A Celtic Evening held at the Imperial Theatre will be made even more special as the Sarnia School of Irish Dance celebrates its 25th anniversary.
The non-competitive school of dance, located in the area of Exmouth Street and East Street, focuses on traditional Irish dance and costume for children and adults. The Sarnia School of Irish Dance was founded in April 1997 by the Irish Women's group.
School administrator Mairin Ring said they're happy to be "back at it again" as their last showcase was held in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local dancers will present the skills they've learned but other performers will take the stage as well.
"We've got the Highland dancers, we've got a bagpiper, we've got musicians and singers, so it's a mix of performers -- all with a Celtic flavour," Ring said. "It should be a good evening."
This year's special guests include singer/musicians Jim Lahey and Caitlin Mason, as well as Maggie's Wake (formerly Rant Maggie Rant).
Like many groups, the school was impacted by pandemic restrictions and lockdowns.
"We ended up having to restructure our classes a little bit to make the class sizes smaller," said Ring. "We did have to limit our ability to take on new pupils. In fact, in September 2020, we didn't take on any new pupils because we couldn't accommodate them."
However, by September 2021, the school was able to take on new students again.
"We have about 30 dancers in the school so we're quite happy with our numbers right now and we certainly have enough to put on a good show and a good performance for everybody."
A Celtic Evening will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for seniors and students. There are also group packages available for four people at $72.
Tickets can be purchased online or by calling Imperial Theatre's box office at (519) 344-7469.
-With files from Melanie Irwin