Julia Nailor, TCRG began Irish dancing in elementary school at the Woodstock School of Ballet and trained as a competitive dancer for 14 years. In 2019, she retired at the Open Championship level under the instruction of Amanda Carpenter Gilleland, TCRG and Peter Gardner, TCRG at the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance in Buford, GA. As a soloist, she placed in the top 10 at the Southern Region Oireachtas and competed at the North American Irish Dancing Championships in Orlando, FL and Vancouver, BC. As a Dance Drama team member, she won the 1st place title at the Southern Region Oireachtas, and her team went on to place 2nd overall at the 2018 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. As a Ladies 8-Hand Céilí dancer, she won 2nd place at the Southern Region Oireachtas with her team. She also had the honor of performing live with Gaelic Storm in Athens, GA and Asheville, NC.

 

In March of 2022, Julia successfully achieved her teacher’s certification (TCRG) under An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha. She has also earned a Bachelor's degree in English from Kennesaw State University and a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia and works professionally as a therapist. Combining her passions for Irish dancing and mental health, Julia created an online educational resource for the dance community called Irish Dance for the Soul, which was featured in the Christmas 2021 issue of Irish Dancing Magazine. Through her work as a teacher as well as her ongoing community outreach efforts, she aims to help the next generation of dancers grow and strengthen their relationship with the sport.