Irish Arts Center presents

Céilí
Seán Curran Company and Darrah Carr Dance

DECEMBER 14–17 2023

Run time: 60 minutes. No intermission.

Céilí was commissioned and produced by Irish Arts Center with additional funding through grants from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and Purchase College. Céilí is generously supported by Creative Engagement, funded by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature and administered by LMCC.

A Note from the Choreographers

Welcome to Ceílí! The Irish term refers to a house party—the practice of calling upon neighbors for an informal social visit. Céilí is also an umbrella term for a set of group dances with pre-determined spatial patterns drawn from Celtic knotwork that make a rich template for spatial design. In either case, a céilí connotes coming together in community for a shared experience. We are so happy to be returning to Irish Arts Center for a special holiday season Ceílí, following its world premiere performances here in fall 2022 and touring to Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in summer 2023. 

In coming together, we unite two companies—Darrah Carr Dance and Seán Curran Company—and merge our unique choreographic voices in a collaboration that is rooted in Irish tradition while speaking to our contemporary moment. Our cast of fourteen dancers brings an exciting range of expertise in Irish step, modern, ballet, tap, and contemporary dance, all of which have richly informed our collaboration alongside the creative input from our design team of Mark Randall, Amanda K. Ringger, and Amanda Shafran. Live music is a mainstay of a traditional ceílí, and we are thrilled to be featuring musical artists Dana Lyn & Kyle Sanna, whose score connects the dots between their experience as composers and improvisers in New York City and their deep admiration for Irish music. In addition to honoring the importance of live music, we also draw from the traditional ceílí in exploring the related practices of rhythmic Irish step dancing and body percussion. 

Thank you for joining us and for being part of our Ceílí! 

—Darrah Carr Byrne and Seán Curran

Who's Who

Since 1998, Darrah Carr Dance has created a unique blend of traditional Irish step and contemporary modern dance. The company incorporates Irish music, step dance footwork, and spatial patterns within contemporary choreography and presents a bold new twist on conventional Irish dance. Artistic director Darrah Carr Byrne calls her style ModERIN: a playful combination of the words "modern" (dance) and "Erin" (an Irish American reference to Ireland). In commemoration of the company's 15th anniversary season in 2013, Macater Press published ModERIN: Contemporary Irish Dance Works–Darrah Carr Dance. This impressive artist's catalogue documents the company's lasting impact on the field of Irish dance and features stunning images and in-depth descriptions of their major repertory works. Recent performance highlights include: Good Morning America, the Today Show, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Victory Dance at the New Victory Theater, the Yeats Project at the Irish Repertory Theatre, the Duke Theater on 42nd Street, Celebrate Brooklyn, Inside/Out at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, MASS MoCA, The Yard at Martha’s Vineyard, and Dublin’s Bank of Ireland Arts Centre and Project Arts Centre. Seán Curran and Darrah Carr Dance received a Bessie Award nomination for their 2012 collaboration Dingle Diwali. Having presented an annual New York City season at the historic Irish Arts Center since 2008, Darrah Carr Dance is thrilled to return to Irish Arts Center!

Seán Curran Company’s 30 choreographic works are characterized by collaborations across artistic genres and have toured to nearly 100 venues in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Formed in 1997, the company has performed at home in New York City at Brooklyn Academy of Music, Dance Theater Workshop, the Joyce Theater, the Guggenheim Museum, Irish Arts Center, New Victory Theater, 92nd Street Y/Harkness Dance Project, Danspace Project, Symphony Space, Central Park Summerstage, and Celebrate Brooklyn. Seán Curran Company’s highly regarded service to the field includes donation of performances and classes to the American Civil Liberties Union NYC Chapter, Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Residence (a safe house for LGBTQ youth), Dancers Responding to AIDS and the Hetrick-Martin Institute. 

Dana Lyn & Kyle Sanna (live music), hailed as “first-rate, versatile musicians” by The New Yorker and “a top-notch fiddle-and-guitar duo” by The New York Times, Dana Lyn and Kyle Sanna connect the dots between their experience as composers and improvisers in New York City’s rich musical community and their deep admiration for traditional Irish music. Rooted in this tradition, the branches of Lyn and Sanna’s collaboration extend to include projected animations, augmented reality, dance, video, and orchestral compositions. The duo has collaborated with some of the greatest interpreters of Irish music, including Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, Cillian Vallely, Kevin Burke, and Mick McAuley, and with choreographers Darrah Carr Byrne and Seán Curran. They have received commissions from New York’s Irish Arts Center and from Palaver Strings. Their projects The Great Arc, The Coral Suite, and Under the Sea-Wind are focused on themes of environmental fragility. New Yorkers can find Dana Lyn & Kyle Sanna at their monthly residency at Barbès in Park Slope. 

