NUI GALWAY APPOINTS SEAN-NÓS DANCER-IN-RESIDENCE

Thursday, 26 March, 2009: The Centre for Irish Studies at NUI Galway is delighted to announce the appointment of Seosamh Ó Neachtain, from An Spidéal, as its first ever Sean-Nós Dancer in Residence. His appointment acknowledges the current vibrancy of sean-nós dancing in the Connemara Gaeltacht and Ó Neachtain’s outstanding abilities as one of the most celebrated practitioners of his particular art form.
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Dr Louis de Paor, Director of the Centre for Irish Studies, welcomed the appointment as part of the University’s commitment to the performing arts in general, and to the traditional community arts of the Connemara Gaeltacht in particular. ‘The revival of sean-nós dancing over the past ten years has been quite extraordinary, to the point where it is now identified as one of the definitive and most popular expressions of Irish culture, at home and abroad.’

A graduate of NUI Galway, Seosamh Ó Neachtain is one of a handful of performers who have rejuvenated the Gaeltacht tradition of sean-nós dancing, introducing the athleticism and sophistication of a dynamic but neglected art form to national and international audiences. He has performed on concert stages throughout the world with some of the finest exponents of traditional music, including Altan, De Danann, Máirtín O’Connor, Harry Bradley, Jesse Smith, Johnny Connolly, and Róisín Elsafty.

In 2000, Seosamh was awarded a bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland to study aspects of tap dance in New York City. The resulting performance was described by Ballet Magazine as ‘a wonderful improvisation of down-to-earth Irish tapping that showed the direct link between Irish roots dancing and American rhythm tap. In his collaboration with African dancer Tamango ‘a dialogue expressed not in words but in physical exhilaration’, Ó Neachtain’s feet, according to the Irish Times, were ‘like playful birds at the floor. He almost hovers, and you almost wonder if he might be able to dance across water …’

His contribution to the TG4 series Ceolchuairt explored the influence of Irish dance on American tap dancing and has just won the entertainment category in the Celtic Film Festival 2009.  Seosamh is also one the founding members of the traditional dance show Barr go Sáil/Heel to Toe which has performed at festivals such as Tonder Festival, Denmark, Celtic Connections, Glasgow and the International Dance Festival of Ireland.  He is currently studying for a Masters Degree in Music and Creative Media at Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Seosamh Ó Neachtain will conduct a series of dance workshops at NUI Galway beginning on Tuesday 7 April. The workshops, which are free of charge and open to the public, will take place in the Bank of Ireland Theatre, commencing at 7.00pm.

For further details, contact Samantha Williams, The Centre for Irish Studies, NUI Galway at 091-492051