Jean Butler
Encyclopedia
Jean Butler is an Irish American
Irish dance
r, choreographer, and occasional actress. She is best known for originating the principal female role in the Irish dance company Riverdance
.
. Her mother, Josephine, is from County Mayo
in Ireland. She has an older brother, Michael, and a younger sister, Cara. She started off with 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. 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, who 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.
Butler attended Hofstra University
and earned an Honours Degree in Theatre and Drama from the University of Birmingham
. In England she met Irish dancer Colin Dunne when she was fifteen, and they performed together at Mayo 5000. Together they produced the Irish dancing show Dancing on Dangerous Ground
. Jean completed a Master's degree in Contemporary Dance Performance from the University of Limerick
in 2005.
In 2001 she married Irish designer Cuan Hanley.
, each won numerous national titles and regional titles, and placed well in international competitions. Jean 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.
, she performed in a seven-minute intermission piece at the Eurovision Song Contest
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 Jean Butler and Flatley. The show toured for about a year. Flatley then abruptly left the show over contractual disputes; six months later she was joined by Colin Dunne
. They then danced at the famous Radio City Music Hall
in New York City
, New York
. This was later put on DVD. After a long and extremely successful run with the show, Butler also eventually left Riverdance.
She and Dunne (who had by then also left Riverdance) collaborated again 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.
In 1999 she was also awarded the Irish Post Award for "outstanding contribution to Irish Dance". From 2003 to 2005, Butler was Artist In Residence at the University of Limerick's Irish World Music Centre. In 2009 she received the "Outstanding Contribution to Arts & Culture Alumni Award" from the University of Limerick
.
She received a commission from the Irish Arts Council to create a solo work in 2004 and premiered "Does She Take Sugar?" on 12 April 2007 at the Project Arts Centre
in Dublin. With Colin Dunne
and George Hook
she is a judge on the Radio Telefís Éireann reality series Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels.
She retired from active dancing in 2010.
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 towards the end of the month.
, Goldfish Memory, The Revengers Tragedy and Old Friends.
She has also auditioned for large-budget Hollywood films such as, "Meet Joe Black"(with Brad Pitt), and "The Postman"(with Kevin Costner).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Irish dance
Irish dance
Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into céilí and set dancing...
r, choreographer, and occasional actress. She is best known for originating the principal female role in the Irish dance company Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
.
Personal life and education
Jean Butler was born in Mineola, New YorkMineola, New York
Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning a "pleasant place"....
. Her mother, Josephine, is from County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
in Ireland. She has an older brother, Michael, and a younger sister, Cara. She started off with 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. 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, who 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.
Butler attended Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
and earned an Honours Degree in Theatre and Drama from the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
. In England she met Irish dancer Colin Dunne when she was fifteen, and they performed together at Mayo 5000. Together they produced the Irish dancing show Dancing on Dangerous Ground
Dancing on Dangerous Ground
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...
. Jean completed a Master's degree in Contemporary Dance Performance from the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
in 2005.
In 2001 she married Irish designer Cuan Hanley.
Dance career
Jean and her sister, Cara ButlerCara Butler
Cara Butler is an American Irish dancer and choreographer.-Dance career:Cara Butler studied with the widely respected teacher Donny Golden. She and her sister, Jean, each won numerous national titles and regional titles, and placed well in international competitions...
, each won numerous national titles and regional titles, and placed well in international competitions. Jean has performed with Green Fields of America
Green Fields of America
The Green Fields of America is an ensemble which performs and promotes Irish traditional music in the United States."The Green Fields of America" was formed in 1978 in Philadelphia and still led by musician and folklorist Mick Moloney. The band was created to present and tour some of Irish...
and Cherish the Ladies
Cherish the Ladies
Cherish the Ladies is an American all-female Irish-American super group. The band began as a concert series in New York in January 1985, the brainchild of Mick Moloney who wanted to showcase the brightest female musicians in America in what had been a male-dominated scene...
