Members of the Paloma School of Irish Dance have something for you.

It's a gift of experience. It's a gift of culture. It's a gift of themselves.

"I think there's a lot more dancing and a lot more music in (Irish) culture," said Esther Pujol, the founder and owner of Paloma School of Irish Dance. "I think the show embraces that, embraces that spirit. It's about communities coming together and celebrating music and dance. The purpose of the show is to spread holiday cheer and bring some Celtic traditions to Lancaster County."

Paloma School of Irish Dance will present its Celtic Christmas Show present to the community at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, at Lancaster Mennonite School's High Fine Arts Center, 2176 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster. Modestly priced tickets for the school's first-ever Christmas performance, which will feature traditional and modern Celtic dance and music, can be purchased in advance at http://www.palomaboosterclub.com/celtic-christmas-show-2025.html or at the door on the night of the show.

"I think the audience is going to fall in love with Irish dance," said Pujol. "I hope (the audience members) are pleasantly surprised, like it's better than they expected. I think there was a generation who was familiar with Riverdance. But I think there's a younger generation who hasn't been exposed to it or know what it is."

The Celtic Christmas Show is a 90-minute performance that will be divided by a 15-minute intermission. Irish music, featuring fiddles, will accompany the 20 dance numbers, but the show will not include singing.

"I think the best way to describe the atmosphere is merry," said Pujol, a resident of Manheim Township. "Everyone is just so excited and preparing for the performance. I think people are going to feel the joy of the holiday season from the stage. It's a chance for the performers to share what they do. They love to perform."

Nearly 70 individuals from Paloma School of Irish Dance will perform at the Celtic Christmas Show, including college dancers, school-age students and adults. Many of the performers reside in the Manheim Township, Warwick, Conestoga Valley, Garden Spot, Lampeter-Strasburg, Donegal, Penn Manor, Solanco and Lancaster school districts.

The family-oriented troupe also includes many parents, children, siblings and cousins performing together.

"These kids are just everything," said Pujol. "They're kids who are actively applying to colleges. Some are on the robotics team. Some are National Honor Society students. Some are football players. Some are very successful in other parts of their lives. They're just exceptional, exceptional people."

"When people come up to me at our shows, they say these kids are so talented," added Pujol. "I'm lucky because I get to work with these kids who are such hard workers."

A combination of the performing arts and sports, Irish dance demands athleticism, synchronization and repetition to succeed at high levels. Emerging dancers learn collaboration, accountability and problem-solving through their involvement.

"Irish dance still has a lot of its traditional roots," said Pujol. "Some of the dances we'll be doing onstage originated hundreds of years ago. A handful of our dancers are actively competitive. A lot of those who will be at the show have competed on the regional, national and world levels. They're very competitive; they take it seriously. This will kind of be a nice break for them. It'll be a nice way for them to show their craft."

Headquartered at 1285 Manheim Pike, Suite 3, Lancaster, Paloma School of Irish Dance was established by Pujol in 2015, partly as a way to stay connected with a discipline she was once involved with as a competitor and partly as a way to honor her roots. There are currently 125 students from all across Lancaster County and beyond enrolled in the school.

"It helps dancers reach their highest levels of dance, reach their potential and have them become good citizens," said Pujol. "As they're doing this, they're learning important life lessons like leadership, teamwork and hard work. The dancing has opened a lot of doors for our dancers, not just in dancing but also in life."

"It's such a niche sport," continued Pujol. "The school has grown now to bigger than it was before COVID. In a way, it has surpassed the goals I set for it. Now, here we are, and I'm enjoying it."