What We Teach at North Atlantic Steps
Cape Breton Step Dance and Sean Nós (Old-Style) Irish Dance for Adults
Returning Students: Wednesdays from 6:30pm — 7:30pm (January 7th — April 29th)
New Students: Wednesdays from 6:00pm — 6:45pm (April 8th* — 29th)
In this class, students (adults age 18+) learn foundational Cape Breton and Irish step dance vocabulary, including basic strathspey, jig, and reel steps, shuffles, tip-downs, brush steps, and shuffling. Class material draws from both traditions, highlighting their shared rhythmic roots while introducing stylistic differences in posture, timing, and musical emphasis.
A strong emphasis of the class is on musicality and improvisation, helping students build confidence moving to reels, jigs, and strathspeys and “thinking on their feet.”
This class is welcoming to beginners and encourages individual expression while developing solid foundations in Irish and Nova Scotian traditions.
Where to find us:
The Dance Space
6004-A West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23230
April Open House and New Beginner Lessons!
Curious to learn more about North Atlantic Steps? Come to our April open house and sign up for our April New Beginner old-style Irish dance lessons!
Open House: April 1st, 2026 6pm — 6:45pm
New Beginner Lessons: Wednesdays in April, starting April 8th from 6pm — 6:45pm
Adults 18+ only
Where: The Dance Space: 6004-A W. Broad Street, RVA 23230
Get your NAS merch today!
All North Atlantic Steps t-shirts and sweatshirts are printed independently from NAS by Custom Ink. Orders can be made using the link below. If you are a current student, reach out to Annabelle for t-shirt sizes to see if she already has your size before ordering one.
All payment is made through Custom Ink and goes towards the production of your apparel.
Come Celebrate North Atlantic Step’s First Birthday!
Join North Atlantic Steps for our Spring Ceilidh to celebrate our first birthday on Sunday, May 10th from 2pm — 4pm!
A Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) is a Scottish Gaelic term for lively social gathering with music, dancing, and community celebration.
We will begin our Spring Ceilidh with a fun, beginner-friendly lesson featuring partner dances from Ireland, Scotland, and Cape Breton. Afterwards, enjoy a lively social dance followed by birthday cake!
Ages 18+
Tickets are $15
Annabelle Bugay
Inspired by her years of study in Ireland and Nova Scotia, Annabelle is finally laying down roots and sharing treasured North Atlantic step dance traditions in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Passionate about preserving time-honored traditions and creating new avenues for their proliferation, Annabelle is committed to fostering a vibrant community of dancers and musicians wherever she goes.
Annabelle first began Irish dancing at the age of six under the An Cor Rud School of Irish Dance in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Annabelle achieved the open championship level before deciding to follow her passion for improvisation, choreography, and social dancing outside of the competitive sphere. She lived in Limerick, Ireland for two years where she learned Sean Nós (old-style) Irish dancing, before moving to Sydney, Nova Scotia where she completed her BA in Music and Folklore at Cape Breton University.
In Cape Breton, Annabelle refined her piano accompaniment skills and began picking up local steps at community dances, house parties, and Ceilidhs. Over the years, Annabelle has had the privilege of learning from many dance masters, such as Lisa Burgess, Liam Scanlon, Nic Gareiss, Mats Melin, Linda Block, Michael Donnellan, and Courtney Jay, among many other friends and square dance partners in Cape Breton. She is also featured on Isla Ratcliff’s debut album The Castalia (2021) and the live recording of Sunnseitn Bordun (2019) in Kremsmünster, Austria.
