Jean Butler

Last updated

Jean Butler
Born (1971-03-14) March 14, 1971 (age 53)
Mineola, New York, US
Occupation(s) Irish dancer, choreographer, and actress
Years active1994–2010
Spouse
Cuan Hanly
​
(m. 2001)​
Career
Former groupsDonny Golden School of Irish Dance, Riverdance
Dances Irish dancing

Jean Butler (born March 14, 1971) is an American stepdancer, Irish dancer, choreographer, and actress. She is best known for originating the principal female role in the Irish dance theatrical production Riverdance . In January 2020 it was announced she is a member of the Irish America Hall of Fame, an honor presented by Irish America magazine. [1]

Contents

Early life

Butler was born in Mineola, New York. Her brother and sister were also born on Long Island. [2] She started ballet and tap classes at the age of four. She eventually quit both. She began Irish dance lessons at the age of six, which she quit promptly. "I hated it," she says. "They made me stand with my arms at my sides for two hours. So, I left. I was too young." She tried Irish dance again at age nine, this time with a different dance teacher, Donald Golden, whom she considers to be one of the most influential people in her life. About a year into Irish dance, she became very serious with it and quit the soccer and baseball teams. From a young age, she competed in regional, national and international championships. [2] Butler won numerous national titles and regional titles, and placed well in international competitions. Butler attended Hofstra University and earned an Honours Degree in Theatre and Drama from the University of Birmingham. [3]

Career

Butler has performed with Green Fields of America and Cherish the Ladies. She debuted with The Chieftains at Carnegie Hall at the age of seventeen, and toured with them on three continents. In England, Butler met Irish dancer Colin Dunne and they performed together in Mayo 5000 in 1993. [4]

Riverdance and Dancing on Dangerous Ground

In 1994, under the invitation of producer Moya Doherty, she performed in a seven-minute intermission piece at the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 entitled Riverdance . The piece was co-choreographed by Butler with Michael Flatley. The response was so explosive that it was extended into a full show, starring Butler and Flatley. The show toured throughout 1995. After Flatley abruptly left the show over creative control disputes in October 1995, Butler was joined by long-time friend Colin Dunne. The pair were the lead dancers in the performance at the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City that was filmed and put on DVD. After a long and extremely successful run with the show, Butler eventually left Riverdance in January 1997. [5] [3]

In 1998, following Dunne's departure from Riverdance, Butler once again collaborated with Dunne to create the show Dancing on Dangerous Ground , which was based on the ancient Irish legend of Diarmuid and Gráinne. It opened in London in 1999 to critical acclaim, and then in New York. [6]

In 1999, she was also presented with the Irish Post Award for "outstanding contribution to Irish Dance". [7] From 2003 to 2005, Butler was Artist In Residence at the University of Limerick's Irish World Music Centre. [6] In 2009, she received the "Outstanding Contribution to Arts & Culture Alumni Award" from the University of Limerick. [8]

Later career

She received a commission from the Irish Arts Council to create a solo work in 2004. In 2005 she released an instructional DVD, Irish Dance Masterclass With Jean Butler, [9] which her sister also participated in, [10] and completed a master's degree in Contemporary Dance Performance from the University of Limerick.

She premiered "Does She Take Sugar?" on April 12, 2007, at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. [11] With Colin Dunne and George Hook she is a judge on the Raidió Teilifís Éireann reality series Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels . [7]

She retired from active dancing in 2010. [12]

In January 2011, it was announced that she had designed and released her own jewellery line. The collection was launched at Showcase Ireland at the RDS later that month.

Films

Butler has appeared in several films: The Brylcreem Boys , Goldfish Memory , The Revengers Tragedy and Old Friends. [13] [14] She has also auditioned for large-budget Hollywood films such as, Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt, and The Postman with Kevin Costner.

Personal life

Butler's father is a firefighter. In the 1990s, he was the deputy chief of the New York City Fire Department. [15] Her mother is from County Mayo in Ireland. [2] Her sister, Cara, is also a dancer and choreographer.

Butler married Irish designer Cuan Hanly in 2001. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

William Michael Joseph Whelan is an Irish composer and musician. He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The result, "Riverdance", was a seven-minute piece of original music accompanying a new take on traditional Irish stepdance that became a full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze for Irish traditional music and dance. The corresponding soundtrack album earned him a Grammy. "Riverdance" was released as a single in 1994, credited to "Bill Whelan and Anúna featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra". It reached number one in Ireland for 18 weeks and number nine in the UK. The album of the same title reached number 31 in the album charts in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurovision Song Contest 1994</span> International song competition

The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 30 April 1994 at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ), and presented by Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan, the contest was held in Ireland following the country's victory at the 1993 contest with the song "In Your Eyes" by Niamh Kavanagh. It was the first time that any country had hosted two successive editions of the contest, following the previous year's contest held in Millstreet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Flatley</span> American step dancer

Michael Ryan Flatley is an American dancer. He became known for creating and performing in Irish dance shows Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, Celtic Tiger Live and Michael Flatley's Christmas Dance Spectacular. Flatley's shows have played to more than 60 million people in 60 countries and have grossed more than $1 billion. He has also been an actor, writer, director, producer, and philanthropist.

Riverdance is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Jean Butler, Michael Flatley and the vocal ensemble Anúna. Shortly afterwards, husband and wife production team John McColgan and Moya Doherty expanded it into a stage show, which opened in Dublin on 9 February 1995. As of 2023, the show continues to tour the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernadette Flynn</span> Irish dancer

Bernadette Mary Flynn is an Irish dancer best known for her work in Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames.

Celtic Tiger Live or more often known Michael Flatley's Celtic Tiger or just Celtic Tiger was an Irish dance show.

