Instructions:

  1. Select membership status (member discount automatically calculated).
  2. Optionally renew membership or become a member.
  3. Provide student information and sign waiver.
  4. Select classes (multiple class discount automatically calculated.)
  5. IMPORTANT: If you have arranged for offline payment, payment by installments or have received a scholarship, select "Pre-Registration" in the payment section.  You will still need to enter a valid credit card BUT IT WILL NOT BE CHARGED. 
  6. Complete transaction.  You will see a registration summary and will receive an email confirmation.

For more information about BRIMS memberships or to become a member: https://www.blueridgeirishmusic.org/membership

Liability Release: I hereby certify that student(s) listed on this form is/are in normal health and capable of participating safely in BRIMS programs. I will notify BRIMS of any pertinent health problems, and I am aware that Irish step dance is, at times, a high impact, aerobic activity and may not be appropriate for individuals with foot, ankle, knee or hip problems. I assume all risks and hazards incidental to the conduct of the program.

Medical Release: In the event I cannot be reached, I hereby give my permission to the management, faculty, and or staff of BRIMS to authorize any emergency medical care that may be required by the above student during their participation in classes, performances, or any related BRIMS event. I understand that I am responsible for any and all charges as a result of such care or medical treatment.

I give permission to BRIMS to use photos/videos of me or my child(ren) taken during BRIMS classes and activities. BRIMS will never include a student’s name with any photos.

Classes begin Sept 10th (Tuesday) and Sept 12th (Thursday) and are held at Charlottesville Waldorf School. Our December Showcase will be held on December 22nd at Potter's Craft Cider. 

NOTE  No classes will be held on Halloween, or Thanksgiving week (Nov 26th & 28th)

Select your classes from the list below. Tuesday classes are listed first, followed by Thursday classes.
If registering more than one student, click the "Add Another Student" button below the class list

Member Discount:  BRIMS members receive a $20 per class discount.
Multi-class Discount: If more than one class is selected per registration, a $10 per class discount will be applied. 

Tuesday Class Offerings

  • Lori Madden
    4:00-5:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    Advanced Beginner Softshoe Ages 5-7
    $380 (BRIMS Members pay $360)
    * For students that have taken at least one semester of Irish dance. Dancers will continue to expand their repertoire of steps while working to improve style, technique, rhythm and timing. No special gear needed. Advanced beginners can still dance in bare feet or ballet flats. Comfortable clothing that allows for free movement of legs and feet is a must!

  • Mimi Vidaver Davis
    4:00 - 5:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    * For students that have taken at least one semester of Irish dance. Dancers will continue to expand their repertoire of steps while working to improve style, technique, rhythm and timing. No special gear needed. Advanced beginners can still dance in bare feet or ballet flats. Comfortable clothing that allows for free movement of legs and feet is a must!

  • Matthew O'Donnell
    4:30-5:00 PM
    12 Weeks, Ages 7-13
    $200 (members pay $180)
    For kids completely new to the instrument. Kids will learn the basics of 4-string tenor banjo or mandolin in the Irish style: how to hold and play the instrument, how to read tablature, and how to play simple melodies. Students may bring either tenor banjo or mandolin to the class.

  • Brenda Cox
    4:30-5:30 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    This class is for youth ages 8-15 who have had previous experience either at BRIMS or with other harp lessons.

  • Brenda Cox
    9:30 am *Satellite Location*
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    This class will have a slightly more in-depth study beyond the basics, exploring technique, repertoire and solo as well as group playing. Anyone who has played for a year or more would enjoy this class with a small, friendly and supportive group of harp players.

  • Brenda Cox
    5:30-6:30 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    This class will focus on the mechanics and ergonomics of playing the harp, some very basic music theory, and user-friendly repertoire appropriate to new harpists. BRIMS has harps for rent

  • Fiona Balestrieri
    5:00 - 6:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    Sean-nós or “old-style” dancing is an improvised percussive dance style that shares roots with flatfooting, clogging, and modern Irish hard shoe. In this class, you will learn the “basic” foot rhythms of Jigs and Reels and build a repertoire of “steps.”

