Locations
Lauren Crowe-Mueller, TCRG, ADCRG
Lauren hails from Portland, Oregon, where she was a 1988 Rose Festival Princess. Trained in musical theater before applying her talents to Irish dancing, she has appeared on “Prime Time Country” and “Live At The Grand Ole Opry,” danced with the Chieftains, and performed at Renaissance festivals throughout the United States.
In addition to spending much of 1999 and 2000 touring nationally with “Dancing on Common Ground,” Lauren is also a two-time qualifier for the World Irish Dance Championships. Lauren and her husband Jim appeared on the cover of the December 2000 issue of “Irish Dancing Magazine.” In 2005, she earned her TCRG, teacher’s certification, with the Irish Dance Commission (CLRG), and in 2017 she earned her ADCRG, adjudicator’s certification.
Lauren is also a member of SAG/AFTRA and appeared in nationally syndicated television programs including TNT’s “Leverage” and NBC’s “Grimm.”
Jim Mueller, TCRG, ADCRG
Jim is a native of Portland, Oregon. He learned his first Irish steps as a post-graduate hobby, then went on to become a successful international competitor, placing 2nd at the North American Championships and 4th at the All-Irelands.
Jim is a Western US Regional Champion and three-time qualifier for the World Irish Dance Championships. He spent 1999 and 2000 touring nationally with “Dancing on Common Ground,” and with his wife, Lauren, appeared on the cover of the December 2000 issue of Irish Dance Magazine. In 2003, Jim earned his TCRG, teacher’s certification, and now travels throughout North America much of the year judging Irish dance competitions. In 2012, Jim was elected Vice President of the North American Feis Commission, the first teacher to be elected to the executive board. Jim currently serves within the office of the Western Regional Board and has authored a Ceili book entitled, “Rince Fóirne Caillte: Thirty Lost Figure Dances.”
Alex Hailey, TCRG
Blackthorn Academy – Eugene, OR
Alex Hailey has been involved in the Irish Dance community in Portland, Oregon for over 20 years, dancing competitively for 19 of those years. She began dancing in 1998 after watching a performance at her elementary school and quickly fell in love with Irish Dancing. She competed at local competitions throughout her childhood, eventually going on to travel across the country competing at Regional and National competitions as a teenager and young adult.
As a huge fan of performing, Alex participated in hundreds of St. Patrick’s Day performances over the years and performed with many local and visiting Irish musicians. A highlight of her winters was touring with Molly’s Revenge, a traditional Irish band out of California.
She began student teaching at the age of 14 and started teaching independently by age 17. This is where Alex found her true passion — teaching Irish dancing to younger generations. In 2020, Alex earned her TCRG, teacher’s certification with the Irish Dancing Commission.
Angela Schaub, TMRF
An Daire Academy – Wenatchee, WA
Angela has been a part of An Daire Academy since 2006 when her oldest daughter began competitive Irish Step dance. Prior to that, she had been involved in the local Irish Dance community since 2004. From 2008-2013, she was the location coordinator for An Daire Academy here in Wenatchee. Since 2012, Angela has been the assistant instructor in Wenatchee and has helped train dancers to compete for local, regional, and international competitions. In 2020, she received her TMRF.
Kate Padilla, TMRF
Brigthburn Academy – Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Kate started Irish Dancing as an adult after her first child was born, as a “break” from mothering full-time and as a way to help her get back into shape. She continued dancing through pregnancies, toddlers, moves, and homeschooling! Kate danced as a Champ level dancer, competing both locally and at the Western Region Oireachtas, as both a soloist and Ceili Team Dancer. She has five children, all of whom have danced at one point, and has earned a Master’s Degree in School Social Work. In 2022, Kate earned her TMRF certification and is now registered with the CLRG as a certified teacher.
Claire Gutschenritter
An Daire Academy – Flathead Valley Irish Dance – Whitefish & Kalispell, Montana
Claire began dancing at eight years old after her grandparents brought her to see a Riverdance performance in Chicago. As a youth, she trained and performed in Chicago with the Sheila Tully Academy of Irish Dance and the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance. After graduating from Northwestern University, Gutschenritter earned her master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with a minor in music from the University of Montana. A former dancer with Missoula Irish Dancers, she has been teaching both Irish dance and grade school in Kalispell since 2012.
