Can customers dance at Raglan Road?

[KylaSedai]

I've seen some reviews that say people can dance with the bands at Raglan Road, but they seem to mean children, not adults. I'm an Irish dancer, and while I'm definitely not looking to upstage the paid performers, I think it would be a great experience to join in with the music.
Any ideas whether that's frowned upon?

Thanks!

 

[catne]

I've seen some reviews that say people can dance with the bands at Raglan Road, but they seem to mean children, not adults. I'm an Irish dancer, and while I'm definitely not looking to upstage the paid performers, I think it would be a great experience to join in with the music.
Any ideas whether that's frowned upon?

Thanks!

I would guess, yes, totally frowned upon. The stage is barely big enough for the professional dancers...they wouldn't have room for any guests. We have been many times, and have never seen adult guests dancing inside...don't think you could "upstage" the dancers since they're all prize-winning dancers from Ireland. Actually, we have never seen children dancing inside. We have seen kids come up to the stage after a show & talk to the dancers, and get pictures with the dancers but never get on the stages to dance.

However, if it's nice, sometimes the dancers are outside the restaurant on the plaza area in front of the adjoining Irish store. Now out there, I've seen the pros doing "demo" type dances, and occasionally they have kids join them. In May we saw a teen group (about 1/2 dozen) perform outside after the pros were done. Don't know if it was set up in advance, but I think it was because the teens had their own music (the pros were using a portable CD player for their music outside - the kids handed their CD to the person running the machine, then the teens danced as a group, followed by one of them doing a solo. They were good, but obviously amateurs.)

 

[tndisneyfan]

I've seen some reviews that say people can dance with the bands at Raglan Road, but they seem to mean children, not adults. I'm an Irish dancer, and while I'm definitely not looking to upstage the paid performers, I think it would be a great experience to join in with the music.
Any ideas whether that's frowned upon?

Thanks!

We ate there a few weeks ago. The Irish dancers danced a while then some random people came up and dance. Once it was several small children dancing with the dancers. Two different young ladies did a dance on the stage but I would think they were mid-teens, not really adults. They also weren't dancing when the Irish dancers were on stage. It seemed like they were encouraging people to come up and give it a go.

 

[KylaSedai]

Thanks very much, both of you!
I'd never try to join in with the pros during their performance - that's just plaid rude all over.
I guess I'll hang out and get the lay of the land...in the places here that have ceili bands, we normally ask them during a break whether they mind dancers or not. Some like dancers, because it gets people involved in the music, and some don't, because they feel they're being upstaged. Depends entirely on the band.
So the answer seems to be...leave the shoes at home, but don't be afraid if the band is calling for people to try?

 

[Krissalee]

I have seen a young teenager on stage once. She was an Irish dancing student, and I think she and her family had approached either the performers or the management about her getting up to dance for the crowd. It was not when the professional dancer was dancing, but it was with the band during a time when the dancer was not performing.

It couldn't hurt to ask if you could get up there, but I am not sure if it is regularly promoted or permitted.

 

[redzinner]

I have seen adult women from a bachlorette party on stage with the Irish dancers. Good Fun!