Irish Dance Experience Show

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Introduction
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Catherine Gallagher is proud to bring to stage an electrifying performance of world class dancing. The Irish Dance Experience is a new theatrical extravaganza of irish dance accompanied by beautiful music that will enhance and delight you. The dynamic duo of Catherine and her brother Michael
Patrick dance sensational and breathtaking solos. Both ex Riverdancers and all Ireland and World Champions they bring their world inventive jaw dropping choreography in this impressive stage production of irish dance as you have never seen it before.

Supporting them are a precision ensemble of Irish step dancers, in this show that presents toe tapping rythms, eye boggling dance movements of exhilarating speed with music that will give you shivers down your spine
Biography
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Catherine was born October 20, 1978 the second of 4 children and the only girl. Her parents are native Irish. Irish dancing soon took over their lives when Catherine's Aunt encouraged them to go to a school for Irish dance that was starting in the village next to them. At the age of 5 Catherine went along with her older brother Michael. Her talent soon became obvious and by the age of 9 she had won the All Ireland Championships, the youngest dancer ever to do so.

Catherine's younger brothers soon followed in her footsteps. Coming from a family of 4 dancers the Gallaghers soon became popular faces as they travelled around Ireland almost every weekend. When they weren't at a competition or dancing lesson they would often create small competitions between themselves at home. This resulted in many laughs but also tears !

Catherine spent 15 years in the competitive scene of Irish Dancing. The hours of practise payed off as Catherine won many awards throughout those years including
1'st place All Ireland Champion.
3rd place in World Championships
3rd in American National Championships
2nd in British National Championships
2nd in Great Britain Championships
Riverdance
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Catherine got the call to join the Riverdance Fly-in Squad after successfully auditioning for the show in 1997. She was part of this elite group for 6 months performing in Dublin's Point Theater, Birmingham, London's Hyde Park and Norway.

In November of that year she began rehearsals in London for the new Riverdance touring Company 'The Lagan'. After two months of gruelling rehearsals dancing 48 hours per week and several shows in the Hammersmith Appollo Theatre London. Catherine joined the show on the north American
Tour. Under the watchful eye of her brother Michael Patrick who was lead in the show they experienced many wonderful places and many standing ovations in the show !

Catherine left the show after 1 years of touring extensively in the United States and Canada having performed in more than 100 cities !
Family Talent
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Catherine and her brothers are so grateful to their parents who put so much support, time and money into their children often borrowing money to travel to competitions, to buy new shoes, and dance costumes.

Thankfully to Riverdance and Lord of the Dance they have made professional careers for themselves and can finally return the favour. Catherine's parents are probably the proudest in Ireland with their very talented children. Michael Patrick has been lead in Riverdance for eight years, Barry
John has been based in Las Vegas with 'Lord of the Dance', for the last six years, George Bernard is currently touring with Riverdance and Catherine has been in Riverdance and now has created her own show 'The Irish Dance Experience' .
Celtic Fusion
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Catherine took a career break after this to rest her legs, to spend time with her family and to trully absorb her wonderful experiences touring with Riverdance.

Only 2 months after her departure from Riverdance, Catherine was invited to join Liam Harney's 'Celtic Fusion'. Once again she performed throughout the United States on the shows spring tour of more than 20 cities.

Celtic Fusion pushed Catherine's performance skills to new levels as the entire show was very dramatic. As part of the troupe Catherine took many acting classes during rehearsals in preparation for the show.

Catherine proved her ability to act, dance and perform and was invited back again for the Spring Tour the following year.
STEPS TOWARDS THE NEW SHOW
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I feel that the audiences are looking for fresh new faces and new feet in the world of Irish Dance Show. Michael Flatley, Jean Butler and Colin Dunne are very talent dancers who have inspired me but it's time to show the world my creative abilities.

Catherine has now created and choreographed the Irish Dance Experience which lifts Irish Dancing up to the highest levels without loosing the traditional elements. It will truly amaze the audience by what it has done with Irish Dancing.

From the 'Flags and Figures', military speed and precision to the gracefull 'light as a feather' to the breath-taking 'Masquerade Ball ' this show delivers Irish Dance as striking and impressive craftsmanship and gives it's audience an experience of a lifetime.

The show is not based on one story alone but instead on many little themes that really gives you a new respect for Irish dancing.