Darrah Carr Byrne (artistic director) holds a PhD in dance from Texas Woman’s University. She received her MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University. Named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by the Irish Echo, one of the “Top 100 Irish Americans of the Year” by Irish America magazine, and one of the “Most Influential Women of 2010" by the Irish Voice, Carr Byrne has been active for 25 years in both the Irish and modern dance communities as a choreographer, dancer, educator, and writer. In addition to her work as the artistic director of Darrah Carr Dance, Carr Byrne and her Irish step dance partner, Niall O'Leary, have performed their duet act in a variety of locations ranging from Disney World to the Osaka Festival Hall in Japan. They are featured dancers in Absolutely Irish!, a PBS documentary directed by Academy Award-winner Paul Wagner with a cast of traditional Irish musicians led by the late Dr. Mick Moloney. As a scholar, Carr Byrne has presented her research at the Dance Studies Association, the National Dance Education Organization, the World Dance Alliance, Dance Research Forum Ireland, the Popular Culture Association, and New York University's Percussive Dance Symposium. She has contributed articles to Dance magazine, Dance Studio Life, Dancer and the Dance Insider, and a chapter to Close to the Floor: Irish Dance from the Boreen to Broadway. Carr Byrne is currently serving as Interim Director of the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College.

Seán Curran’s (artistic director) career in the arts spans 35 years, beginning with traditional Irish step dancing as a child in Boston. As a dancer, Curran is known for his early performance work with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, receiving a Bessie award for his role in Secret Pastures, and as an original New York City cast member of STOMP! A sought-after choreographer and director for opera and theatre, notable projects include Salome (Opera Theatre of St. Louis, San Francisco Opera, Opera Montreal, San Diego Opera); Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Shakespeare Theater; Harvey Milk, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Shalimar the Clown, Ariadne on Naxos, Nixon in China, and Daughter of the Regiment at Opera Theater of St. Louis; M. Butterfly at Santa Fe Opera; NYC Opera productions of L’Etoile, Alcina, Turandot, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Capriccio, and Acis and Galetea; Shakespeare in the Park’s As You Like It; the Metropolitan Opera’s Romeo and Juliette; and on Broadway in James Joyce’s The Dead at the Belasco Theater, and Cymbeline and The Rivals at Lincoln Center Theater. Curran was named in Irish America magazine’s Top 100 in 2000 and served as the Grand Marshal of St. Pat’s For All, NYC’s inclusive St. Patrick’s Day Parade, in 2019. A graduate of New York University, Curran now serves as an Arts Professor in the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Department of Dance. He is a recipient of the Martha Hill Dance Fund award for dance educators.

Dwayne Brown (performer) is a native New Yorker. He trained at The Ailey School and received a B.A. in psychology from Vassar College. As a professional dancer and performer his credits include: (Theatre/Stage) The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, The Kennedy Center, Lyric Opera Chicago, Carnegie Hall; (TV/ Film) At Home With Amy Sedaris (TruTV), The Get Down (Netflix), NYC Summer (FX), Great Performances at The Met (PBS); (Commercial) Mount Gay Rum, Stadium Goods, The Consistency Project, and; (Modern Dance) Bill T. Jones/AZ Co., Ralph Lemon, Kevin Beasley, Reggie Wilson, and Douglas Dunn. Recent credits include: NYFW for Rowing Blazers, and the film She Came To Me, directed by Rebecca Miller, in theaters now. He is represented by Clear Talent Group and currently serves on the advisory committee for ARTBATH, an immersive performance salon series at the historic Blue Building.

