More information about the Development Week for Traditional Dancers with Colin Dunne here
JACK ANDERSON grew up in Scotland, and started Irish dancing as a child in the nineties. Jack was lucky to have the exceptional Hugh and Janie McGowan as his teachers. He started dancing professionally aged seventeen, touring for several years with Rhythm of the Dance and Celtic Legends before becoming one of the first members of Ériu Dance Company. He then pursued training at Dundee College and then Rambert School. In early 2024, more than a decade after his last Irish dancing job, Jack got the hard shoes out again… this has ignited a process of listening to the different vocabularies that live in his body. Jack is excited to continue that process in Limerick, surrounded by the wisdom of other dancers whose artistic roots maybe overlap with my own.
SEAN DOWNES is a dancer from Glasgow. He started dancing when he was 8 years old and is now 28. Sean won 7 world titles as a young dancer and has been touring professional since the age of 20. Sean has performed with shows including Rhythm of the dance and Celtic steps, taking him across the world for the last 8 years, stretching from USA, Ireland and the UK as well as Mainland Europe and Asia.
MICHAELA FERNANDES is a multi-faceted artist originally from Goderich, Ontario. As a professional performing artist, she has toured internationally with various Irish dance companies, such as the American Company of Irish Dance and the Canadian Irish Dance Compnay, a.o. Her true passion is in connecting to audiences through performance and storytelling. Michaela enjoys freedom of movement and the opportunity to integrate other dance styles such as ballet, contemporary, jazz or flamenco into Irish dancing.
JAMES GREENAN is a passionate dancer, choreographer and massage therapist from Co. Cavan. As a child, James discovered his love for the art of Irish Dance in Dundalk where he was taught by the acclaimed Mona Rodaigh and enjoyed a successful competitive career having won every major title included the coveted World championships. He was the principal dancer with Riverdance for 12 years and later performed in other disciplines with Eiru Dance Company with Breandan De Gallai, Catherine Young Dance Co. and Jean Butler a.o. In recent years, James has eproduced his own choreographic work, including Celtic Gold (2019) and Rhythm of the Dance. In addition to dance, James is also an established qualified Myoskeletal Massage Therapist. He works primarily with dancers in helping them move pain free, recover from injury and live long, happy and healthy careers. His practice is called Corrective Manual Therapy which is based in Swords, Dublin.
LAUREN SMYTH has dedicated over three decades to the art of Irish dance. Her journey began at the age of four within the Festival tradition of Irish dance, a style deeply rooted in Northern Ireland that emphasizes purposeful movement and emotional expression. Lauren first joined Rhythm of the Dance, where she performed the lead role and toured internationally for three years. In 2009, she was accepted to Riverdance, fulfilling her lifelong ambition. She went on to become the first female principal dancer from the Festival tradition to lead the Riverdance troupe, touring globally for seven years. Lauren lauched the Lauren Smyth Academy in 2021—an online platform offering over 200 classes designed to teach and celebrate Irish dance culture. She continues to contribute to the world of dance through choreography for productions such as Rhythm of the Dance, and remains active in a variety of corporate and creative events. Her focus and commitment remains that of resilience, innovation, and a deep love for the cultural richness of Irish dance.
SOPHIE STEPHENSON is a step dancer hailing from the Highlands of Scotland. She specialises in a close-to-the-floor style of percussive step dance which was carried forward by Scottish emigrant communities in Eastern Canada and she is now part of the legacy of its re-introduction to Scotland. Sophie is dedicated to promoting and passing on the step dance tradition, and has performed and taught at International Festivals – including Celtic Connections, Festival Interceltique de Lorient and Womad – with artists such as Capercaillie, Carlos Nuñez, Calum Stewart, Dàimh and The East Pointers. She has collaborated with artists across genres from Baroque string ensembles to Basque rap and hiphop. Sophie has also developed TradBeats, a project which brings together the core elements of voice and movement through rhythm, with puirt-à-beul (Gaelic mouth music), beatboxing, step dance and body percussion.
RANÓG TOWNSEND is an All Ireland Champion Sean Nós (old style) dance artist and educator that hails from Lixnaw, Co. Kerry. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Irish Music and Dance and Masters of Arts in Ethnochoreology from the Irish World Academy University of Limerick. Ranóg has shared the stage with Sharon Shannon, Goitse, and Beoga and collaborated with dancers Nic Gareiss, Karen Tansey, Emily Flack, and Edwina Guckian. She performed with Dance Ireland Associate Artist Liam Scanlon, at ‘First Looks’ at Dublin Dance Festival and Leitrim Dance Week. Ranóg did a year-long residency in Boston in 2018 at Kieran Jordan Studios and lectured at MIT. In 2019 she performed in Preab Meadar with Lorcán Mac Mathúna and Daire Bracken. In 2021, Ranóg worked as young curator for Siamsa Tíre National Folk Theatre of Ireland to create LASTA Festival. In 2023 Ranóg launched Fite Fuaite Dance, sharing her passion for dance with others of all ages and abilities.