  • Matthew O'Donnell
    5:00-6:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    For students who have some experience playing a stringed instrument, and would like to apply their knowledge to accompanying or “backing” Irish tunes at sessions and in groups. In this class you will learn basic strumming patterns for Irish reels, jigs, and other common tunes, chord patterns used in traditional backing, and how to effectively back in a session.

    The material in this class focuses on chording stringed instruments such as acoustic guitar, bouzouki and octave mandolin, but players of any instrument are welcome to take the class.

  • 5:00 - 6:00 PM
    Free & By permission*

    BRIMS’ Traditional Music Ensemble (Trad) is an opportunity for Irish musicians (teens and adults), within the BRIMS community, to showcase their skills in and around Charlottesville. The Trad Ensemble functions as the public face of BRIMS, playing at local venues and providing community outreach in keeping with BRIMS’ status as a non-profit arts organization. Trad Ensemble allows members to hone the craft of musical performance by encouraging participants to arrange sets of tunes, play for and collaborate with dancers, and build a general comfort around interacting with an audience. Ensemble members will work with ensemble leaders to develop a well-crafted set list that can be used in a variety of performance settings.

    Please contact Lori Madden at [email protected] for more information and specific details regarding guidelines for musicians.

  • Fiona Balestrieri
    6:00-7:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360) For students having completed one or more semesters of sean-nós dance class or by permission of the instructor

  • Alex Davis
    6:00-7:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    Come join us in learning new tunes to expand your personal tune library and build your confidence in playing in a session. We will learn a range of Irish tunes while exploring rhythm, tempo, lift and how to play in a group. Players of all instrument types are welcome, though basic proficiency on an instrument is expected. We will learn tunes primarily by ear, though sheet music can be provided on request.

  • Matthew O'Donnell
    6:00-7:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    For the absolute beginner on bodhran. Drums provided if needed. In this class you will learn how to hold and play the bodhran drum, the basic rhythm for accompanying Irish reels, jigs, polkas, and other common tunes, how to use accents to enliven tunes, and how to play bodhran in a session.

  • Matthew O'Donnell
    7:00-8:0 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    For students who have some experience playing the bodhran drum, and can play the basic patterns for reels and jigs. Drums provided if needed. This class will cover more advanced techniques including syncopated rhythms, triplets and left hand tone-changing, and how to use these techniques to craft unique rhythms that complement Irish tunes.

  • Advanced Hardshoe, Carolyn Ward
    7:00-8:00 PM **BEGINS 9/17**
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    In this class, we will be learning hornpipes steps or a traditional set dance pending time and practicing technique. Hardshoes recommended for this class.

  • Fiona Balestrieri
    7:00 - 8:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    In this class we join in a vast and diverse oral tradition of song that links Ireland to its many diasporas. We will build a repertoire of songs in Irish and English, and use them to explore vocal ornamentation and harmony singing. As we sing, we will also work on relaxing the tension that many of us bring to singing through deep breathing and mindfulness. I hope that each one of you will come out of the class your own versions of the songs we learn and the heart to sing them with confidence in the shower, the pub, or wherever songs are sung.

  • Mimi Vidaver-Davis
    6:00-7:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    Class description coming soon.

  • Mimi Vidaver-Davis
    7:00-8:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    Cape Breton step dancing is a percussive, close-to-the-floor dance tradition rooted in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. In this 6-week class series, students will learn the subtle—but important!—similarities and differences between Cape Breton step dance and Irish dance traditions. Class will focus primarily on mastering “the basic” reel step and all of its many variations, followed by an introduction to the rhythm of the strathspey and some foundational strathspey steps and movements. No previous dance experience required.

Thursday Class Offerings

  • Mimi Vidaver-Davis
    4:00-4:30 PM
    12 Weeks
    $200 (BRIMS members pay $180)
    This class is an introduction to playing the Irish tin whistle. Students will learn about finger placement and how to make clear, distinct sounds. This class will also introduce the concept of learning tunes “by ear,” starting with already-familiar rhymes and melodies before moving on to simple Irish tunes. No previous whistle or music experience necessary.

