About
More Than A Magazine
We are proud to be the voice of the Irish Dancing industry – We INSPIRE. We EDUCATE. We MOTIVATE. WE ARE IDM.
How It All Began
In September 1997, UK dance mums Mary Wilson and Gail Franx brainstormed the idea of launching a magazine dedicated to Irish Dancing. With guidance from renowned Irish Dance historian Dr. John Cullinane and other top executives, they brought this vision to life. The timing was perfect, with the explosive success of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance inspiring many boys and girls to take up Irish Dance. There was a growing need to connect the worldwide dance community with a trusted publication.
The People Behind IDM Today
In 2004, Denise Keane joined as a minor partner, helping to expand the magazine's reach in North America. Despite being based in Chicago, Denise’s love for Irish arts, including Irish Dance and traditional Irish music, was nurtured from a young age by her parents, who hail from counties Kerry and Clare.
In 2010, the original owners sold their remaining shares of Irish Dancing Magazine to Denise. Other key executives on the team, both then and now, include Teri Horan, Cameron Carey, and Mary O’Connor, all of whom have been instrumental in keeping this beautiful magazine alive through the ups and downs of the economy, pandemic, and the digital age.
More Than a Magazine
In 2008, IDM embraced social media, launching a Facebook page and soon after, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok. Managing these platforms alongside the print magazine became a balancing act, leading us to bring on talented young dancers to assist in creating content for the magazine’s social channels.
In honor of our 20th anniversary in 2018, we launched an 8-day, 7-night tour of Ireland for dancers and their families, and we continue to run one tour each year to Ireland. This project ties together our love of Ireland and the opportunity to travel with fans of the magazine to share our many years of knowledge about the land we love so well.
We are proud to be the voice of the Irish Dancing industry – We INSPIRE. We EDUCATE. We MOTIVATE. WE ARE IDM.
Every Step of the Way
Step through time with Irish Dance Magazine as we trace our covers and celebrate every leap.
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