Evan Copeland (performer) hails from central PA and jolted to NYC in 2003 where he received his BFA in dance from Tisch School of the Arts. Since, he's predominantly worked for The Seán Curran Company and Shen Wei Dance Arts. He performed in Bobbi Jene Smith's Lost Mountain and Martha Clarke’s Gods’ Fool at LaMaMa and was in Punchdrunk's Sleep No More NYC (2015-16). In film he appeared in Boaz Yakin's AVIVA, Jean Claude Billmaier's short NULLA, and Rebecca Miller's film She Came To Me. He has had the honor of working with Mimi Garrard on various shorts. In opera, he has worked with the Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Teatro di San Carlo, Opera Lafayette, and will be making his MET debut in Carmen this season. Recently he performed in Claus Guth’s Doppelganger at the Park Avenue Armory and will be staging Shen Wei's MAP on The Juilliard School this spring.

Gabriella (Gabby) Flanders (performer) is a multi-genre dancer with a deep love for performance and creation. Originally from Monterey, California, Gabriella grew up training in ballet, contemporary, and jazz and was awarded scholarships to attend many prestigious courses around the United States and Europe including with the Royal Danish and English National Ballets. She later moved to New York where she received her BFA in Dance cum laude from New York University where she performed works by world-renowned artists such as Yin Yue, Dwight Rhoden, and many others. After graduating she was invited to join the inaugural cohort of the GibneyPRO professional training program, where under the direction of Alexandra Wells and Gilbert T Small II she collaborated on original works by Rena Butler, Maleek Washington, Laja Field of LajaMartin, and Elia Mrak. Most recently Gabriella joined Seán Curran Company and has performed in world premieres with the company at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Museo Del Barrio in New York City.

Benjamin Freedman (performer) earned his BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts where he currently serves as a professor in the dance department. He began his career as a company member with the Mark Morris Dance Group and was featured in the PBS special L'Allegro il Penseroso ed il Moderato filmed at the Teatro Real in Madrid. He has danced with the Metropolitan Opera in productions of Turandot, Der Fliegende Holländer, Samson et Dalila and as a soloist in Agrippina. Other opera credits include the Santa Fe Opera, Opera Lafayette, Against the Grain Opera, and Opera Columbus. Off-Broadway, he performed in Third Rail Project's The Grand Paradise and Company XIV's Nutcracker Rouge and Boylesque Bullfight. He has danced as a member of Seán Curran Company, Keigwin + Company, the Bang Group, Jennifer Muller/The Works and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, among others. He worked as choreographer and associate director for West Edge's Opera's Eliogabolo. Most recently, he served as choreographer and stage director for the feature film She Came To Me directed by Rebecca Miller starring Anne Hathaway and Marisa Tomei. Benjamin is thrilled to join Seán Curran for his 8th year with the company!

Erin Green (performer) is a dancer originally from North Andover, MA, and grew up dancing at Nancy Chippendale’s Dance Studios. She is currently a senior at Hofstra University completing a BFA in Dance, where she nourishes her love for performance and choreography. At Hofstra she has worked with choreographers Alexandra Williamson, Earl Mosley, Janis Brenner, Robert Cook, Livia Vanaver, Kyla Barkin and Aaron Selissen, Doug Varone, Alexis Robbins, Rachel List, and Janice Rosario. Erin hopes to continue dancing and choreographing post-graduation, and eventually get her doctorate in physical therapy. 

Israel Harris (performer) is a Latino-American born in Guatemala and raised in Bellevue, WA. He is a Brooklyn-based freelance artist, dancer, choreographer, and instructor. He graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in dance and minors in psychology and in Hebrew and Judaic studies. Israel had the pleasure of dancing abroad under the instruction of Judith-Sanchez Ruiz, Meg Stuart, Leila McMillan, Shahar Binyamini, and Bosmat Nossan, and was fortunate to have performed feature roles in works by Wayne McGregor and Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE. Israel has also danced in works by Lar Lubovitch, Ori Flomin, Luca Renzi, and Valeria Gonzales, performed with Eryc Taylor Dance, DanceAction, and the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation, and assisted Sidra Bell during her creative process with the Second Avenue Dance Company in 2019. Israel joined Seán Curran Company in 2018, is a company member with Drye Marinaro Dance Company, and can also be found working and consulting at the intersection of arts and advocacy.

