with her husband and 4 children. She is so proud of what the Troupe has grown to and is so thrilled to be able to continue teaching in a positive setting to provide Irish dance education to children of all ages!