Our story

Meet Rita, the woman who built a room for women.

Rita Mc Donnell lying across the studio floor in heels, legs raised mid pose, laughing

from London stages to home

Eight years on London stages taught me the steps. Coming home taught me why they matter.

I spent nearly a decade dancing and teaching in London: studios, stages, choreography, the lot. It was everything I'd dreamed of. But somewhere in all of it I kept meeting women who told me the same thing: I could never do that. And every time, I knew they were wrong.

So I came home to Ireland with one idea burning a hole in my pocket: a space where a woman doesn't need to be a dancer to feel like one. In May 2022, that idea became Femme & Soul.

Femme and Soul dancer captured in editorial black and white, mid-movement

What started as a handful of classes is now a community of women moving together across Limerick and Cork: heels, commercial, sensual movement, pop-ups, the works. Some arrive having never danced a step. Most stay because of how it makes them feel: powerful, seen, home.

This isn't about being the best in the room. It's about becoming the woman you already are underneath, and having the time of your life doing it.

Rita x

What we stand for

The room runs on three rules.

  • Inclusive

    Every shape, every age, every background. This is a room built for women. You belong the moment you walk in.

  • Judgment-free

    No mirrors of shame, no side-eye, no getting it perfect. Just music, movement and permission to feel yourself.

  • All levels

    Never danced a step? Perfect. Our courses start from zero and grow with you. Everyone remembers being a beginner.

Meet the team

Led by Rita, taught by a small collective.

A small, hand-picked team of professional dancers who share one belief: every woman deserves to move like she means it.

  • Rita Mc Donnell, founder of Femme and Soul, in the black Femme and Soul hoodie

    Rita

    Founder & Director · every level

    Rita founded Femme & Soul after a four-year dance degree and eight years training in London in Heels, Commercial, Jazz Funk and Hip Hop. She came home to Ireland with one mission: to bring that level of dance, especially heels, back with her. Technique and artistry matter deeply to her, but what drives Rita is watching women find their confidence and express their sensuality in a room that supports them. You'll find her teaching at every level of the timetable and leading the pop-ups, workshops and events. She is also the owner of Built Like a Dancer, a coaching programme for dancers.

  • Jean, ballet and flexibility teacher at Femme and Soul, smiling in a studio portrait

    Jean

    Ballet & Flexibility · Beginner Heels

    Jean has been dancing all her life: ballet, jazz, lyrical and theatre. She has been with Femme & Soul since 2022, when Rita first went looking for a studio and found a kindred spirit instead. Her ballet expertise runs through everything she teaches: strong foundations, safe technique, and the best possible time while you build them. Jean teaches our flexibility course and one of the Beginner Heels courses.

  • Sarah, commercial and beginner heels teacher at Femme and Soul, smiling in a studio portrait

    Sarah

    Commercial · Beginner Heels

    Sarah has danced since the age of seven: ballet and tap first, then freestyle and hip hop, competing until she was 21. She found her way back to dance through Femme & Soul in 2022, and a year later she was teaching; the rest is history. Her classes have one rule: fun, no pressure. Everyone leaves with a smile on their face.

  • Jayne, Latin Heels teacher at Femme and Soul, smiling in a studio portrait

    Jayne

    Latin Heels

    Jayne fell in love with dance through hip hop and freestyle, competing for years before diving into Latin styles, training in salsa and bachata in Spain and Colombia. After more than three years dancing with Femme & Soul, she now leads the Latin Heels course. Her goal: a warm, friendly space where every woman can inhabit her body unapologetically, embrace her inner baddie, and above all have fun.

In their words

Real women, real words

“ Femme & Soul completely changed how I see myself. I came to class nervous and left feeling amazing. It's not just dance. It's been my therapy and my feel-good space. Every week I leave feeling more confident in my body and more connected to myself. ”

Aoife

“ I had never danced in heels before and was so scared I'd look silly, but the energy in the room was unreal! Everyone was so supportive, and the way the class is taught makes you feel safe to just try. I found something I didn't know was missing. ”

Sarah

“ This community is pure magic. You walk in not knowing anyone and walk out with new friends hyping you up every week. I've never felt so supported and celebrated for being myself. ”

Emma

“ I've done dance classes before, but nothing like this. Femme & Soul helped me fall in love with moving my body again. Not to change it, but to celebrate it. It's powerful, feminine, and so much fun! ”

Niamh R.

Ready to meet her?

the version of you you are already becoming
Book a class Explore courses