Founder and Teacher Wendy Windsor-Hashiguchi, TCRG has been dancing nearly all her life in styles ranging from ballet and tap to Bulgarian and Turkish.  Wendy competed in Scottish Highland dancing for nearly eight years achieving championship level.  She has taught Irish step, ceili and set dancing for 12 years and has learned with former world champion dancers such as Colin Dunne, Michael Smith, Bill Maple, Eileen Martin, Deirdre Goulding, Donny Golden (Riverdance star Jean Butler’s Instructor), Eimear Ni Mhaoileadigh, and Kevin Broesler as well as excellent traditional dancers of the sean nos or “old style” step dancing such as Patrick O’Dea.She is a fully certified TCRG (Teasgicoir Choimisiuin Le Rinci Gaelacha-which is Irish for Gaelic Commission Dancing Teacher).  Wendy encourages all students of Scott-Ellis School to play instruments as a way to complement dance education.  Wendy herself plays with a local Irish band called the Jump Gypsies contributing hammered dulcimer, button accordion, bowed psaltery, and bones.  Her own music and dance experience has included performances at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center with the Nashville Symphony, Ryman Auditorium with the Chieftains, Disneyworld, Summer Lights, and venues in Canada and Wales.  She and the Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance are regular performers/instructors at CelticFest Mississippi. She is a member of Tennessee Association of Dance.



Teaching Assistant Lori Babb moved to Nashville, TN in 2009 to attend Vanderbilt University. She is currently studying International Human and Organizational Development and hopes to move to Ireland to implement her studies. She moved from the San Francisco Bay Area where she participated in Irish dance classes for over 6 years. She also had ballet, jazz, and character training for 4 years. Lori participated in the All Ireland and International Dance Championships in both 2004 and 2005. She has been a champion in several local competitions. Lori was also offered a position on the dance troupe, Rhythm of the Dance, but due to school commitments, she was unable to travel. She took her desire for Irish heritage and culture and lived in Northern Ireland for 6 months with YWAM to offer reconciliation programs between Catholics and Protestants. Lori has danced at numerous festivals, football game halftime shows and other sporting events, danced with 2 Irish bands Goldenbough and Molly's Revenge and has danced in local churches and charity events. She comes from a long line of Irish and Scottish roots. Lori is pursuing her TCRG, as well!

Music Instructor and Web Master Franko Hashiguchi, husband of Wendy, has been playing playing Irish traditional music for over 18 years and doing and teaching Appalachian flatfooting for longer.  "Franko Hashiguchi is always welcome at our Irish session here in Nashville. His informed and inventive playing of the bodhran adds great lift and excitement to a tune; the same can be said of his mellifluous playing of the whistle and tasteful mandolin accompaniment. Franko can really throw down the steps (flatfooting) and it's a rare treat when he does. The man is made for music - enjoy!"  - Bill Verdier of the Nashville Ceili Band.   Apart from Irish sessions, Franko plays regularly in the Celto-Eclectic Band "The Secret Commonwealth", playing a variety of instruments and vocals. For many years, he has given flatfoot clogging workshops at CelticFest Mississippi, has performed as part of "The Celts" last year for the "Celtic Christmas at the Ryman" (to be done again Dec 14th, 2011!) , and plays in a funk band called "JonesWorld".