McHale School of Irish Dance

Linda McHale Poggi, TCRG

Born and raised in Baltimore, Md., Linda always had a passion for dancing but was not interested in tap or ballet.  Because her mother was born and raised in Co Mayo, Ireland, she decided to look into Irish dance. Linda started lessons with Peggy Thompson, TCRG, in Annapolis, MD, and quickly realized Irish dancing was more than a passion, it was her life and she wanted to teach.  

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In the early 1980s, Linda began teaching  Ceili, Set, and Step dancing to adults in Baltimore and loved every second of teaching from the start.  

"I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to touch so many lives," Linda proudly states. "Over the years, hundreds of people have taken my classes and had the chance to practice their newly found talents at their weddings, the  Emerald Isle Club monthly Ceilis, and local pubs like the long gone Gandy Dancer and still at J. Patrick's Pub Locust Point." ​

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Linda branched out to teach children's step dancing. After completing the teaching exam, offered by the Irish Dancing Commission, she received her certification from An Ciomisiun le Rinci Gaelacha (The Irish Dancing Commission) of Dublin, Ireland.  As a registered instructor, the school is subject to all the rules and regulations set forth by the Irish Dancing Commission. These are applied by The Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America, Southern Region.

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The school now offers adult Ceili dancing and Linda places much energy into children's classes. Married with three children, twins Olivia & Nicholas, and a son Andrew, Linda enjoys family time in their suburb of Baltimore home. 

Beth Schell Balog

Beth was introduced to Irish step dancing at the age of four after seeing a performance at a local Irish Festival.  She spent the next thirteen years performing and taking part in competitions, enjoying every moment.  

While some dancers age out after they finish high school, Beth quickly realized her love of Irish dancing was a huge part of her life.  She decided to change the focus to the next generation of young dancers. That's when Beth began assisting Linda McHale with her classes. Today, Beth is a co-instructor, assists with choreography, and takes part in all of our performances. Her enthusiasm and dedication to the next generation are obvious when you watch her with the students who just adore her.

Beth finds teaching enjoyable and extremely rewarding. She is married, has three daughters and works full-time as an occupational therapist. 

Clare Brennan Lincoln

Clare started taking Irish dance lessons with Linda when she was just ten years old and continued until she graduated high school. When she went away to Penn State, she had the opportunity to share her love of Irish dance with PSIDE, the Penn State International Dance Ensemble, where she continued to learn.

When she moved back to Baltimore for graduate school, Clare was so excited to help with Linda's classes and come full circle in the dancing world. 

Clare is now a French teacher by day and Irish dance teacher by night. She enjoys being able to work with the various age groups and showing them all how much fun they can have with Irish dance. 

Bridgid Klein

Brigid is the baby of the family and comes from a long line of siblings who were all part of McHale School of Irish Dance at some point—a tradition of sort. Brigid was born dancing, patiently waiting for her turn to enroll in classes, and has been dancing with McHale ever since.  

She is a graduate of Loyola College in Baltimore—yet another family tradition. When not teaching the McHale dancers, Brigid is an elementary school teacher.