• 2003 World Championship Dancer
• TCRG: Accredited instructor with the Irish Dance Commission in Dublin, Ireland.
• Second generation TCRG
• Master and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

The Academy Director is Lauren McGrath Dutton, TCRG, who is an accredited Irish Dance Teacher with An Coimisiun (the Irish Dance Commission), in Dublin, Ireland.

The Academy has produced several regional and national championship dancers, as well as excellent performers. Since opening in January 2004, McGrath Academy students have danced at places such as the New Zealand Embassy, the Reston Chorale Foundations of Freedom Concert, the Landmark Theatre in Richmond, and in the Manassas Saint Patrick's Day Parade. The dancers have enjoyed performing with choice Irish bands such as Joe DeZarn and the Flaming Shillelaghs, Sior-og, and The Chieftains during their Kennedy Center concert. In addition, the students have performed for cultural and charitable organizations, among them The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Habitat for Humanity, the Knights of Columbus, and local nursing homes.

Lauren McGrath Dutton began Irish Step-Dancing at the age of two under the instruction of her mother, Jeanne McGrath Pearson. Lauren danced competitively as a solo and figure (group) dancer winning hundreds of trophies and medals, ultimately progressing to the Open Championship competition category. Her most recent achievements include qualifying for and dancing in the World Irish Dance Championships in 2003. Lauren has studied Irish Dance with Reagan Wicke, Pauline Malone, Jacky Kennedy, Liam Harney, and of course, Jeanne McGrath Pearson.

Lauren earned a bachelors and masters degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She then relocated to Northern Virginia to begin her engineering career and ultimately open the McGrath Academy of Irish Dance.

Alice - Assistant Instructor, CIDA Founder & President

	Alice was born and raised in a little town in County Tipperary, Ireland.  She left Ireland at the age of 18 and lived in London, Hong Kong,Canada.  East Africa, and Singapore before finally settling in the DC area in 1993.  Her husband likes to say she took the "Long Way From Tipperary".  Alice did not have the opportunity to take Irish dance until she was 58 years old and now in 2008, at age 65, she is an adult champion dancer.  In fact, Irish Dance is her passion and it shows in the dedication she has to the young dancers at the McGrath Academy.  Alice battled and survived breast cancer in the past two years.  She never stopped dancing, except for a couple of weeks here and there,  and feels that Irish dance gave her a focus and helped her come through the challenge.  We love having her as part of the McGrath Academy family.
Cindi - Assistant Instructor
Cindi, Assistant Instructor
Lysi - Assistant Instructor
	Lysi was born with a love of dance and enjoyed learning ballet, tap and hula as a child.  But she feels she found her true passion when she joined the McGrath Academy of Irish Dance as an adult.  The proud homeschooling mother of three children, Lysi enjoys balancing family life with the challenges and rewards of being a McGrath Academy Assistant Instructor and competitive Irish dancer.
Lindsey - Assistant Instructor
Lindsey began dancing at the age of 15 at the beginning of the Riverdance movement. From the beginning she loved it and jumped into competition from the beginning. As graduation neared, Lindsey was determined to continue dancing throughout college. A mix of certified and one "just for fun" schools, she found her way to the McGrath Academy when relocating back home after college. Aside from dancing Lindsey has a love of books, crafts and spends her days as a Government Auditor.