 |
Bernadette Mary Flynn (born 1 August 1979 in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland) is an Irish dancer best known for her work in Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames .
|
Bernadette Mary Flynn (born 1 August 1979 in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland) is an Irish dancer best known for her work in Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames .
Flynn was born on 1 August 1979 in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland. Her parents Andy and Mary Flynn formerly owned "Andy Flynn's", a pub/bed & breakfast in her home town of Nenagh and subsequently became the proprietors of Flynn's Bistro located in Pearse Street in Nenagh. Bernadette has an older brother (Andrew), an older sister (Elaine) and twin sisters Catriona and Maria. Her family has always been very supportive of her dancing.
At the age of four she started at the Browne Academy of Dance, studying under Dorian Browne. Additionally, her sister Elaine tutored her in Irish dance in the early years, with classes during the week and dance competitions on the weekends. Her competitive achievements include six World titles, seven All-Ireland titles and nine Munster titles.
Bernadette attended St. Mary Secondary school in Ireland. She won the 1996 World Irish dancing championship shortly before going to rehearsals for the 1996 opening of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance in Dublin. She has no regrets about leaving her school behind, saying, "This is what I've always wanted to do, it's a dream come true for any Irish dancer".
When Flynn auditioned for Lord of the Dance, she was chosen to dance the lead role of Saoirse the Irish Colleen while Gillian Norris was chosen to dance the lead role of Morrighann the Temptress. Flynn is the original Saoirse and appears on the film releases of the original Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames. She would later reprise the role in Feet of Flames 2009 and the 2010 Return of Michael Flatley tour, which were also released on film.
Of her role, she has said:
"I had no idea I would get a lead role. Gillian and I just went along to the auditions just hoping to get in. We both went into Lord of the Dance as backline dancers. We'd only seen Michael Flatley in Riverdance and when we had to meet, it was like 'Michael Flatley, oh my god!'
After the auditions we went to the rehearsals and were just learning the dances and steps. At this stage, we hadn't been given a storyline. It was very, very difficult to get used to using our hands as well. One day we all had to dance using our hands, and Gillian and I began to stand out. After two weeks we stepped into our roles as good girl and bad girl and started to arrive early to rehearse and leave late. It was all unsaid for a while, but then we were told we were to take the lead roles in the Point in Dublin. We were told it could last a day, a week, a month or maybe even years!"
Michael Flatley has said of Flynn: "Dancing with Bernadette is like dancing with the air, you don't have to look and see where she is. You can feel her no matter where she is on the stage."
Her husband Damien O'Kane is also a member of the Lord of the Dance troupe and has been so since the beginning in 1996. He is one of the male leads and plays the Lord of the Dance. They were engaged in July 2003 and married on 28 December 2005. They have a daughter together named Mia Rose O'Kane.
Flynn prefers show dancing to competition, because she loves the freedom she has while performing. She has broken a bone in her foot, as well as having a couple of ligament sprains.
Highlights of her career include dancing at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles and for the President of Ireland during a visit to Nenagh. She can also be seen in two Olive Hurley Dance instructional videos: Irish dancing Step by Step and The 25th Anniversary World Championship.
In January 2009, both Bernadette and Damien represented Ireland on the NBC hit reality TV show 'Superstars of Dance'.
The 1990 Irish presidential election was the tenth presidential election to be held in Ireland, the fifth to be contested by more than one candidate, and the first to have a female candidate and winner. It was held on Wednesday, 7 November 1990 and was won by Mary Robinson on a joint Labour Party and Workers' Party ticket. The election was the first time in history a Fianna Fáil candidate failed to win the Presidency. It was also the first time the Labour Party had contested a Presidential election. The election had one of the tightest margins of victory in Irish Presidential elections history, and the final leg of the campaign was characterised by intense internal turmoil within the Fianna Fáil party as well as personal attacks on the candidates from competing political parties. The election was considered a political failure for the Fine Gael party and would cause their leader, Alan Dukes, to resign in the immediate aftermath.
Nenagh is the county town of County Tipperary in Ireland. Nenagh used to be a market town, and the site of the East Munster Ormond Fair.
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. His career also includes work as 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.
Gillian Norris is an Irish dancer and model best known for her work in Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames.
Jean Butler 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.
Celtic Tiger Live or more often known Michael Flatley's Celtic Tiger or just Celtic Tiger was an 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.
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.
Ronan Hardiman is an Irish composer, famous for his soundtracks to Michael Flatley's dance shows Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger Live.
Máiréad Nesbitt is an Irish musician. She is known for performing Celtic and classical music and being the former fiddler for Celtic Woman. She was also one of the two original fiddlers in Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance in the mid to late 1990s, along with its extended version Feet of Flames in the early 2000s.
Daire Nolan is an Irish dancer and choreographer best known for his work in Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames.
Saoirse Una Ronan is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas since adolescence, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards and five British Academy Film Awards.
Dance Flick is a 2009 American musical comedy film directed by Damien Dante Wayans in his directorial debut and written by and starring many members of the Wayans family. The film was set for release in the United States on February 6, 2009, and changed to May 22, 2009.
Superstars of Dance was an American reality television show, first broadcast on January 4, 2009, on NBC. The show featured dance routines from eight countries from six continents. It was hosted by Michael Flatley, co-creator of Riverdance and creator of Lord of the Dance, and was co-hosted by former Miss USA title holder Susie Castillo. It was created by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, co-producers of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol.
Gerry O'Connor is a traditional tenor banjo player. As Earl Hitchener said, Gerry O'Connor can be considered at the moment "the single best four string banjoist in the history of Irish Music". He also plays mandolin, fiddle, guitar and tenor guitar.
Róisín Mullins is a TV presenter, TV talent show judge, professional Irish dancer, singer, stage show owner and choreographer.
The 11th Irish Film & Television Awards took place on Saturday 5 April 2014 in Dublin, honouring Irish film and television released in 2013. The nominations were announced on 27 February 2014. The Awards Ceremony took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Burlington Road Dublin, and was broadcast on RTÉ One at 9.45pm. The Annual Irish Film & Television Awards are the highlight of Ireland’s entertainment and cultural calendar celebrating the very best of Irish screen talent across film and television. Guests in attendance included Michael Fassbender, Colin Farrell, Jamie Dornan, Steve Coogan, Will Forte, Jeremy Irons, Fionnula Flanagan, Brendan Gleeson, Neil Jordan, Amy Huberman, Colm Meaney, Jack Reynor, Killian Scott, Eva Birthistle, Victoria Smurfit and Outstanding Contribution Honorary Award Winner President Michael D Higgins.
Alice Upcott is a retired British female acrobatic gymnast and the sister of Edward Upcott, world champion in 2010. With Dominic Smith, she was awarded the gold medal in the 2013 World Games, the gold medal at the 2013 Acrobatic Gymnastics European Championships and the silver medal in the 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.
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.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