  • Mimi Vidaver-Davis
    4:30 - 5:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $200 (BRIMS members pay $180)
    This class is for students with some previous tin whistle or woodwind experience. We will focus on building a basic repertoire of simple Irish tunes by ear while reinforcing good technique for finger placement, timing, and breath control. Registration is by instructor permission.

  • Lori Madden
    4:00 PM - 5:00PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    For the absolute beginner to Irish dance. In this class we will cover the basic repertoire of movements, form and technique that are the foundation for Irish dance. Students should wear leggings; no special shoes needed, students can dance in bare feet or in traditional ballet flats if they prefer

  • Lori Madden
    5:00-6:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    In this class we will cover the basic repertoire of movements, form and technique that are the foundation for Irish dance. Students should wear leggings; no special shoes needed, students can dance in bare feet or in traditional ballet flats if they prefer

  • Mimi Vidaver-Davis
    5:00 - 6:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    For students who have taken at least 2 semesters of soft shoe dance, or Instructor permission

  • Mimi Vidaver-Davis 
    6:00-6:30 PM
    $200 ($180 for BRIMS Members)
    This introduction to dancing in hardshoes requires at least two semesters of soft shoe classes. In this class students will learn the basics of making music with their feet! We will start every class with a series of warm ups and drills that help build foot and ankle strength as well as familiarity with the different sounds that Irish hardshoes can make. We will then work on mastering some of the foundational movements and rhythms (including trebles, brush downs, treble hop backs, and treble downs) eventually incorporating these movements into basic 8 bar steps to fit the music. 
    To make the most of our time, students must arrive to class with hardshoes on and ready to dance.

  • Mimi Vidaver-Davis
    6:30 - 7:00 PM
    $200 ($180 for BRIMS Members)
    This class gives students with previous hardshoe experience the opportunity to hone their skills and build their repertoire of hardshoe steps. Each class will include warm-ups and drills, the chance to reinforce known steps, and the introduction of new material. Through the course of the semester we will spend time exploring the different time signatures within Irish music and focusing on the musicality of the our feet and the sounds that they make. Additional performing opportunities may come up for this class throughout the semester, so students will also have the chance to get creative with arranging steps and creating their own class choreography. To make the most of our time, students must arrive to class with hardshoes on and ready to dance.

  • Chloe Hellerman
    6:00 - 7:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    Class description coming soon.

  • Tes Slominski
    6:00 - 7:00 PM
    12 Weeks
    $380 (BRIMS members pay $360)
    In this course for musicians who are already proficient on violin/fiddle, we will explore the nuances of the Irish style, with a focus on bowing technique, rhythm, and the all-important feeling of "lift." (If time allows, we will also learn some left-hand ornaments.) Along the way, we'll learn tunes that are popular in the Charlottesville Irish traditional music scene.

  • Thursdays, 7:00-8:00 PM
    BRIMS’ Dance Ensemble is an opportunity for experienced Irish dancers (teens and adults), within the BRIMS community, to showcase their skills alongside BRIMS Trad Ensemble. Just as the Trad Ensemble functions as the public face of BRIMS, playing at local venues and providing community outreach in keeping with BRIMS’ status as a non-profit arts organization, the dance ensemble represents the connection between music and dance within the Irish musical tradition. Dance Ensemble gives dancers the opportunity to collaborate with other dancers, create choreography for performances, learn and practice existing traditional figure dances, and the chance to work closely with musicians to create entertaining live shows. Participation is by permission only.
    Please contact Lori Madden at [email protected] for more information and specific details regarding guidelines for interested dancers.

  • Fiona Balestrieri
    6:30-7:10 PM (Zoom Meeting Only every other week)
    12 Weeks
    Dates: Sep 26, Oct 10. Oct 24, Nov 7, Nov 21, Dec 5, Dec 19
    $110 (BRIMS Member price $90)
    In this class, we will spend time learning about the intricacies of flute technique: breathing, phrasing, tone, and ornamentation. Each week we will pick one or two tunes to explore, and find out just what we can do with them! We will also spend some time listening to different players and discussing what techniques they are using to create their own personal style.

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