Do you have any early memories of being interested in dance?
I didn’t have a lot of dance around me growing up, I saw most of it on television so it always seemed like this ethereal thing that was captured on screen. My earliest memories of dance were from Disney movies. Fantasia was the first time I really saw and understood the relationship between movements with music, and I will never forget seeing Riverdance and being moved by force of energy coming from the music and dancers.
I started in theatre and musicals and found my way into contemporary dance through that.
Did you get support at home or school?
My family were very supportive even though they were apprehensive about how to make a living out of it and like myself hadn’t much information on how to take the arts as a hobby into a career. However, I was really encouraged in college and university to work hard and connect with the sector around me, going to classes and watching shows and rehearsals and I think people saw that I was genuinely interested and was taking it seriously as a profession.
Did you go on to study dance?
The course was highly competitive to get into and only offered 10 spots a year. I received a scholarship and worked with choreographers Christian Duarte, Daniel larrieu and Cheng Tsung-lung. We had a European tour and shows in Japan.
What are some highlights from your career in dance?
A highlight was meeting Queen Elizabeth the 2nd at Buckingham Palace in recognition of my achievements as a young person in the arts, as well as being able to tour Irish work all over the world such as New York, Japan, Shanghai, Australia, New Zealand, Canada.
If you want to follow up the work of Ryan O’Neill – see the links below
