Owned by Rachel Wolf R.N., Phoenix Irish Dance Academy (PIDA) is an affordable Irish Dance school located minutes away from Historic Old Town Manassas. PIDA serves the Northern Virginia area through public performances and offers classes to share the joy of Irish Dance.
Our Classes
Symmetry($45)
Sorted by age and experience, this class provides the basics of traditional Irish Dance and allows all dancers to excel.
Stage($30)
Dancers with some Symmetry experience who enroll in Stage class practice as a team and prepare for public performances such as weddings, parties, restaurants, and more.
Every class at PIDA combines fitness, dance, and stage expertise to maximize your dancer's potential onstage, and minimize injuries offstage. Boys and girls reach their goals, while enjoying a fun environment at every level.
Rachel Wolf, R. N.
Rachel started Irish dancing at age 7 and has been in love with the style and energy of Irish Dance ever since. She has danced on a competitive level, but the roots of her love affair with Irish dance stem back to the stage and performance-style Irish dancing. She has danced in shows throughout the state of Virginia and Washington D.C. and has been teaching Irish dance on a professional and private level since she was a teenager. Rachel also has an extensive background in theater and directing. After graduating high school, she received a theater scholarship from Ave Maria college in Naples. She has directed many plays, productions, and both theater and Irish Dance camps, both in high school and as an adult. Rachel began an Irish Dance school called Wolves of Ireland in 2013, which eventually transformed into Phoenix Irish Dance Academy upon merging with Shani DuFrain in 2016. Rachel is currently a registered nurse and owner of several Let Mommy Sleep Franchises, and she uses her healthcare education to promote strong and healthy dancers. She also holds a degree in psychology, and uses this knowledge to boost the self-esteem and confidence of her students, and to help them reach their goals, whether they be geared towards recreation and basic Irish Dance skill, or the competitive arena. Rachel continues to study different aspects of health and fitness in order to share her knowledge with her dancers. In her spare time, you can find her crafting, choreographing, or playing with her two adorable Min-Pins.
Zoe Hilbert
Zoe began her Irish dancing journey in 2008 at the age of five and has been passionate about the art form ever since. She joined Phoenix Irish Dance Academy in 2020 and instantly felt at home in the school’s vibrant and welcoming community. She began teaching at the school in 2021, the same year she graduated from Seton.
Zoe loves working with children and finds immense joy in teaching, making her role at PIDA her dream job! She enjoys choreographing unique dances and creating engaging Irish dance-related activities that inspire her students and foster their love for Irish dance.