Colin Dunne
Encyclopedia
Colin Dunne is an English performer of Irish dance
.
. 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. He went on to win a total of nine World, eleven Great Britain, nine All Ireland and eight All England titles.
degree at University of Warwick
and a three-year contract with the Arthur Andersen
office in Birmingham, training as a chartered accountant
. For five years, he taught with Turley in the academy where he had trained, and taught dance in Ireland
, the United States
, New Zealand
and Australia
. In 1995, his Irish dance instructional video "Celtic Feet" was launched in Europe, and it remained in the UK top 20 video sales chart for 10 weeks. The video was subsequently released in North America on the relaunch of the QVC
network in 1997.
The day he qualified as a chartered accountant in September 1993, Colin resigned from his job. Having already toured the UK with The Chieftains
, he was asked to dance with them on their upcoming month-long tour of Canada. In 1995, Dunne met fiddle player Frankie Gavin, who invited him to New York City in March to perform at a St. Patrick's day celebration at Broadway's Mariott Marquis.
through American
tap dancer Tariq Winston, with whom he developed a number called "Trading Taps" for the show. Dunne and Winston had met through Gavin at the St. Patrick's Day celebration. The number was to be included in the London
debut of the show. However, Michael Flatley
had just left the show after a disagreement over creative control with the producers, so Dunne was tapped to replace him in the lead role. This move reunited him with former dance partner Jean Butler
, who danced with him at Mayo 5000 and at various Chieftains shows.
, a theatrical dance production of the Irish myth "Diarmuid and Grainne". The show premiered at The Theatre Royal in London
in December 1999, and went on to a sell-out run at Radio City Music Hall
in March 2000.
Dunne launched the MA
in Dance Performance at the Irish World Music Centre based at the University of Limerick
in 1999. Two years later, he accepted a position as Dancer in Residence at the university, where he also achieved a Master's in Contemporary Dance Performance. Here he began focusing on a body of solo works still relying on the dance tradition from which he comes, but within the framework of Contemporary Dance principles. Much of this work was premiered during 2002 namely in Edmonton, Canada as a guest of the Citie Ballet, and at the Vail International Dance festival in Colorado. He also choreographed "HeadFoot" for Daghdha Dance Company as part of Yoshiko Chuma's "10,000 Steps", which closed the Dublin International Dance Festival in May 2002. As of January 2003, Dunne is collaborating with Chuma as choreographer and performer in her production of "The Yellow Room" which will tour Ireland in January/February 2003. Dunne continues to travel the world teaching Irish dance classes.
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...
.
Training
Dunne trained at the Marion Turley Academy of Irish Dance in CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. 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. He went on to win a total of nine World, eleven Great Britain, nine All Ireland and eight All England titles.
Dance background
A teaching career followed his successful competitive one, during which time he also completed an economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
degree at University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
and a three-year contract with the Arthur Andersen
Arthur Andersen
Arthur Andersen LLP, based in Chicago, was once one of the "Big Five" accounting firms among PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young and KPMG, providing auditing, tax, and consulting services to large corporations...
office in Birmingham, training as a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
. For five years, he taught with Turley in the academy where he had trained, and taught dance in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In 1995, his Irish dance instructional video "Celtic Feet" was launched in Europe, and it remained in the UK top 20 video sales chart for 10 weeks. The video was subsequently released in North America on the relaunch of the QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
network in 1997.
The day he qualified as a chartered accountant in September 1993, Colin resigned from his job. Having already toured the UK 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:...
, he was asked to dance with them on their upcoming month-long tour of Canada. In 1995, Dunne met fiddle player Frankie Gavin, who invited him to New York City in March to perform at a St. Patrick's day celebration at Broadway's Mariott Marquis.
Riverdance
Dunne was approached by RiverdanceRiverdance
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...
through American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tap dancer Tariq Winston, with whom he developed a number called "Trading Taps" for the show. Dunne and Winston had met through Gavin at the St. Patrick's Day celebration. The number was to be included in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
debut of the show. However, 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...
had just left the show after a disagreement over creative control with the producers, so Dunne was tapped to replace him in the lead role. This move reunited him with former dance partner Jean Butler
Jean Butler
Jean Butler , is an Irish American Irish dancer, choreographer, and occasional actress. She is best known for originating the principal female role in the Irish dance company Riverdance.-Personal life and education:...
, who danced with him at Mayo 5000 and at various Chieftains shows.
Post-Riverdance career
In June 1998, Dunne left Riverdance to set up his own dance and production company, teaming up with Butler. In 1999, they co-produced, choreographed and starred in their first production, Dancing on Dangerous GroundDancing 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...
, a theatrical dance production of the Irish myth "Diarmuid and Grainne". The show premiered at The Theatre Royal in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in December 1999, and went on to a sell-out run at 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 March 2000.
Dunne launched the MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Dance Performance at the Irish World Music Centre based at 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 1999. Two years later, he accepted a position as Dancer in Residence at the university, where he also achieved a Master's in Contemporary Dance Performance. Here he began focusing on a body of solo works still relying on the dance tradition from which he comes, but within the framework of Contemporary Dance principles. Much of this work was premiered during 2002 namely in Edmonton, Canada as a guest of the Citie Ballet, and at the Vail International Dance festival in Colorado. He also choreographed "HeadFoot" for Daghdha Dance Company as part of Yoshiko Chuma's "10,000 Steps", which closed the Dublin International Dance Festival in May 2002. As of January 2003, Dunne is collaborating with Chuma as choreographer and performer in her production of "The Yellow Room" which will tour Ireland in January/February 2003. Dunne continues to travel the world teaching Irish dance classes.