March 18, 2021 12.29 pm This story is over 36 months old

Lincoln busker seeks support for his Irish dancing school

He needs financial support to fund the cost of classes
Tom busking on Lincoln High Street. | Photo: Tom Conroy Irish dancer

An award-winning Irish dancer well known for his lively busking on Lincoln High Street is appealing for financial support to fund the cost of classes at his dance school.

Tom, 33, was born in Lincoln and went to St Peter and St Paul School, but left at aged 16 to go on tour with an Irish dance troupe before moving to Dublin. By the time he left Ireland he was running most of the Irish dance and music gigs in the city.

Not only has Tom toured the world and competed at the highest level of Irish dancing, but he has also performed for FIFA, Pfizer and the Saudi royal family.

Students of the Conroy Irish Dance Academy performing to the public in 2019.

Tom tried to set up Conroy School of Irish Dance in 2019 and relied on donations from family and friends.

He made no profit due to the small numbers of people attending classes and the large cost of the hall hire.

However, he is determined to use his passion for teaching dancing to help more children with an organised timetable of lessons once lockdown has eased.

Irish dance teachers at the Academy, Tom and Sinead.

Prior to lockdown, Tom was regularly busking long Lincoln’s High Street, but he was forced to stop doing this due to the pandemic.

For the last year, Tom has instead been doing weekly virtual busking via his Facebook page, as well as teaching students via Zoom lessons to generate some income.

Once lockdown and coronavirus restrictions end, classes will be held at the Rhythm in Movement Academy on Clayton Road in Lincoln for people of all ages and abilities. Tom is also available to book for shows and events.

Classes are priced at £7 per class – for further information about booking and performances, or if you can provide financial support, contact Tom on 07432035949.

The Conroy Irish Dance Academy in Lincoln offers dance classes for all levels of dancers, from very beginner to championship.

Tom said: “As we come out of lockdown, involving kids in social and physical activities is going to be so important and now seems like the perfect opportunity to spread the word about the Irish dance classes we can offer.

“Irish dance is appealing to both boys and girls and it has had a huge surge in popularity during the lockdown thanks to dancers sharing videos of themselves via platforms such as TikTok, which have then been seen by thousands of people.

“After such a difficult year for everybody, we’re really looking forward to opening the doors to our dance school and starting up our in-person Irish dance classes.”

He added: “Sadly though, these classes and the running of them do come at a cost – and because we want to teach children who may not be able to afford the classes or dance shoes, we really need some support to make sure these classes are inclusive and can go ahead.”