The dance troupe from Ireland started dancing in Dublin in 1995 and has since become an international phenomenon, yet its dancers still make time to meet with local dance companies during their tours.

LaRae's Dance Unlimited in Layton was lucky to receive a visit from one of the show's lead dancers, Marty Dowds. The studio has its own Irish dance group called Celtic Beat.

The workshop turned out to be a win-win situation for both dance troupes. According to Elizabeth Nebeker, marketing director of NewSpace Entertainment, the local presenter bringing Riverdance to Utah, the performers are passionate about education.

"Educating others does take time out of their schedule, but most are young and advanced dancers and enjoy getting out one-on-one with the dancers," Nebeker said.

LaRae Thackeray, director of LaRae's Dance Unlimited, was floored when she realized the Riverdance show was sending one of its best dancers to her studio, which meant her students got an experience that exceeded expectations.

"It's important for my Irish dancers to connect with something that they can see and gives them a better chance to see that they can pursue a dance career," Thackeray said.

Dowds is originally from Donegal, Ireland, where he began Irish dancing at 9 and is now a world champion dancer.

Dowds taught Riverdance's finale to the class, which kept the dancers moving at a fast pace, inspiring and challenging the students.

For Krishna Womack of West Point, who has been taking Irish dancing for eight years at LaRae's, the workshop was an excellent opportunity to meet with a professional.

"He showed us how to dance on the balls of our feet and pull up, which made it look like he was floating." said Womack. "It helped us so we knew how the dance was supposed to look, since he was a professional."

After spending time with Dowds, students attended a Riverdance performance and spent intermission in the lobby dancing the steps they learned in the workshop, Thackeray said.

"In my years of teaching Irish dancing, I have never had anyone not like it because it makes you feel happy and light since it's fast moving and energy building," Thackeray said.

For Womack, her favorite part is the way she feels after dancing.

"I like the feeling of my legs going everywhere and then when I finish a hard dance, I feel like I accomplished something really good even though I'm dying afterward," Womack said.

Thackeray opened her studio in 1978 teaching classes in ballet, tap and jazz. Over the years she added lessons on break dancing, clogging and ballroom dancing.

In 1995, she saw a PBS special showing the original Riverdance performance and was blown away. Thackeray knew immediately she wanted to teach Irish dancing, so after flying in several private instructors and learning herself, she began teaching her students.

She is now one of a few studios in Utah teaching Irish Dance to 62 of her 160 students.

Thackeray also created Celtic Beat, a group of advanced Irish dancing students from her studio that perform regularly throughout the area. Thackeray has no regrets beginning Irish dancing more than 10 years ago.

"Ballet is still my religion, but Irish dancing feeds my spirit and makes me feel good inside," Thackeray said.