"You need aerobics, as far as I'm concerned, to really get that big 'lift' that's so beautiful, that graceful bounce and the way they lift their legs up straight above their head..."

I've always done it. I've always done stretching and warm-up exercises with my pupils from the very beginning of my career. At the end of the class they all cool down and do more stretching, etc.

With the little ones, four, five, six years old - they warm up to music. I call it 'movement to music', where they do exercises to get the rhythm of the dance into them, but no, I wouldn't say it's changed that much for me or any other dance teacher. It's always been there, but for show-level dancing, I probably do a little bit more now.

I will sometimes encourage my good dancers to go to a gym, to take aerobic exercise. You need aerobics, as far as I'm concerned, to really get that big 'lift' that's so beautiful, that graceful bounce and the way they lift their legs up straight above their head - in the right position of course. They have to be knees-crossed-over, heels in and toes down - if it's not like that then, it is wrong! But in order to get to that level, and when they are there, they need lots and lots of physical exercise for higher fitness levels.

So yes, I do push more aerobics in my classes for the high level dancers, and show dancers .

Yes. Definitely. All the dancer needs is grace, more grace, and love of music. I have some beautiful dancers who might not make world champions, but sometimes make better dancers in show dancing. They have more natural, graceful movement of the arms, and their bodies move to this magnificent music. It's a feeling, it emanates from the soul and it just comes right out through the dancer, and I have particular children in my class just like that.

Anthony Fallon, Claire Smyth, Ronan McCormack, Joan Rafter, Colm O'Se & Shereen Doyle
filming Step by Step III

Yes, it is, very exciting; it's a great joy and it gives me a huge buzz.

I think it's probably one of the things that I love most about dance, to see the dancer actually developing their art, their skill, in front of your very eyes. This is probably where I get great satisfaction, and I think it's the same for most dance teachers .

Yes, I am aware of this. As I said before, not all dancers want to compete - they also want to learn the art at a performance level. It does excite me, I train them for shows as well as for competition. My better dancers perform at various functions regularly and love it.

Oh, absolutely. Mostly since Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Now we have many schools performing 'show dancing' at functions!

The thing that irritates me slightly is a company asking for a troupe of dancers and then saying they just want the 'show dancing'. I always say 'Yes, you can have this but not unless you take the traditional pieces also.' They always do, and, when they see the traditional dances in full costume, they always love it .

Yes, it's interesting - I would not let them have the show dance without the tradition, because in the end they always, I have to stress, love the traditional dancing.

I also think that eventually ... I don't believe the show dancing is ever going to die, I think it's only going to get bigger and evolve. But I see a fusion of different dance forms coming together in the future. Like an opera told through Irish dance, for example, based on an Irish story orchestrated through traditional music. I see the traditional dance form coming back in popularity because the world now knows about our dance - through the show dancing.

I actually feel this seriously, that it's coming back more and more popular, because when we do shows the public love the traditional dancing also. The show brings them to see it, but it's the traditional form itself that they love. That's going to generate greater interest back in to our traditional roots .

Three is far too young, because they're still clinging to their Mummy; I don't take them in at three. There are teachers who will, but generally it's four or five years, and to me that is the best age because you can mould the child from there on.

It doesn't matter if they're six, or ten, or twenty even, you can still teach them as long as there is music inside the potential dancer. But yes, I find they're better off coming young and then they develop with the teacher.

At a very young age, the child can be pushed too quickly and the ankle is just not strong enough, and that is a danger. So they need a lot of ankle work and warm-ups and movement with their feet, before they actually dance. It is a worry at a very young age, so for me, I think four years old is about right .