Dancer and dance teacher Beth Pitchford of St. Paul will be using her IMDA Educational Grant to help fund a six-week Irish céilí dance class for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism Spectrum Disorder is the name for a group of developmental disorders, including a wide range, “a spectrum,” of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability.

People with ASD often have these characteristics:

• Ongoing social problems that include difficulty communicating and interacting with others
• Repetitive behaviors as well as limited interests or activities
• Symptoms that hurt the individual’s ability to function socially, at school or work, or in other areas of life

Some people are mildly impaired by their symptoms, while others are severely disabled.

Beth came to her love of Irish dance through contra dancing after finding that she enjoyed both the physical activity and the opportunity to make friends and interact with others from different walks of life. Plus – she loves traditional Irish music! Beth began céilí dancing and later step dancing in her hometown of Athens, GA. Since coming to Minnesota, she has continued to study step dance with O’Shea Irish Dance and now directs North Star Irish Dance, with classes in both Eden Prairie and Northfield. North Star Irish Dance performs at IMDA’s Day of Irish Dance each year, at the Irish Fair of Minnesota, and at community events throughout the Twin Cities.

Beth holds a Master’s Degree in Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy. She serves as a mental health therapist with the Autism Society of Minnesota. This project is a joint venture between North Star Irish Dance and the Autism Society of Minnesota. Beth’s professional experience together with her love of Irish dance make her uniquely suited to create this program. Her Master’s project focused on a curriculum for developing the social life task by teaching and practicing social skills for individuals with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder through the medium of dance, specifically Irish céilí dancing.

Beth’s class, Full Spectrum Céilí, was offered in the Fall of 2017 at the Celtic Junction. Beth hopes that the class will be a springboard past the social barriers that challenge people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and provide other benefits – joint attention, eye contact, proprioception, short term memory – all in a fun environment. The class will focus on the dance steps and patterns and will also include staff focused on social skills. The IMDA Educational grant will help to keep tuition costs low for participants with the goal of making it accessible. Beth also hopes to bring her love of Irish céilí dancing to more people and to help provide more connections to the Autism community.

The Irish Music and Dance Association is delighted to help this dedicated dancer share her love of Irish dance with the larger community. We look forward to seeing her students enjoying Irish dance – perhaps some will join us at one of those Third Saturday Céilís with the Twin Cities Céili Band!