'So many shows have used celtic legends and myths before that I always find they confuse the audience and they always stray from the story.

I don't want to give my audience a history lesson. Instead I want them to experience the depths of Irish dancing and deliver it as powerful and dynamic art form !

Catherine came to Budapest, Hungary in 2000 originally to lead some workshops in Irish dance. She immediately fell in love with the city and decided to stay.

'It's hard to put into words why I love it here so much but it's like a creative energy switch was turned on inside of me when I arrived and it just keeps getting stronger and stronger!

I would be crazy to give that up. The culture, music, dance and historical monuments and architecture has flooded me with inspiration. I have never experienced anything like it.'

Having lived in Budapest for the past five years Catherine has been able to grow and nourish her talents.

With a successful Irish dance school based in downtown Budapest she plucked her most talented dancers to create 'Steps of the Celts' a professional performance troupe of Hungarian Irish dancers.
Composition of the show
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There are two types of Irish dancing, light shoe which is in soft shoes with balletic movements and heavy shoe which has fiberglass heels and toes which is like American tap dancing without the loosness of the body.

The show is 90 % based on heavy shoe, with choreographies of amazing speed, vigorous and intricate ankle movements and rythms that rival a drum ensemble is always a crowd pleaser.

The light shoe dances performed by the girls ranges from controlled flowing spins, to detailed twisting ankle movements, to elegant elevated legs and high flying jumps. It compliments the heavy shoe wonderfully.

In both styles the traditional style of Irish Dance with no upper body movement is on only occasionally witnessed in the show. The troupe show basic yet beautiful upper body movements. However in Catherine's solos she explores many dazzling arm movements and head turns but never too much to overpower her thrilling feet and leg movements. The precision of her dancers is amazing and so is Catherine and her choreography. Occasionally to give the audience and the dancers a chance to catch their breath the band consisting of, drummer, violinist, chello and Irish harpist take to the stage to perform. They entertain their audience with beautiful laments and energetic tunes that you just can't resist tapping your feet to.

They perform a fusion of baroque, rock, jazz and classical Irish traditional music.

Catherine didn't need any time or consideration in choosing a male lead. Her brother Michael Patrick was the obvious choice. A brother and sister dancing partnership has never been seen before on the world dancing stage.

Catherine had always dreamt of dancing professional next to her brother and that dream came true on July 15 2005 when they thrilled an audience of 2500 Hungarians.There has never been any rivalry between Catherine and Michael Pat .'I remember crying my heart out with joy when he won the World Championships.' They are magical to watch together on stage.
So with her carefully devised solos and choreography and now with her leading man the Irish Dance Experience was complete.
Michael Patrick Gallagher
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From the early years through Riverdance to The Irish Dance Experience
Michael Patrick Gallagher took his first tentative steps towards a career in dance at the age of eight when he started classes with Ann Kerr of the Aodh Rua School of Dance in Donegal. Within two years he had won his first World Championship. Success continued with 6 Ulster and 5 All Ireland titles, and another World title to cap it off. Michael Pat also holds a multitute of other major titles including the British National Champion and the Great Britain Champion.

Riverdance
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On the evening of April 30th 1994, Michael Pat sat down with his family to watch the Eurovision Song Contest and his life, like that of every other Irish dancer was never to be the same again. Although he was asked to join the first stage production the following year, he decided it best to finish his education first.

In 1996, however, while studying for a law degree in Queens University, the temptation proved too much and he took a year out to join the Riverdance 'Liffey Co.' in the UK. Little did he realize that this one-year would lead to seven! Within the first year of joining the show he trained and performed as understudy and in the autumn of 1997 he was offered the lead role in a new touring production set for the US.

The 'Lagan Co', as it was called was to become his family for the next five years as a cast and crew of almost 100 people crisscrossed North America, playing to sold-out audiences and rave reviews. In June 2003, in front of a capacity audience of over 6000 people in Wolftrap, Virginia, the 'Lagan Co.'
, along with Michael Pat, performed their last show. In all, he had danced over 1200 lead performances, one of the most given by any male principal in the history of the show.

