About our School

The Nicola Farcas School of Ballet opened its doors in 2006 in Riversdale Tennis Club, Glasnevin. A year later the school moved to Santry Community Resource Centre where classes went from strength to strength. In 2016 we opened our own dedicated dance Studio in Santry Hall Industrial Estate much to the delight of the students and parents. A second branch (est 2008) runs in Balbriggan with classes held in the Flemington Community Centre.

Our ballet school prides itself on quality, with many of the young dancers now coming twice or three times a week to train. However, whether you want to dance once a week as a hobby or want to become a professional dancer, every student is encouraged to work to the best of their ability so that they can reach their full potential.

The method of teaching used is based on the English system, ISTD (The Imperial Society for Teachers of Dance) for examinations, but for many classes, freework or non-syllabus work combining English and Russian systems are taught to enable the students to go further and push themselves beyond the boundaries of a syllabus. This better prepares students for auditions, show work and masterclasses where they must pick up steps quickly and use their minds as well as their bodies.

Examinations are usually taken every second year, with a big school show taking place every other year. This means each student is always working towards a goal. Our examination session is preceded by terms of hard work and it is wonderful to see the high levels of Distinctions being achieved by our dancers.

Our school is proud to have many students in INYB Company. INYB(The Irish National Youth Ballet) chosen by audition process every year. Students from all around Ireland audition, so we are delighted that our school has had INYB members for many years.

We are delighted to have amazing success for our students attending full time vocational training.. We have successfully placed students into Elmhurst Ballet School, Ballet Theatre UK, Central School of Ballet, Royal Conservatoire Scotland, Norwegian School of Ballet and Urdang. See our Alumni page to follow their successes.

Baby ballet is a specialty at the Nicola Farcas School of Ballet. We know from training and experience that the teaching of Baby ballet to pre-school and junior/senior infant age is hugely important. This gives each child the best chance at dancing and builds a good foundation for our school. These children are the next generation of dancers. Lots of care and attention is given to the teaching of this very important class

So whether you want to come and learn ballet as a hobby or you want to dance every moment you can, we are here to help you fulfill your potential (and maybe even more......)

Nicola Farcas  - School Principal and Founder

Nicola began her ballet training with Marie Cole at the age of 3 and continued with her until 13 when she successfully auditioned for a years study at the Perm State Choreographic Institute in Russia. When she returned to Ireland, she began intensive training with teachers from the Vaganova Ballet School, St. Petersburg and also the Perm State Ballet. At 16 she was accepted into the English National Ballet School in London. However, after a short period was forced to give up professional dancing due to ongoing injuries. 

Nicola is a registered member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) in London, obtaining her teaching qualifications through this organization. She has since gained Distinctions in her DDI teaching qualification and Intermediate/Advanced 1/Advanced 2 practical examinations. Nicola's training in Russian and English systems is reflected in her teaching style, which develops more strength, flexibility and artistry than working on a set syllabus alone. Nicola's natural ability to choreograph both classical and modern is evident as she is the sole choreographer for all school shows and performances. She also holds an Honors Degree in Russian and French from Trinity College Dublin.

Nicola's pride in the school shines through in the continuous successes of her young students.

Nolwenn Collet - School Pianist

Nolwenn plays for all ISTD Ballet examinations and is a wonderful support to the girls on their important day.

Nolwenn Collet is a French ballet pianist living in Ireland. Born in Provence, in the South of France, Nolwenn began playing the piano at the age of three. After musical studies in Paris,her aptitude and love for improvisation led her to concentrate on accompaniment for ballet and contemporary dance under the auspices of Laurent Choukroun, pianist in charge of rehearsing ballet at the Paris Opera Ballet School.
Nolwenn now plays and composes for ballet in Ireland and abroad and has had the honor to work with numerous ballet artists and companies such as: Conservatoires de Paris, Matthew Bourne, Ballet Ireland, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Dame Monica Mason, Errol Pickford, Douglas Becker, Andrew Wilson…and many more.

To date Nolwenn has composed multiple CD's for ballet classes and is currently working on more, all available through tutusandtempo.com
 

Ciara NiChuirc - Ballet Teacher

Ciara is currently our Baby Ballet and Pre-Primary level teacher in our Santry studio. She has been with school since she herself was in Baby ballet age 3.5yrs. She has successfully completed several ISTD Classical Ballet examinations and has choreographed show stopping dances for past school performances. Ciara also has experience in Musical Theatre and Drama, having attended Curtain Call Stage School, where she completed numerous Irish Board of Speech & Drama examinations. Ciara was also a long time member of Jill O’Neill School of Dance Senior Academy, taking classes in contemporary, jazz and commercial styles.
Ciara graduated from the College of Dance, Dublin in 2022

Judy Mhic Cuirc & Karen Brabazon - Best helpers in the business !

Judy & Karen are long time supporters of the school, they help extensively taking on the roles of administration, backstage manager, costume coordinator as well as many many others. Together they will manage fee collections, WhatsApp Groups, social media and inquiries. Both are contactable via email at info@nicolafarcasballet.ie or via the schools Facebook messenger