Immerse yourself in the world of Irish music and dance when the Paloma Performance Troupe presents a Celtic Dance Extravaganza. The event will be held on Saturday, March 2, at Leffler Chapel on the Elizabethtown College campus, 1 Alpha Drive. Performances will be at 3 and 6:30 p.m.

"This will be a full production, with costume changes, live musicians, special music and special-effects lighting and smoke machines," said Esther Pujol, owner of Paloma Dance Company. "There will be 50 performers - kids and adults - in the show."

The performance will feature soft- and hard-shoe dances as well as acts that spotlight performers who dance while also playing the fiddle. One of the performers will present fire poi, a type of dance that incorporates fire strings. A traditional Irish ceili band will also entertain.

Pujol opened the Lancaster city-based branch of Paloma seven years ago. The business recently merged with the Doherty Petri School of Irish Dance in Maryland.

Pujol has about 100 students, who perform community shows at libraries, schools, retirement communities and more throughout the year.

"We decided to do something above and beyond that," she said of the impetus to start the performance troupe, which she describes as "mini Riverdance."

At the Elizabethtown performance, dancers from the Baltimore branch of Doherty Petri will join Lancaster students on stage, and Pujol said the show will feature some impressive talent.

"We have dancers that are in the top five in North America, the top five in Great Britain," she said. "We have a couple of people who will be competing in world championships. These are really great dancers."

Pujol grew up in a family of Irish dancers. Her grandmother was a champion Irish dancer from Ireland. "I have always loved Irish dance," she said. "It's exciting to see how much interest in it has grown."

She emphasized that audiences are in for an entertaining show that may offer a peek at what's to come for some of the performers.

"These kids are incredibly talented, and they put on an amazing show. Audiences are lucky to see what these dancers can do," she said, noting that her students have gone on to become professional dancers. "They are going to be watching the future."

Tickets for the event will be available at the door or may be purchased in advance by searching for "Celtic Dance Extravaganza" on Eventbrite.