ABOUT US

KATHLEEN YOURELL RONDEAU was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her Mother was from Claremorris, Co. Mayo. Her Father (also a dancer) was from Summerhill, Co. Meath. She was educated at Loretto College, Rathmines High School and Clare St. Secretarial College. She is married to Ernest C. Rondeau. They are the proud parents of five children -- three girls: Colleen, Dawn and Chanda, and two sons: Dale and Wayne. They also have eleven grandchildren.

Kathleen Rondeau started dancing at the age of six, under the tutelage of Lilly Comerford. This fact is memorialized by the Irish Dance historian, John Cullinane, at page 71 of his Aspects of the History of Irish Dance in North America. He wrote, "Kathleen Rondeau learned her dancing in O'Brien's Hall, Crumlin Road, Dublin from one of Ireland's greatest teachers and organizers, namely Lily Comerford." Ms. Rondeau also studied with Harry McCaffrey and Margaret Kane. In 1955, she emigrated from Ireland and established a new home in Connecticut. Two years later, encouraged by her friends, she opened up three schools which became very successful. She qualified as both TCRG and ADCRG in Dublin, Ireland, in 1971.

In 1977, Ms. Rondeau and her family moved to Miami, Florida. Back then, it was very depressing and a total culture shock for her to find that nobody had seen or heard of Irish dancing in that area. So, after leaving world champion dancers in Connecticut, it was back to the beginning stage once more. So she began again, opening the Rondeau School in Florida.

Kathleen Yourell Rondeau is very proud of the fact that she is the first Certified Teacher to introduce Irish dancing to the State of Florida, thus paving the way for other schools to follow. Presently she teaches in six locations throughout Florida, with the assistance of her daughters, Chanda and Dawn. Ms. Rondeau can look back on all her students' accomplishments to the present time with great pride.

Ms. Rondeau was appointed the first Recording Secretary to the Southern Region Irish Dancing Teachers' Association of North America. She has adjudicated Irish dancing throughout the U.S.A. and Canada, and two years ago she adjudicated the Oireachtas in London, England. Her dancers have performed several times at the Cobh, Co. Cork Festival and the Irish Folk Dance Society in Dublin.

Kathleen Yourell Rondeau has been teaching Irish dancing for over fifyy (50) years. Among the awards her dancers have won are World, All Ireland, National, and Local Championships. She feels blessed because every day she works at a job that is creative, challenging, nurturing and infinitely rewarding, adding to that the thousands of students to whom she has passed on this beautiful culture and the wonderful lifelong friends she has made throughout the years.

Over a decade ago -- in 1990 -- Kathleen Rondeau established and hosted the very first feis ever held in Florida -- the Florida Sunshine State Feis.

CHANDA RONDEAU NEWMAN has been co director of the Rondeau School of Irish Dance with her mom Kathleen since 1987. Chanda started her dancing career when her mom started to give her older sister lessons. Chanda, being 2 ½ and stubborn, was not going to be outdone by her 4 year old sister, so at that ripe old age, her mom put her in the class with the others. The rest, as they say is history. Chanda has traveled throughout the U.S. Canada, and Ireland receiving many championships and awards to her credit. She has done shows with many of the popular Irish entertainers such as Paddy Noonan, Hal Roach, Frank Patterson, Tony Kenny, to name a few. These days, she spends her time getting her own dancers ready for such events. Not only does she teach, but she and her husband Bobby, have two restaurants, Bobby’s Pizza, and Chanda’s Diner, in Port St. Lucie, to keep them busy.

Chanda and her mom are both certified Irish Step Dance teachers and Kathleen is also a certified Irish Step Dance judge. This is a rigorous test where you have to know everything from the music and time signatures that they use, to the dance steps that have been passed on from generation to generation. Kathleen’s other daughter, Dawn, also helps teach at the school. The Rondeau School offers classes in Melbourne, Floridana Beach, Fort Pierce, and Boca Raton. They also do a recital every year in May. Their website is www.RondeauSchool.com. They teach dance to children starting from the age of five.