The Tyler family started Irish dancing in 2017 when Caspian was entering high school and sibling #7 was on the way. We were looking for a performance art offering opportunity for both boys and girls, of different ages, both in solos  and cooperative production. We had previously tried drama; in ironic plot-twists, we rejected private instrument lessons because we thought it would be too expensive. 

It wasn’t until the crucible of March 2020 Covid lockdowns that our family coalesced with an all-for-one-and-one-for-all attitude, emerging stronger on the other side as Team Tyler. We built a portable floor with marley and danced our way across the city, in neighborhood cul-de-sacs and parking lots outside of nursing homes. It was a lifeline of sanity during dark times, sharing Irish dance with each other and our neighbors. We called it the Team Tyler Irish Cheer Tour. Local News Coverage

It was a defining era as we discovered our shared love of sharing Irish dance. Can’t stop, won’t stop — and we aren’t picky about the music, either! 

Wait, but are you Irish?

Our Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Hugh Tyler (1836-1916), emigrated from County Roscommon through Canada before settling in Illinois. Family tales hold that he had to leave for being Protestant. In America, Hugh worked for a farmer, whose wife was also from County Roscommon. She played matchmaker and sent back home for her sister, Mary Jane McElroy (1859-1901). Hugh and Mary Jane married in Kankakee in 1877. Their son, Joshua “Josh” (1888-1970), is our two-greats Grandfather. Photo from 1915.