Jennifer McDonough - Instructor, Tots & Beginners

Emily Minton - Instructor, Irish 1 through Troupe Prizewinners/Preliminary Champions

Ms. Emily joined the PSID Team in 2022. Ms. Emily Irish danced for 13 years in the New England region. She competed and placed in regional, national, and international competitions ranging from local feises to Worlds. While competing at her last Worlds, Ms. Emily visited Philadelphia and found what would be her future alma mater, Saint Joseph's University. There she earned a bachelor's degree in elementary and special education and a master's degree in education as a reading specialist. Soon after graduating, Ms. Emily got married and moved to Minnesota where she taught 3rd grade and worked in school administration. She and her husband were thrilled to move back to the greater Philadelphia area where they are currently raising their two daughters.

Ms. Emily's favorite type of Irish dance is slip jig, but performed best in treble jigs. The best and most important part of Irish dance for her were the friendships. Her dance friends and teachers had a profound and lasting impact on her and she uses the lessons they taught her to this day.

Emily Clear - Instructor, Ceili Team/Beginners

Miss Emily first joined the Peters School of Irish Dance as a dancer in 2011. She currently competes at Preliminary Champion and Prizewinner levels as a member of the Troupe. Miss Emily has also competed internationally at CRDM’s Leinster Championships.

Within PSID, Emily started helping Tots classes in 2021. She began teaching our Beginners and Advanced Beginners classes in 2023. She is also a captain of our Troupe Ceili team and helps with PSID events.

Keith Gray - Strength & Conditioning Coach - Troupe

A 25+ year coaching veteran in  Strength & Conditioning, Keith Gray joined PSID as the Troupe’s Strength Coach in 2022.

After finishing his football career and graduating from Virginia Tech in 1995, he immediately began his coaching career; first as a student assistant at VT and then as a graduate assistant at Southern Illinois University. After a year and a half, Coach Keith went to Auburn University in the spring of 1997, working in the strength & conditioning department, working with the football team as a graduate assistant while also heading up the training for the baseball team.

After a three-year stint at Auburn, he accepted a position at The University of Georgia in September of 1999 and spent the next 13 years training several sports for the Bulldogs. During that span, Coach Keith coached dozens of All-Americans in 4 sports and multiple NFL 1st round draft picks.  All told, he has been a part of 16 bowl teams, 16 SEC Conference Championship teams and 5 National Championship teams. 

In 2012 Coach Keith left the college ranks to join the Philadelphia Eagles and soon after was named Master Strength & Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), the profession’s highest honor. Coach Keith remained with the Eagles for 9 seasons, working with multiple Pro-Bowl and All-Pro players, winning 3 NFC East Championships as well as Super Bowl LII, while helping develop a sport science program that has since been emulated across the NFL. 

Coach Keith holds a Master’s degree in Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention and in 2021 was named Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach Emeritus by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), the organization’s highest distinction.

Katie Knapp - Irish 3

Ms Katie began dancing at the age of four in her hometown of Virginia Beach and danced as part of the Southern region with the An Cor Rud school for eleven years: she was able to perform in the Virginia International Tattoo, with the Virginia Symphony, and the Chieftains multiple times. She retired from competition as an Open Champion. 

Ms Katie has a degree from Auburn University and moved to Philadelphia in 2023 for work. She missed the music and camaraderie of Irish dance, and was excited to find everything she was looking for at PSID. Ms Katie’s favorite dance is the reel, and her favorite hard shoe dance is the Garden of Daisies. 

Her favorite memories of Irish dance were making friends from all across the country and seeing new places through performances and competition. She’s excited to share her love of Irish dance with PSID! 

Kasey Kraus - Instructor

Miss Kasey first started dancing with Ms. Sara in 2010 and began teaching at PSID in 2021.

Throughout her Irish dance career, Miss Kasey competed throughout the East coast and internationally in Ireland. She placed 5th in Preliminary Champion in her age category at CRDM’s 2022 Leinster Championships. In 2022, Miss Kasey was named Miss Saint Patrick of the Burlington County St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In 2023, she was voted by the Troupe to be the ‘Ultimate House’ dancer which is awarded to the dancer who exhibited all the qualities that Troupe members have (Courage, Loyalty, Friendship and Kindness).

Miss Kasey currently attends University of Delaware and helps with classes and events when she is home from college.

Hannah O’Sullivan - Adv. Beginners

Ms. Hannah is excited to join the PSID team this year! She Irish danced for 10 years and competed individually and in teams in the New England area with Costello’s School of Irish Dance and O’Shea Chaplin School of Irish Dance. After thinking she had hung up her ghillies for good, she registered her daughter, Mae, for the PSID Tots class in 2023 and soon after joined the Adults class.

Ms. Hannah’s favorite type of Irish Dance is Hornpipe but is relearning to love her traditional sets. Her favorite memories of Irish dancing involve her performing with her teams.

When Ms. Hannah isn’t dancing, she is teaching 3rd grade in South Philadelphia where she resides with her wife and daughter.