Meet the Cast

Amy-Mae Dolan from Co. Tyrone began dancing at the age of two. She danced for the fantastic Carson Kennedy Academy in Belfast. Amy- Mae has won the World Irish Dance Championships as well as many more major titles. In July 2016, she completed the Riverdance Summer School which she felt was one of the most rewarding and educational weeks of her life. She achieved her lifelong ambition of joining the Riverdance team in November 2016. Amy-Mae is both honoured and humbled to perform the lead role in the show she has loved her entire life. She would like to thank her family, friends and teachers for their continued love and support.

Australian Gianna attended the Halloran School of Dance. She trained in Irish Dance, Ballet, Contemporary and Musical Theatre. Obtaining several Championship titles in Irish Dance, she also studied ballet part-time at the Australian Ballet School. Gianna’s career came to life when she joined the original cast of the international touring show Heartbeat of Home. Soon after she joined the cast of Prodijig’s show Footstorm. Her Riverdance journey began in 2014 on the 20th Anniversary tour in the UK and has since toured across three continents. Gianna is delighted to be performing the lead in Riverdance.

Australian born, Natasia began dancing at the age of 3. She trained in all styles with a strong focus on Classical Ballet and Irish Dance. Throughout her dancing career Natasia obtained 7 National Irish dance titles whilst training as a Ballerina with the Australian Ballet School. This all led her to be chosen as an original cast member in the debut world tour of Heartbeat of Home (2013). Since then she has continued on to perform as a lead with Heartbeat of Home (2015) as well as leading Prodijig’s show Footstorm in China (2014). After joining Riverdance in 2014, Natasia is delighted to now be performing the leading role in the show that inspired her to pursue Irish dance.

Ciara Sexton is an internationally known Irish dancing professional who possesses multiple skills as a lead dancer, choreographer, lecturer and television announcer/presenter for major shows
and events throughout the world. She is a five-time World & All-Ireland Champion and has starred a lead dancer in Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home and in both Lord of the Dance and Lord of the Dance 3D. Ciara is proud to be a senior editor for Irish Dance Magazine. She thanks her family and friends for their continued support on her third summer visit to the Gaiety with Riverdance.

Born in Sydney, Australia, Will trained with the Halloran Dance School in Irish, ballet, contemporary and tap from the age of four. Will performed lead roles in musical productions and made regular appearances on TV. At University he studied a Bachelor of Music and is an accomplished guitarist. An ambitious athlete, Will is studying personal training on and off tour. Following an impressive competitive Irish dance career, placing top 3 internationally and winning state and national titles, he then went on to perform with Celtic Illusion and Heartbeat of Home. In 2014 he joined Riverdance and has toured over ten different countries.

James lives in Co. Cavan and danced with Scoil Rince Mona Ni Rodaigh. He won several prestigious World Championships, All-Irelands, Great Britains, North Americans and Ulster titles in both solo and céilí competitions. He toured with Gaelforce and Dancemasters and with Noctu in New York. His career with Riverdance began in 2011 and he has performed with the show in North America, China, Brazil, Argentina and at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. James also has his own business, Vigor – www.vigor.ie working a as sports massage therapist and personal trainer.

Bobby was six when he started dancing in his hometown Bristol. After an illustrious career as a competitive Irish dancer, winning ten world titles, he joined the cast of Lord of the Dance. After just six weeks in the show, he was cast as the principal lead. In 2012 he joined the cast of Prodijig to help create their debut show Footstorm. Bobby went on to be cast as principal lead in Heartbeat of Home which has toured internationally and is now thrilled to be performing lead in Riverdance, the show that inspired him to pursue dance.

Patrick began his dance training at age two with Rinceoiri Na Riochta. His first of many titles came in 1993, and he became All-Ireland champion in 1995. Moving to the U.S state of Virginia in 2004, he spent eight years dancing with Irish Thunder in Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. Back in Europe, he toured extensively with Gaelforce and performed in the Breandan De Gallai productions Noctu and the Rite of Spring. Patrick joined Riverdance in 2012, and was a principal dancer in Heartbeat of Home in 2015.

