Kelly Irish Dance
The Kelly School of Irish Dance is home to some of the most fabulous Irish dancers in Rhode Island. We teach traditional and modern Irish Dance with a perfect blend of whimsy, culture, kindness, and fun. Our quirkiness, and signature KSID charm creates dancers who Sparkle & Shine on and off the dance floor.
KSID is an internationally renowned Irish dance school, structuring classes not only to prepare dancers for solo dancing, but for performing as part of our performance dance companies, and Ceili teams. Kelly Irish Dancers are made for the stage. Catch a performance and you’ll see what we mean!
Kelly Irish Dancers have been spotted performing throughout the New England region, as well as in AZ, CA, DE, FL, NY, MD, PA, VA, TN, TX, UT, DC, Walt Disney World, Canada, Germany, England, Scotland, and of course Ireland. We love to travel and share our love of the dance with audiences around the world.
Irish Dance classes are available in Bristol, Coventry, and Cranston Rhode Island for the littlest of beginners through world champion level dancers. KSID offers both competitive and recreational dance programs, private lessons, workshops, adult classes.
The KSID Studio was established in Coventry, Rhode Island in 2011 by Meghan Kelly and features three studio rooms equipped with professional sprung dance floors, with Marley vinyl floor coverings, full length dance mirrors, and dedicated spaces to wait or warm-up. Just 25 minutes South of Providence, the studio welcomes dancers from all over the state and Southeastern MA and CT.
In 2023, KSID partnered with Rosemary’s School of Dance, to bring Irish Dance instruction to the East Bay. The RSDE Studio, located in Bristol, RI, provides us with a studio space full of natural light and seaside calm.
In addition to our dedicated studio spaces, we offer after school program and pop-up workshops in the greater Providence area, including The Irish Ceilidhe Club of Rhode Island.
The Kelly School of Irish Dance is registered with The Irish Dance Commission, An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, CLRG, in Dublin Ireland, The Irish Dancing Teacher’s Association of North America, IDTNA, and The Irish Dance Teacher’s Association of New England, NEIDT. KSID teachers are Safe Sport certified, CPR and AED trained, and fully vetted.
TEAM KSID:
Meghan Kelly
Meghan began her love of Irish dancing in 1990 - signed up for her very first dancing class by her Papa Murphy. In 2006 Meghan began teaching Irish dance at the Irish Ceilidhe Club of Rhode Island, and by 2011 the KSID Studio was realized.
Meghan is a former champion Irish dancer and a certified TCRG, with accreditation through An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha. In 2022, along with her sister Kathleen, Meghan was recognized for her excellence in teaching, receiving the Global Irish Dance Teaching Award.
Meghan is a graduate of Rhode Island College, an Irish and American citizen, a member of The Rhode Island Irish Ceilidhe Club, The Irish Cultural Centre of New England, the Major Jeremiah Murphy scholarship committee, and a proud supporter of the Murphy Healy Lecture series at Providence College, named for her grandparents.
Meghan is always planning and dreaming KSID’s next step, next adventure, and next story, so she can continue to create opportunities for dancers to learn, grow, travel , and connect to themselves and one another through dance.
Kathleen Chilton
Known for her sharp and precise dancing and teaching style, Kathleen Kelly Chilton has shared her impeccable sense of rhythm and musicality with Team KSID since 2009. Well, perhaps even since 1986 when you consider she’s danced alongside her older sister, Meghan from the very start.
In 2022, Kathleen was recognized for her excellence in teaching, receiving the Global Irish Dance Teaching Award. Kathleen is a graduate of Rhode Island College, a licensed Jigs and Swigs instructor. Kathleen holds numerous National and Regional Ceili dancing titles. She is a certified TCRG recognized by Cumann Rince Dea Mheasa and the World Irish Dance Association. In 2024, successfully completed all twelve of the CLRG grade exams receiving, her Dioplóma Scrúdú Rinceoirí.
An enthusiast of all things Disney, she is a founding member of our KSID Mouse Club , eagerly anticipating our upcoming Dancing in Disney performance in October, 2026.
CLAIRE JALBERT
Claire Jalbert is an original Kelly Irish Dancer. Claire, alongside her younger sisters and brother started dancing with KSID in 2008. Claire and KSID have grown up alongside one and other and the drive and motivation Claire continues to have on KSID is immeasurable.
Claire is graduate of the University of Connecticut and applies her physio background to her teaching style. In 2025 Claire completed, with honors, the University of Limerick’s postgraduate certificate program in Optimisation of Health for Performance in Irish Dancers.
Claire has a gift for choreography, both performance and competitve styles. She is a fantastic motivator and coach to our dancers and teachers alike. Claire was one of the first Kelly Irish Dancers to compete internationally and to place first at the European Irish Dance Championships. She went on to place in the top ten in the World Irish Dancing Championships. Claire is also part of the founding casts of both the KSID Mouse Club and Studio2Stage.
Claire offers our dancers a unique perspective on growing up KSID, international competition, balancing studies, sport and dance. And encourages and motivates each dancer to be their best self.