The Ceili Dancers are a performance Irish dance troupe based in Harrisburg, PA. The group was formed in January 2000 with six original members. Under the direction of Lena McGinley-Crosier, the group has grown to over fifty dancers ranging in age from three to twenty-plus years.

Lena McGinley was born in Sligo, Ireland and lived in Carrick-On-Shannon until the age of five. In 1982, her family moved to Long Island, New York. It was here that Lena began studying Irish Dancing under the direction of world-renowned Donny Golden. By the age of fifteen, she was competing in Preliminary Championships and had performed at Radio City Music Hall. At the age of sixteen, Lena and her family again relocated, this time to Hershey, Pennsylvania. This put a halt on her dancing career for six years. During this time, Lena finished high school and earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Bloomsburg University in Secondary Education/Mathematics. She moved back to Hershey in May 1999 and the Ceili Dancers were formed.

The group has performed at the Whitaker Center, York First Night, May Fair, The Appalachian Brewing Company, The McClain Celtic Festival, Penn-Mar Irish Festival, and numerous retirement communities and local festivals all over Central Pennsylvania. Other performances include a live performance with Eileen Ivers at the Carlisle Theatre on November 8, 2003 and an appearance in the 2003 Harrisburg Saint Patrick’s Day Parade at which the group won the award for “Best Performance.”