. She debuted with The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
at the age of seventeen, and toured with them on three continents.
Riverdance/Dancing on Dangerous Ground
In 1994, under the invitation of producer Moya DohertyMoya Doherty
Moya Doherty is a Dublin-raised Irish entrepreneur and the producer and co-founder of Riverdance, the worldwide acclaimed theatrical phenomenon, which premiered in Dublin’s Point Theatre in February 1995...
, she performed in a seven-minute intermission piece at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
entitled Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
. The piece was co-choreographed by Butler with Michael Flatley
Michael Flatley
Michael Ryan Flatley is an American Irish dancer, choreographer, actor, musician and occasional television presenter. He became internationally known for Irish dance shows Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, and Celtic Tiger...
. The response was so explosive that it was extended into a full show, starring Jean Butler and Flatley. The show toured for about a year. Flatley then abruptly left the show over contractual disputes; six months later she was joined by Colin Dunne
Colin Dunne
Colin Dunne is an English performer of Irish dance.-Training:Dunne trained at the Marion Turley Academy of Irish Dance in Coventry. In 1978 at the age of nine, Dunne swept the "Grand Slam" of Irish dance competition by winning the World Championships, All Ireland and All England titles...
. They then danced at the famous Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. This was later put on DVD. After a long and extremely successful run with the show, Butler also eventually left Riverdance.
She and Dunne (who had by then also left Riverdance) collaborated again to create the show Dancing on Dangerous Ground
Dancing on Dangerous Ground
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...
, 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.
In 1999 she was also awarded the Irish Post Award for "outstanding contribution to Irish Dance". From 2003 to 2005, Butler was Artist In Residence at the University of Limerick's Irish World Music Centre. In 2009 she received the "Outstanding Contribution to Arts & Culture Alumni Award" from the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
.
Later career
In 2005 she released an instructional DVD, Irish Dance Masterclass With Jean Butler.She received a commission from the Irish Arts Council to create a solo work in 2004 and premiered "Does She Take Sugar?" on 12 April 2007 at the Project Arts Centre
Project Arts Centre
Project Arts Centre is a multidisciplinary contemporary arts centre located in Dublin's Temple Bar that showcases cutting-edge visual art and performance....
in Dublin. With Colin Dunne
Colin Dunne
Colin Dunne is an English performer of Irish dance.-Training:Dunne trained at the Marion Turley Academy of Irish Dance in Coventry. In 1978 at the age of nine, Dunne swept the "Grand Slam" of Irish dance competition by winning the World Championships, All Ireland and All England titles...
and George Hook
George Hook
George Hook is an Irish broadcaster, journalist and rugby union pundit. He had a career as a rugby union coach and businessman, before becoming a rugby pundit with Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
she is a judge on the Radio Telefís Éireann reality series Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels.
She retired from active dancing in 2010.
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 towards the end of the month.
Films
Butler has appeared in several films: The Brylcreem BoysThe Brylcreem Boys
The Brylcreem Boys is a 1998 film directed and co-written by Terence Ryan about the extraordinary neutrality arrangements pertaining to Ireland during World War II, by the Éamon de Valera government...
, Goldfish Memory, The Revengers Tragedy and Old Friends.
She has also auditioned for large-budget Hollywood films such as, "Meet Joe Black"(with Brad Pitt), and "The Postman"(with Kevin Costner).
External links
- Official website
- Article by Michael SeaverMichael SeaverMichael Seaver is a writer and musician in Ireland. He is the dance critic with The Irish Times and Irish correspondent with the Christian Science Monitor, as well as principal clarinetist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra...
on Does She Take Sugar? - Dancing on Dangerous Ground
- 'Riverdance' star Jean Butler hangs up her Irish dancing shoes for soft pumps
- Riverprancer; Jean Butler lifts the lid on life with Riverdance co-star Michael Flatley
- New Terrain for Barefoot Riverdancer