Riverdance 30 – The New Generation (Dublin 2026)
Tyrone Productions / Abhann Productions
Ballet in Dublin
Where to take class in Dublin, and what's on stage
34 ballet schools teach in Dublin, 13 of them adults and 25 children. 7 ballet productions are also coming to the city, at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, The Gaiety Theatre, The O'Reilly Theatre and more. For every school across the wider county, see ballet in County Dublin.
Ballet classes in Dublin
34 schools teach ballet in Dublin itself. 13 teach adults, including complete beginners, and 5 offer a trial class first. 25 take children; ages taught vary by school, so check each listing. 2 run Silver Swans classes for over 55s. 6 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 Ballet Art of Ballet Studio Back Street Dance Studios Ballet Boost Ireland (Dublin Hub) Brocklebank Academy of Dance Clare Connolly Dance & Ballet School College of Dance Dance Conservatory Ireland Dance Conservatory of Ireland Dance Theatre Dublin Dublin Ballet Academy Dublin City Ballet School Dublin Dance School Dublin School of Dance &Etiquette Dublin Youth Dance Company (DYDC) Emma Madden School of Ballet En Pointe School of Ballet Irish Ballet school Irish National Youth Ballet Isabelle Ashe Dance Jill O'Neill School of Dance Karen Williams Dance Keeva Lawrence Dance Academy Marian Lennon School of Ballet Miss Ali Stage School Monica Loughman Elite Ballet Niamh Fitzpatrick Ballet Academy Olympus Dance and Music Academy The Metropolitan School of Dance The National Performing Arts School The Nicola Farcas School of Ballet The Odette School of Ballet Viva school of dance Whynot Dance Company
See all ballet schools in County Dublin → What's on in Dublin
Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show
Ensemble of talented dancers in illuminated costume
On Dublin stages this season: Tyrone Productions / Abhann Productions · Ballet de Santiago · Candlelight by Fever · Ensemble of talented dancers in illuminated costume · Ballet Ireland · 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.
While you're here: win a night under the lights
Two tickets to Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty, Dublin, 8 Nov. Joining the newsletter is the entry.
Enter the drawExplore ballet across Dublin
Dublin ballet shows Every upcoming professional and student performance in the city. Dublin ballet classes Classes for children and adults, from first steps to pointe. Private lessons in Dublin One-to-one tuition for exams, technique or starting out. North Dublin Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Swords, Malahide, Blanchardstown. South Dublin Rathmines, Dún Laoghaire, Dundrum, Blackrock, Stillorgan.
Ballet in Dublin: FAQs
- Are there adult ballet classes in Dublin?
- Yes. 13 of the 34 ballet schools in Dublin teach adults, including complete beginners. 5 offer a trial class first.
- Are there ballet classes for children in Dublin?
- Yes. 25 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. 6 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?
- 34 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 Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, The Gaiety Theatre, The O'Reilly Theatre and more. Upcoming productions include Riverdance 30 – The New Generation (Dublin 2026), Swan Lake - Ballet de Santiago, Candlelight: Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
- What ballet shows are coming to Dublin?
- 7 productions are coming to Dublin: Riverdance 30 – The New Generation (Dublin 2026) (June 2026); Swan Lake - Ballet de Santiago (August 2026); Candlelight: Vivaldi's Four Seasons (September 2026); Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show (November 2026); Romeo & Juliet — Ballet Ireland 2026 (November 2026); NŌS (January 2027); The Sleeping Beauty (March 2027).
- Which ballet companies perform in Dublin?
- Companies staging ballet in Dublin include Tyrone Productions / Abhann Productions, Ballet de Santiago, Candlelight by Fever, Ensemble of talented dancers in illuminated costume, Ballet Ireland, LUAIL – Ireland’s National Dance Company, Sofia City Ballet.