Catch Four San Diego Dancers in An Irish Christmas at the Balboa Theatre

Four dancers who learned their steps in San Diego studios are joining a professional Irish tour this December, and one of the stops is the Balboa Theatre.

An Irish Christmas returns with Layla Giles, Ellie Mendler, Sarah Dillon, and Ella Zabrosky in the cast, all four of them out of the Clan Rince School of Irish Dance.

Four Clan Rince Dancers Back on a Hometown Stage

Layla Giles of Tierrasanta has more than 14 years in and multiple World Championship qualifications. Sarah Dillon of Carlsbad returns for her fifth season after three qualifications of her own.

Ellie Mendler of the South Bay has performed with Fusion Fighters at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Ireland. Ella Zabrosky of Poway first appeared at the Balboa as a guest performer and makes her professional tour debut on this run.

Clan Rince Students Join the Cast at the End of Act I

The four pros are not the only local names onstage. Select students from Clan Rince step in with the professional cast at the close of Act I and again for the finale.

If you know anyone in the school, that is the stretch to watch for. It is also the clearest look at what years of competitive training build toward.

Dancers From Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, and Celtic Wings

Around the local contingent is a cast pulled from those productions, with master musicians on traditional instruments and vocalists carrying the rest of the night.

Expect step dancing, carols everyone in the room already knows, and storytelling about how Christmas gets marked in Ireland. It plays for grandparents and seven-year-olds alike, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.

The Version That Made it to PBS

Kerry Irish Productions partnered with PBS and Tourism Ireland on a televised cut of the show that has aired through several holiday seasons since 2017. That broadcast is how most of the country met it.

The tour hits Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, Visalia, and San Jose too. The Balboa stop is the one with four San Diego names in the program.

See you there!

Bring the family, get there early, and keep an eye out at the close of Act I. Four San Diego dancers worked a long time for that moment.

📆 Saturday, December 19 | 7:30 PM
📍 868 Fourth Avenue, San Diego
🎟️ Secure your spot here
ℹ️ Dive into the details here

See you there, San Diego!