Steel School of Irish Dance
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Instructors
Jacquelyn Hardychuk - TCRG, Director, Primary Instructor/Choreographer
Jacquelyn Hardychuk, the school's director and primary instructor/choreographer, has been involved in Irish Dance since the age of 3. She grew up in the Irish dance world with her mom and founder of Steel School, Carol Del Bianco, as her instructor. Jacquelyn danced with Steel School as well as for the Violet Moore School of Irish dance; where her mom had trained. Throughout her dancing career she had the privilege of participating in numerous workshops in Western Canada and the USA. She trained at the highest level, achieving success at competitions, both locally and internationally.
In 2004 Jacquelyn completed her competitive career and began assisting in classes. She shared her passion for Irish dance with each of her students and it wasn't long before she realized how much she loved instructing. In 2009, Jacquelyn received her T.C.R.G. certification from An Coimisiun le Rince Gaelacha and is now certified to teach competitive Irish dance. Jacquelyn shares just the right amount of discipline and encouragement as she guides her dancers towards their personal and competitive goals.
Since receiving her certification, Jacquelyn has led many of her dancers to regional, national and world level competitions. Her passion, hard work and determination shows through in the success of all of her students!
Megan Largy - TCRG, Instructor/Choreographer
Megan Largy started dancing with the Steel School of Irish Dance at the age of 8 years old under the instruction of Carol Del Bianco , and then eventually under the instruction of Jacquelyn Hardychuk. Megan reached the Open Championship level and at 16 years old qualified for the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, making her the first student from Steel Schoool to attend and compete at the event.
Megan competed at a total of five World Championships, two All Ireland Championships and six North American Championships attaining medals from each.
In 2010, Megan competed in her last Western Canadian Regional Oireachtas and won the championship with a perfect score - making her the Under 20 Regional Champion, and the first Regional Champion from Steel School.
Megan finished her competitive career in 2011 after her last World Championships in Dublin, Ireland. She then
became a BCRPA certified group fitness instructor. In addition, Megan became a certified yoga instructor in 2012 through Vancouver's Yoga, specializing in Power, Flow, and Hatha yoga. Megan recently passed her qualification exam and is now a qualified T.C.R.G. She looks forward to sharing her experience and passion for Irish dance with future Steel School students.
Brianna Kraft - Assistant Instructor
Brianna took her first dance class before the age of 2 and immediately knew she had found her passion. She trained competitively in a variety of styles, and eventually focused on Ballet and Irish dance. She studied Royal Academy Ballet up to the Advanced 1 level, retiring in 2016 to focus on her goals in Irish dance.
Brianna started Irish dance at the Stewart School at age 6, eventually transferring to Steel, and has been competing for over 20 years. She has attended the Oireachtas every year since 2009, placing as high as 2nd, and qualified for her first World Championships in 2016. Brianna has also competed at the North American Championships, All Ireland Championships, and World Championships, receiving medals at each.
Brianna has been a teaching assistant since 2013 and in 2018 she completed her CLRG Diploma of the Irish Dancing Commission. She plans to take her TCRG exam after completing her competitive career. Brianna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of British Columbia, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Optimization of Health for Performance in Irish Dancing from the University of Limerick (Ireland).
Lucy Meehan - Assistant Instructor
Lucy began Irish dancing at a young age, and dance has been a huge part of her life for as long as she can remember. Throughout her training, Irish dance has given her countless opportunities to travel, perform, compete, and grow within the dance community.
Lucy trained at the highest level of Irish dance, competing at the World Championships and the All Ireland Championships. She has also had the opportunity to train and perform with Riverdance, as well as various dance groups throughout Europe and North America.
After many years of competitive and performance dancing, Lucy decided to focus her attention on teaching and sharing her passion for dance with the next generation. She has spent several years assisting classes and working closely with students, developing a love for helping dancers build their skills and confidence.
Lucy has successfully completed all 12 CLRG grade examinations and is currently working toward pursuing her TCRG. In addition to Irish dance, she has trained in ballet and jazz and teaches both styles. She has completed her Royal Academy of Dance examinations through the Advanced levels and has also trained through the Twinkle Stars preschool dance program.
Lucy looks forward to sharing her love of dance with her students. She hopes to inspire her dancers to work hard, believe in themselves, and enjoy every moment in the studio just as she always has.