Lead Dancer

Jason started dancing at the age of five alongside his six sisters. Under the tuition of the Armstrong school in Belfast he developed a deep-rooted passion for rhythm. Jason has been principal dancer with Prodijig’s Footstorm and with Heartbeat of Home and is truly honoured to attain lead role in three shows. As an avid traveller he has now performed in 200 cities worldwide. Jason is delighted to join Riverdance again on its remarkable 20th anniversary.

Ellen from Co. Meath, Ireland began dancing at the age of 5 and attended the renowned O’Shea School in Dublin. She has been dancing professionally for the last eight years and has juggled this with her studies, graduating with an honours degree in Accounting and Finance in 2012 and qualifying as a T.C.R.G. in 2017. Ellen has toured Europe, Asia, Canada and The USA with Noctu, Irish Celtic, Heartbeat of Home and Riverdance. She is both Female Lead Dancer and Dance Captain in Riverdance and is also the current Dance Captain for Heartbeat of Home.

Kieran danced with the Halloran school of dance in Sydney since the age of five. He is trained in many forms of dance including, classical ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, musical theatre and Irish. He is also a talented guitarist. Kieran has travelled extensively to compete in Irish dancing competitions and has achieved countless podium places, including top 2 at State and National level. Kieran was a cast in the movie Dance Academy and has filmed with world renowned performers ‘The Wiggles’. After touring internationally with shows such as Celtic Illusion and playing lead roles in productions such as Grease and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Kieran attended the Riverdance Summer School and was subsequently offered a position in the cast.

Darren Casey started dancing at the age of eight for the world renowned Scoil Rince Mona ni Rodaigh in his hometown of Dundalk, Co.Louth in Ireland. After a successful competitive career including during which he won gold in Ulster, All Ireland and World Championships, Darren fulfilled his lifetime dream when he joined Riverdance in the summer of 2008, he toured worldwide with Riverdance for three years. Darren was also part of dance group PRODIJIG, who won the TV hit show ‘Got To Dance’. Darren is now delighted to be back on stage and touring with Riverdance!

Julia began dancing at the age of six under the instruction of the Raney sisters at the Tara Academy in Seattle, USA. While she has successfully competed around the
world, dancing in Riverdance has always been her ultimate dream. Julia made her performing debut during Riverdance’s 20th anniversary tour in 2014.

Born in Bristol, Mitchell Hodges began dancing at the age of 4. After training with the Carey Academy in Birmingham he went on to attain several international titles including  Great Britain, All Scotland  and four consecutive North American championships. His biggest achievement to date was being crowned the U18 Men’s World Champion in London 2014. Mitchell is thrilled to begin his professional career with Riverdance.
Follow Mitch on: Twitter: @mitch_hodges     Instagram: mitchellhodges96

From Connecticut, USA, Kelsey began dancing at the age of six with the Griffith Academy, studying Irish dance, ballet, and musical theater. While Kelsey is in her senior year at Southern Connecticut State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism, she enjoys performing. She is a lead dancer with the Griffith Academy Celtic Dance and most recently, Kelsey toured as a troupe member in Heartbeat of Home. Kelsey has been a New England Regional first place Ladies’ Champion and has been a top three placement finisher in both the North American Championships and the All Ireland Championships as well as a top ten finisher in the World championships. Kelsey would like to thank her very supportive teachers and is honored to be joining the cast of Riverdance.

Follow Kelsey on Instagram: @kelseylatham

Miriam began dancing at the age of three with the Lee-Byrne Academy, Dublin. Over her competitive years she has won Dublin, Leinster, All England, All Scotland, Great Britain, All Ireland and World Championship titles.  In 2011, Miriam deferred her university degree to start her touring career with Irish Celtic. She was one of the original cast members and was selected as Dance Captain of the troupe in 2014. Miriam has also toured with both Gaelforce Dance and Dance Masters, where she performed the lead role. She has also been a member of Damhsa Irish Dance Company since 2010 and performs weekly at the Belvedere Irish Nights in Dublin and at corporate events throughout Ireland and abroad. For the past 3 years Miriam has been selected as a choreographer for studio2stage – a performance experience for aspiring young dancers. Miriam has been touring with Riverdance since 2014 and is delighted to be returning to the cast for the Barrow Company’s UK & Germany Tour.