<i>Feet of Flames</i> Irish dance show

Feet of Flames is an Irish dance show directed by Michael Flatley and scored by Ronan Hardiman. Flatley was known for the shows Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.

Máire Breatnach is an Irish fiddle, violin and viola player. She also sings in Irish on some of her albums. Since the early 1990s, she has recorded five solo albums, participated in many collaborations, and developed didactic material for children, mostly in Irish.

Lord of the Dance is an Irish dance show and dance production that was created, choreographed, and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, who also took a starring role. The music for the show was written by Ronan Hardiman.

Colin Dunne is an English-Irish dancer and choreographer who is a leading figure in the world of traditional Irish dance, as well as a theatre actor and contemporary dancer. Best known internationally for his performances and choreography in Riverdance and Dancing on Dangerous Ground, he transitioned to contemporary dance after earning an MA in that style as an artist-in-residence at the University of Limerick in 2002. In 2007, he was nominated for a UK Critics Circle National Dance Award for performances at The Barbican in Fabulous Beast's production of The Bull. His first solo show, Out of Time, premiered in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish stepdance</span> Style of performance dance with its roots in traditional Irish dance

Irish stepdance is a style of performance dance with its roots in traditional Irish dance. It is generally characterized by a stiff upper body and fast and precise movements of the feet. It can be performed solo or in groups. Aside from public dance performances, there are also stepdance competitions all over the world. These competitions are often called Feiseanna. In Irish dance culture, a Feis is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival. Costumes are considered important for stage presence in competition and performance Irish stepdance. In many cases, costumes are sold at high prices and can even be custom made. Each costume is different, with varying colors and patterns, designed to attract the judge's eye in competitions and the audience's eye in performance. General appearance beside the costume is also equally important. Female dancers would typically curl their hair before each competition or wear curled wigs, while male dancers would neatly style their hair to a shape to their liking. Poodle Socks are worn by female dancers while males wear plain black socks. Poodle socks are white socks that stretch to typically 1-4 inches above the ankle, depending on the dancers preference. They also have distinctive ribbing, and can be embroidered with gems.

Dancing on Dangerous Ground is an Irish dance show created by and starring Jean Butler and Colin Dunne. It premiered in London at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1999. The show made its American debut in New York at Radio City Music Hall in 2000.

Celebrity Jigs n' Reels was an Irish reality entertainment television show broadcast on RTÉ One. It was produced by Mind The Gap Films.

Breandán de Gallaí, a.k.a. Brendan de Gallaí or Brendan Galway, is a professional Irish dancer and former lead in Riverdance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cara Butler</span> American stepdancer and choreographer

Cara Butler is an American stepdancer and choreographer. She is the younger sister of dancer Jean Butler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Róisín Mullins</span> British dancer and TV presenter of Romany descent

Róisín Mullins is a TV presenter, TV talent show judge, professional Irish dancer, singer, stage show owner and choreographer.

Joanne Doyle is a former professional Irish dancer who is most famous for her lead role in Riverdance. In her 10 years with Riverdance, Doyle became the longest-serving lead in the show's history and danced in over 2,500 performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne</span> Annual Irish stepdance competition

Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne is an annual Irish stepdance competition run by An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha. The Worlds include competitions for solo stepdance, organised by gender and age; and for certain traditional and original ceili dances, also divided by age group and team gender composition. Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne is the top competition of the hierarchical system operated by An Coimisiún, and dancers must qualify at major Irish stepdance events across the world in order to compete.

Carla O'Brien is an Irish television presenter and multimedia journalist, working with RTÉ, Ireland's national radio and television service, where she has presented Crimecall since September 2023. She previously presented RTÉ's news2day from 2012 to 2014 and Newsfeed from 2014 to 2017, as well as the Six One News, Nine O'Clock News and One O'Clock News. In her career as a dancer, she was Irish and world champion in Irish dancing, and for some years principal dancer with Riverdance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverdance (song)</span> 1994 single by Bill Whelan

"Riverdance" is a song by Irish musician Bill Whelan, originally recorded in March 1993 and first performed as the interval act for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. "Riverdance" is a mostly instrumental composition performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, with an introduction sung by choral ensemble Anúna. The act received such a positive response that Son Records and Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) decided to release "Riverdance" as a single.

References

  1. ↑ Irish Central, "2020 Irish America Hall of Fame inductees announced" January 26, 2020
  2. 1 2 3 Ilana Schweber. "Dangerous Dancing An Interview with Jean Butler". Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Jane Warren (August 23, 2014). "What became of the Riverdance Queen? Jean Butler explains why she left the limelight". Daily Express. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Riverdance for Castlebar". Castlebar.News. Castlebar. August 5, 2008. Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Riverprancer; Jean Butler lifts the lid on life with Riverdance co-star Michael Flatley". TheFreeLibrary.com . Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Shane McGinley (June 2005). "Dancing on Dangerous Ground, Irish Dancer Jean Butler". Ballet-Dance Magazine. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels Judges". RTÉ Television. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Ms Jean Butler 2009 Recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Arts & Culture Alumni Award". University of Limerick. 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Irish Dance Masterclass DVD with Jean Butler". Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Jean Butler's Masterclass DVD, Jean Butler at the Celtic Cafe". Archived from the original on August 27, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Jean Butler - How Sweet..." April 21, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. ↑ Fincham, Kelly (May 17, 2010). "'Riverdance' star Jean Butler hangs up her Irish dancing shoes for soft pumps". IrishCentral. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  13. ↑ Jean Butler Interview
  14. ↑ Jean Butler on IMDb
  15. ↑ "Jean Butler & Michael Flatley Interview, Ireland 1994". YouTube . CR's Video Vaults. July 6, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Jean does a slowstep to marriage". Independent.ie. April 27, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.