After only a two year break Michael Pat has been called back to lead the show once again for its six month tour of Asia. He will join the Irish Dance Experience early in 2006.
TCRG
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One of the first things he did, on returning home to Ireland was to
successfully pass his TCRG, which qualified him to teach Irish dance professionally. The ending of his touring did not signal the end of his days with Riverdance, as he became a member of the elite 'Flying squad', performing at corporate events and exclusive social functions.
Television Work
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In recent years he has featured on two TV commercials in the US. The first was for a high-speed Internet access company called 'Roadrunner', which showcased his footwork and speed. The other was for the famous Chicago based department store 'Marshall Fields'.
Michael Patrick's show reviews
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Hamilton Spectator
"Well, the overblown Flately has gone, and the handsome young Gallagher has been parachuted into those outsized shoes. And everything about this fresh-scrubbed kid with the wraithlike frame is wonderfully appealing. For one thing, he can really dance. He knocks the socks off all those highflying Riverdance routines."
Boston Herald
"I never saw the legendary Michael Flately perform his own choreography in the original stage production, and after Michael Patrick Gallagher's interpretation of the leading role, I don't have any regrets about missing Flately. What is most impressive is Gallagher's understated, ego-free offering of so much technically daunting material. He's confident enough not to show off, and if I hadn't read in the program notes that he is also a musician, I could have guessed it from his classy sense of phrasing and articulation."
Las Vegas Sun
"Michael Patrick Gallagher is splendid in the male principal role created by Flately.
The Edmonton Journal
"His rapid-fire footwork that consistently denied description, not to mention gravity. Gallagher's calm yet charismatic stage presence made him the undeniable centerpiece of the show, as did his ability to dance as quickly as drummers could pound out the beats."
The Leader, Elmira
"Gallagher strutted the stage with a macho, muscular arrogance that left the audience riveted to his unquestioned abilities. Irish-born Gallagher is an element of nature, like lightening-faster than a wink, weightless and directed to a target. That target is the dance, a craft Gallagher wears like thistledown."
Louisville Courier-Journal
"Michael Patrick Gallagher, a native of Galway, Ireland, is a veritable
Leonardo DiCaprio of step dancing. Girls were shrieking with delight last night as Gallagher, a two-time winner of the World Title for Irish dancing, tap-danced nearly faster than the eye could see."
The Toledo Blade
"Gallagher is a dancer who moves with graceful fluidity, leaping high and kicking his legs to eye level as he seemingly glides above the stage. And when he shifted into a higher gear for a display of his tapping ability, his hard soled boots moved faster than the eye could see."
Desert News, Salt Lake City
"Gallagher is an athlete. His feet and legs move so fast that they seem to vibrate rather than tap."
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland
"Michael Patrick Gallagher..has incredible speed and technique to burn. Moving his feet like lightning, Gallagher tapped rapid rhythms and zoomed through space."
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Michael Patrick Gallagher, the lead male dancer, has a boyish charm that contrasts with his rapid-fire footwork."
The Star Phoenix, Saskatoon
"Gallagher commanded the stage with his breathtaking speed. In one amazing solo number, his feet seemed to fly."
The Irish Dance Experience Costumes
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Catherine has extended her creativity to designing the costumes for her show.These are the most beautiful and elegant costumes that you will see in any Irish dance show.

Made from a variety of rich materials including velvets, satin, silk and organza with details of sparkling crystals and embroidery. There is an amazing array of colours and calssical but original shapes that enhance the beauty and flow of the dancers and the dance.
Music
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Catherine felt that what is missing from all the other shows is a variety of music. Of course she wanted to use the quintessential reels, jigs and hornpipes which she danced to for so many years and that will always be a part of her heart but also to use other styles of music.

With that in mind Catherine set about looking for styles that would move her audience send shivers down their spin, make their toes tap and their hands clap.

Catherine uses jazz, drum and bass and the most popular classical tunes that always get her audience roaring for more of her inventive and exciting choreography.
Finale
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The Irish Dance Experience is a fast moving and powerfull new dance spectacular that has thrilled audiences throughout Hungary.

It is an imaginative and original show of dance and music sculpted together like an art piece.

You will be amazed by the solos of Michael Pat Gallagher, you will be dumfounded by the beauty, gracefullness and technique of Catherine Gallagher and admire her choreographic style. You will be astonished by the striking formations and flawless dancing of the troupes magical light and hard shoe numbers.

The Irish Dance Experience appeals to all ages from 3-93. It's power and excitment can not be forgotten.