Follow Miriam on: Twitter: @MiriamLee92   Instagram: @miriamlee1992

Tomás first started dancing at the age of 5 with Scoil Rinceoirí na Ríochta. Through his competitive career he has won 9 Munster titles, British National Title, placed second and third in Ireland and the World. Dancing was not the only hobby Tomás took up as a youngster, he is an accomplished accordion player and plays regularly with his family. He also plays Gaelic football with his club An Ghaeltacht and won an All Ireland Minor Medal with the Kerry Minor Team as well as an All Ireland Junior Title last year.He has also won an All Ireland Colleges medal with his school ‘ Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne while he was a student there. Tomás is now a qualified Irish dance teacher as well as a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach.
Tomás has appeared on major TV shows with Riverdance like Dancing with the Stars Ireland, BBC’s Eurovisions’s Greatest Hits, BBC’s Proms in the Park. He has also danced for President of Ireland Michael D Higgins. He has toured the world having travelled to China, Russia all over Europe, United States and Canada. Tomás first joined Riverdance in 2016.

Louise O’Sullivan from Dublin began dancing at the age of four under the tuition of the late Lil Tully, transferring to the Elaine Kavanagh School of Dance in her teens. Many years of successful competitive Irish dancing followed before Louise began her professional career in 2010. After lengthy tours of the world Louise fulfilled her dream of joining Riverdance. Since joining Riverdance Louise has moved from a troupe role, to Dance Captain and now a principal lead performer. Louise is also a qualified personal trainer, having studied at DCU.

Dance Captain

Andy started dancing for the Sean Eireann McMahon Academy at the age of nine. He excelled competitively, becoming an All-Ireland, Great Britain, All- Scotland, and North American champion. His professional career began alongside Michael Flatley in an arena tour of Celtic Tiger. Andy then joined Riverdance touring the world for five years, the highlights of which were special performances for Queen Elizabeth II in Dublin and performing in Radio City Music Hall. After winning Got to Dance 2012, with dance group Prodijig, Andy starred in lead role in their touring
show, Footstorm.

Lead Dancer

English-born, Chloey started Irish dancing with with Jenny Flower at the Matthews Academy and has competed at national and international feiseanna, qualifying for the world championships every year. Having joined Riverdance in 2008, Chloey has touring Europe, Japan and China and one of her highlights was performing at Radio City, New York. Chloey is a keen athlete and a qualified personal fitness trainer, She loves to motivate and help people achieve their personal goals.
For great videos and fitness tips, follow Chloey on:
Facebook Chloey Turner Fitness Instgram xchloeytx Twitter chloey_turner

Megan began dancing at the age of 5 and is currently a dancer with the McNelis/Cunningham/Boyle SD, Co. Donegal, Ireland. After completing her Leaving Cert in 2013 she began her professional dance career with “Celtic Legends”, where she was lucky enough to perform as Lead Dancer. Within her three years of professional dancing, Megan toured with such shows as Irish Celtic, Irish Celtic Generations and Titanic Dance, aswell spenting six months performing in Raglan Road Irish Pub, DisneyWorld, Florida. Megan is delighted to be performing with Riverdance, a lifelong dream which has now become a reality.

