Dancers

Band

Singers

Crew

Shannon Soderlund
Anna Slomka
Grezgorz Kozlowski
Karol Jastrzebowski

ACT 1

Genesis

May Morning Dew

The Lads Acapella

Journey to Old Ireland

Day of My Return

The Plight of the Irish

Duelling Bodhrans

The Hooley

Go Lassie Go

The Departing

INTERMISSION

ACT 2

A New Dawn

Thinking of Home

The Beat of the Bodhran

Munster Maidens

Emigrants Medley

Rhythm of the Dance

Musicians Farewell

Home

Finale

DANE McKIERNAN (Choreographer & Lead Male Dancer) has been dancing since he was six years old. After competing for eight years, he began touring the world in 2007 with The National Dance Company of Ireland’s Rhythm of the Dance, where he performed for two years before moving to Riverdance. He performed worldwide for three years before taking a step away from touring to be part of the modern Irish dance group ‘Prodijig,’ winning Sky’s ‘Got To Dance’ 2012 and touring their show ‘Footstorm’ in Ireland, the UK and China. In 2014 Dane returned to Rhythm of the Dance, where he performs the lead role and is now choreographer for the company. Dane is delighted to be a part of this cast and crew.

AMY MARIE PRIOR (Lead Female Principal Dancer) was born and raised in Woodford Green, London, where she began to dance at the age of three with teachers Bertie and Helen Roddy. She then went on to dance with Mandy O’Loughlin and Sean Hennigan in the Hennigan O’Loughlin School, where she earned top 10 placement in every major competition she entered, including multiple championships in the United Kingdom. Amy achieved six world medals over the years, was ranked eighth in the World and five-time Southern Regional Oireachtas Champion. Amy stopped competing and began her professional dancing career when she was 18. She completed her first tour in Russia and Europe in November 2015, and after a year of performing with Rhythm of the Dance she was offered the role of Lead Female Principal Dancer. The highlight of her career so far was performing Lead in front of 7,000 in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall. Amy is honored to be touring with such great cast and company and is excited for her future ahead.

SHANE MORAN (Musical Director) is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from Mayo, Ireland. He began playing music when he was ten years old and successfully competed nationally on both the Banjo and Guitar as a teenager and soon thereafter pursued a career in Irish Music. Shane began performing banjo and guitar with Rhythm of the Dance in 2013 for its 15th Anniversary World Tour. In 2016 he was delighted to take on the role of Musical Director for the show. Shane has toured extensively throughout more than 20 countries all over the world with Rhythm of the Dance and has been featured on two PBS specials. His professional touring career began when he joined The Spirit of Ireland in 2013 performing guitar and vocals throughout Europe. He also held the role as Musical Director for the show. Shane also toured as the leading vocalist and head musician for a six-month tour across Germany with “Dance Masters” in 2015-16 and was a featured musician and vocalist during residencies at Walt Disney World Florida in 2017 and 2018. Shane has had many performance highlights in his career to date including the prestigious Kremlin Palace in Moscow, the closing ceremony for the 2015 European Games in Baku-Azerbaijan, a residency in the New Orleans Casino Las Vegas, and alongside country music legend Dolly Parton at “Dollywood” as part of the Festival of Nations.

The Ennis Brothers (band) are an award-winning Country & Irish music duo built around the melodic harmonies of twin brothers Matthew and Owen Ennis. They grew up listening to the timeless country sound of their grandparents’ favorite artists, The Everly Brothers. It was this early experience with country music which would go on to help shape Matt and Owens sound. They both started writing songs and learning guitar in their teens. At age 15 The Ennis Brothers performed on a television show called Class Act singing one of their favorite Everly Brothers songs, “Bye Bye Love.” In 2018 they were runners-up in Nathan Carter’s “Search for A Country Star” competition, and in January 2020 they were awarded “Best Newcomer of the Year” at the Sunday World Irish Country Music Awards. In recent months the twins have been performing folk and traditional Irish songs and in doing so came to the attention of the Producer of Rhythm of the Dance, who immediately offered them a slot in this spectacular Irish dance show production.