Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show
Ensemble of talented dancers in illuminated costume
Ballet in Dublin
Where to take class in Dublin, and what's on stage
37 ballet schools teach in Dublin, 12 of them adults and 31 children. 5 ballet productions are also coming to the city, at The O'Reilly Theatre, The Gaiety Theatre, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and more. For every school across the wider county, see ballet in County Dublin.
Ballet classes in Dublin
37 schools teach ballet in Dublin itself. 12 teach adults, including complete beginners, and 7 offer a trial class first. 31 take children; ages taught vary by school, so check each listing. 2 run Silver Swans classes for over 55s. 7 offer private one-to-one lessons.
Starting as an adult? Read ballet for adults and what to wear to your first class. Choosing for a child? See how to choose a ballet school. For schools right across the county, see all schools in County Dublin.
Aoife Brogan School of BalletArkins Dance AcademyArt of Ballet StudioBack Street Dance StudiosBallet Boost Ireland (Dublin Hub)Brocklebank Academy of DanceClare Connolly Dance & Ballet SchoolCollege of DanceDance Conservatory IrelandDance Theatre DublinDancesteps DublinDublin Ballet AcademyDublin City Ballet SchoolDublin Dance SchoolDublin School of Dance &EtiquetteDublin Youth Dance Company (DYDC)Emma Madden School of BalletEn Pointe School of BalletIrish Ballet schoolIrish National Youth BalletIsabelle Ashe DanceJill O'Neill School of DanceKaren Williams DanceKeeva Lawrence Dance AcademyMarian Lennon School of BalletMiss Ali Stage SchoolMonica Loughman Elite BalletNiamh Fitzpatrick Ballet AcademyOlympus Dance and Music AcademyShanna's School of BalletThe Independent Theatre Workshop (ITW Studios)The Metropolitan School of DanceThe National Performing Arts SchoolThe Nicola Farcas School of BalletThe Odette School of BalletViva school of danceWhynot Dance Company
See all ballet schools in County Dublin →Ballet studios in Dublin, closest first
83 teaching locations across 37 schools. Sorting by distance reads your device location in the browser and sends nothing to us.
Nothing close enough? Sort every school in County Dublin or across Ireland by distance.
What's on in Dublin
On Dublin stages this season: Ensemble of talented dancers in illuminated costume · Ballet Ireland · Candlelight by Fever · LUAIL – Ireland’s National Dance Company · Sofia City Ballet
Where to see ballet in Dublin
Dublin: where Yeats brought ballet to the Abbey
Ballet’s Dublin story runs through the Abbey Theatre. In 1927 W.B. Yeats invited Ninette de Valois, the Wicklow-born dancer who would go on to found The Royal Ballet in London, to set up the Abbey Theatre School of Ballet. She ran it from 1927 to 1933 and created the central role in his dance-play Fighting the Waves. Among her Dublin pupils was Cepta Cullen, later called the architect of Irish ballet, who founded the Irish Ballet Club at the Peacock Theatre in 1939 and staged Puck Fair with words by the poet F.R. Higgins, designs by the painter Mainie Jellett and music by Elizabeth Maconchy.
Professional ballet returned to the capital in 1998, when Ballet Ireland was founded in Dublin by Anne Maher and Günther Falusy and gave its first performances at the Gaiety Theatre; the company still tours the country each spring and autumn. Today Dublin stages the largest share of Ireland’s professional ballet, from touring companies at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre to Ballet Ireland at the Gaiety and full-length classics at The Helix, alongside the country’s densest concentration of schools and adult classes.
- Ninette de Valois: Wicklow-born founder of The Royal Ballet; ran the Abbey Theatre School of Ballet in Dublin from 1927 to 1933.
- Cepta Cullen: Trained under de Valois at the Abbey; founded Dublin’s Irish Ballet Club in 1939 and was called the architect of Irish ballet.
- Anne Maher: Co-founder and artistic director of Ballet Ireland, the Dublin-based touring company she and Günther Falusy established in 1998.
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Explore ballet across Dublin
Dublin ballet showsEvery upcoming professional and student performance in the city.Dublin ballet classesClasses for children and adults, from first steps to pointe.Private lessons in DublinOne-to-one tuition for exams, technique or starting out.North DublinDrumcondra, Glasnevin, Swords, Malahide, Blanchardstown.South DublinRathmines, Dún Laoghaire, Dundrum, Blackrock, Stillorgan.Dublin 15Castleknock, Carpenterstown, Clonsilla, Ongar, Mulhuddart.
Ballet in Dublin: FAQs
- Are there adult ballet classes in Dublin?
- Yes. 12 of the 37 ballet schools in Dublin teach adults, including complete beginners. 7 offer a trial class first.
- Are there ballet classes for children in Dublin?
- Yes. 31 ballet schools in Dublin take children. The ages each school starts at vary, so check the individual listing.
- Are there Silver Swans ballet classes for over 55s in Dublin?
- Yes. 2 ballet schools in Dublin run Silver Swans classes, the Royal Academy of Dance programme for dancers over 55.
- Can you take private ballet lessons in Dublin?
- Yes. 7 ballet schools in Dublin offer one-to-one tuition, for exam preparation, technique work or starting out.
- How many ballet schools are there in Dublin?
- 37 ballet schools teach in Dublin itself, with more across County Dublin.
- Where can I see ballet in Dublin?
- Ballet in Dublin is staged mainly at The O'Reilly Theatre, The Gaiety Theatre, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and more. Upcoming productions include Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show, Romeo & Juliet — Ballet Ireland 2026, Candlelight: Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
- What ballet shows are coming to Dublin?
- 5 productions are coming to Dublin: Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show (November 2026); Romeo & Juliet — Ballet Ireland 2026 (November 2026); Candlelight: Vivaldi's Four Seasons (November 2026); NŌS (January 2027); The Sleeping Beauty (March 2027).
- Which ballet companies perform in Dublin?
- Companies staging ballet in Dublin include Ensemble of talented dancers in illuminated costume, Ballet Ireland, Candlelight by Fever, LUAIL – Ireland’s National Dance Company, Sofia City Ballet.