Peter Wilson 23, began dancing at the age of 4 with the Coyle school in Donegal. After a successful competitive career including titles at National and World level, Peter pursued his studies at Dundee University, Scotland completing qualifications in Media, culture & Society. In 2012 Peter began his professional career by being one of 12 dancers cast in Breàndan De Gallai’s ‘Rite of Spring’. Peter has toured Russia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the United States performing the lead role in ‘Rhythm of the Dance’, ‘Ragus – The Show’ and was the Dance Captain of  ‘Gaelforce Dance’ . In 2013 Peter travelled to Las Vegas to film the series ‘Jigs and Wigs’ which continues to air in Ireland and the UK. In late 2013 Peter was invited to perform in China as part of a concert televised to 300 million people. In 2014 Peter joined Riverdance on the 20th Anniversary tour and continues to tour extensively throughout the world. Peter has performed in some of the worlds most prestigious venues including The Hammersmith Apollo Theatre London, Tokyo Opera City Music Hall, The Kremlin Palace Moscow and The Gaiety Theatre Dublin.

Follow Peter on: Twitter: @PeterWilson_
Instagram: @peterwilsonn

Two-time All-Ireland fiddle champion Patrick Mangan is from Brooklyn, New York, where he was introduced to traditional music at an early age. He grew up playing alongside legendary Irish musicians from both sides of the Atlantic. At sixteen, Patrick appeared in Riverdance on Broadway, becoming the youngest fiddler in the show’s history. Since then, he has toured extensively with Riverdance and other luminaries of Celtic music, playing to enthralled audiences around the world. In addition to his love for the stage, Patrick is also an award-winning composer. His new critically-acclaimed album “Departures” offers a fresh take on Irish music, comprised of original, globally-inspired melodies. It is available now via iTunes and at cdbaby.com/patrickmangan

A native of Monaghan, Mark began playing drums at the age of four. He studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Performing Arts College both in Dublin.

He is now one of Europe’s most sought after, and highly regarded, drummers and is constantly in demand from a host of leading stellar international music acts. His very individualistic and energetic style has seen him play with many international acts including Lionel Richie, Simply Red, Katie Melua, Josh Groban, The Corrs, The Divine Comedy, Lemar, Gary Moore, Mary Coughlan, Ronan Keating, Westlife, Girls Aloud, Donnie Osmond, and the late Christy Hennessy.

Mark Alfred uses and proudly endorses: Pearl Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Vater Drumsticks, Protection Racket Cases.

Tara Howley is an award winning multi instrumentalist, singer and dancer from Kilfenora Co. Clare. She is a two-time senior all Ireland champion on the uilleann pipes. Starting both classical and traditional music at the age of 4, Tara has numerous all Ireland titles in solo competitions and with bands and groups in various instruments such as concertina, fiddle, drums, mouthorgan, piano, whistle and uilleann pipes. In 2014 Tara toured Britain and Ireland with the group Macalla na hEireann and The Echoes of Erin. She produced and launched her debut solo album in April 2015 and is currently studying Irish music and dance in the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick.

Since graduating from Leeds College of Music with a BA (Hons) in Jazz, Emma has relocated to London and has established herself as much in demand session musician.
Over the years Emma has toured throughout the World for Hedkandi, & Fierce Angel, as well as performing with Olly Murs, John Newman, Busted, Mr Hudson, The Ting Tings, Patrick Wolf to name a few.

Follow Emma on:
Instagram & Twitter: @eframpers
Website: www.emmafrmpton.com

Vocalist

Edel is an actor and singer from Dublin and holds a B.A in Drama Performance from DIT. She has always been heavily involved in music, both in choirs and as a featured soloist with credits such as The Manchester Carols (All Hallows) and Arise my Love (Celtic Mass). In early 2013 she joined Celtic Woman’s Aontas choir and has since completed two US tours and a DVD along with tours in Europe and Australia. Edel is delighted to join the show and to be performing the beautiful and iconic music of Riverdance.

Flamenco Soloist

Marita was born in Úbeda (Jaén), Spain. She graduated in Spanish Dance from the Royal Conservatory of Córdoba in 2001 and a year later in Classical Ballet with AraLeo Moyano. She also studied Cátedra de Flamencologia in Córdoba and has got an BA (Hons) in Music and History Studies at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. Marita´s professional experiences started in the opera El Cid with Placido Domingo which was performed in La Maestranza, Seville in 1999. She joined the Ballet Gallego Rey de Viana for a year in the production Vira ó Vento. After that, she returned to Madrid, where she has worked with several companies like Luisillo, Rafael Aguilar and José Greco among others. She has also performed as soloist in the role Dulcinea in Delirios del Quijote by Sara Lezana. She joined the Compañia Antonio Gades where she has worked in the productions of Carmen, Bodas de sangre and Fuenteovejuna around the world. She was working with different choreographers like Goyo Montero in Teather La Zarzuela. Marita also likes teaching and to bring the art of dance to everyone.
Find out more on www.maritamartinezrey.com

Tyler Knowlin is a professional tap dancer from Connecticut. He attended The Hartford Academy for the Arts, where he was introduced to rhythm tap and given the opportunity to train with masters such as Jimmy Slyde and Gregory Hines. At 14, Tyler performed at New York City’s first annual tap festival, Tap City. Tyler’s east coast performances include Jacob’s Pillow, The Bushnell, Charter Oak Cultural Center, Playhouse on Park, The Duke Theater, and Lincoln Center. In 2007, Tyler moved to San Francisco.  He taught for City Dance Studios and ODC Dance. In 2013, Tyler taught and performed in Brazil. Tyler was most recently a featured performer in Hillary Marie’s original show Soul Walk. Tyler would like to thank everyone who has supported him along this long amazing journey!

New York tapper and singer Lamont joins Riverdance with an impressive list of credits to his name. He recently played the role of Andy Lee in a national tour of the showbiz musical 42^nd Street. He featured in a regional tour of the jazz revue show After Midnight, as well as legendary shows like Hairspray and Singin’ in the Rain. Other roles have spanned the breadth of American musical theatre styles, from An Evening with Phyllis Hyman, to American Showstoppers: Irving Berlin at Manhattan’s Schimmel Center and Celtic Fyre in Busch Gardens, Virginia. Lamont is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and a proud member of Actors’ Equity. He is excited to join the touring company of Riverdance.

LamontBrownNYC.com

insta/Twitter: @LamontBrownNYC

Dance Captain

Natia Rtveliashvili Mangan grew up in the Republic of Georgia where she studied at the State Academy of Ballet in Tbilisi. There she excelled in ballet, folk, and character dancing and performed in productions including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, the Nutcracker, Giselle, and many more with the State Ballet of Georgia. In 2000 Natia moved to New York to expand her horizons in dance, studying contemporary, modern, and jazz. There, she worked with numerous prestigious companies including the Metropolitan Opera. In 2007 Natia was invited to join Riverdance and has toured extensively with the show, performing to enthralled audiences around the world.

Russian Ensemble

The Riverdance Russian Ensemble combines elegance and grace with verve, dynamism and joyous physicality. The company’s dancers come from a diverse mix of cultural backgrounds. What they have in common is a dedication to dance and many years of training and performance in pursuit of perfection in their chosen art. Working as individual performers, they have come together for Riverdance, where they will share their individual talents and fuse the many elements that have gone into the development of their own unique style of dance.

Riverdance Russian Ensemble/ Dance Captain

The Riverdance Russian Ensemble combines elegance and grace with verve, dynamism and joyous physicality. The company’s dancers come from a diverse mix of cultural backgrounds. What they have in common is a dedication to dance and many years of training and performance in pursuit of perfection in their chosen art. Working as individual performers, they have come together for Riverdance, where they will share their individual talents and fuse the many elements that have gone into the development of their own unique style of dance.

The Riverdance Russian Ensemble combines elegance and grace with verve, dynamism and joyous physicality. The company’s dancers come from a diverse mix of cultural backgrounds. What they have in common is a dedication to dance and many years of training and performance in pursuit of perfection in their chosen art. Working as individual performers, they have come together for Riverdance, where they will share their individual talents and fuse the many elements that have gone into the development of their own unique style of dance.