Mariel Harris (performer) is thrilled to be sharing the stage once again with her fellow Seán Curran Company dancers, as well as collaborating with Darrah Carr Dance! She has been dancing with Seán Currán for over 7 years and has performed numerous works with the company such as Dream’d in a Dream, Social Discourse, Abstract/Concrete, and Everywhere All the Time. Most recently, Mariel was in Toronto choreographing and performing in Roald Dahl's musical Matilda with North Stage. She also recently performed in the hit musical Head Over Heels featuring songs by The Go-Go’s in Albany with Park Playhouse. While in Albany, she was the associate choreographer for Jungle Book Kids at Park. One of Mariel's favorite credits is performing in Radamisto (JFK Center) with Opera Lafayette. Mariel graduated from NYU Tisch and trained at LINES Ballet and Joffrey Ballet.

Trent Kowalik (performer) was just three years old when his parents enrolled him at DSD, the local dance studio. There he took ballet, jazz, and tap classes, but having seen a video of Riverdance, was eager to explore Irish dance and rhythms. Trent won the Irish Dancing World Championships for his age group when he was 12. Shortly afterwards, he played the lead in Billy Elliot the musical on the West End and Broadway, winning a TONY award for best performance by a leading actor in a musical. Trent studied ballet throughout high-school at ABT’s JKO school. He holds a degree in philosophy and a certificate in dance from Princeton University. Trent is a proud member of Darrah Carr Dance. He has also toured with Michael Lóndra and recently finished a season with Celtic Fyre at Busch Gardens. Trent has a passion for music production and is currently helping a number of artists independently release music. He is thrilled to be a part of Céilí and the new Irish Arts Center!

Lauren Kravitz (performer) is a freelance dance artist based in Dallas, TX. She is dedicated to contributing to and supporting the local dance community in Texas, while maintaining active relationships with her NY dance family. She is the director of development at the artist community center, Arts Mission Oak Cliff, guest teaches throughout North Texas, and continues to collaborate with both Texas and New York-based artists. She co-founded Agora Artists, a non-profit arts service organization creating opportunities for connection and growth for dancers in Dallas, TX. Through this work she manages programming and grant writing, facilitates professional development workshops, and cultivates relationships among local dance artists. Lauren began working professionally in New York as a member of Take Dance, UNA Projects, and Indah Walsh Dance Company, among others. She joined Seán Curran Company in 2016. She has performed professionally around the country at venues including the ODC Theater (CA), Brooklyn Academy of Music (NY), Kennedy Center (D.C.), and Watermill Center (NY), among others, and has taught at New York University, Sam Houston State University, The Wooden Floor, and more. Lauren received her early training from Booker T. Washington HSPVA and graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in dance.

Shane Larson (performer) was raised in Minnesota, where he received his early training at the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. He graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, with a BFA in dance and a minor in child and adolescent mental health studies. He also studied at SEAD in Austria. Since living in New York City, he’s branched out to collaborate with punk musicians, film makers, improvisational music ensembles, and site-specific visual artists. He is also a multimedia video artist making collage-based work about memory. Shane joined the Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company in 2015, and this is his first performance with Seán Curran Company.

Dana Lyn (musician) is a New York-based fiddler and composer who has worked and performed with Tony award-winning musicians Stew and Heidi Rodewald; Irish poet Louis de Paor; actor-directors Ethan Hawke and Vincent D’Onofrio; performance artist Taylor Mac; avant cellist Hank Roberts; vocalists Susan McKeown, Loudon Wainwright and Natalie Merchant; the late great Scots fiddler Johnny Cunningham; D’Angelo and the Vanguard and the Elysian Fields, among others. She has received commissions from Brooklyn Rider, the National Arts Council of Ireland, the Apple Hill String Quartet, A Far Cry, and Palaver Strings. Most recently, she was an artist-in-residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, and a recipient of the American Composers Forum "Create" Commission and of the NYFA Women's Fund Award. Recent releases include an album of original music inspired by visual artist Jay Defeo, scored for septet and four singers, titled A Point on a Slow Curve.

Julia Manwaring (performer) has trained with Griffith Academy in Wethersfield, CT and recently graduated from Hofstra University. She has performed in works by Larry Keigwin, Robbie Cook, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Pablo Ruvalcaba, and Livia Vanaver. Thanks to my family, friends, and professors at Hofstra for always supporting me.

Regan McDermott (performer) was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. She began Irish dancing competitively at the age of 5, after seeing a performance of Lord of the Dance at her local theater. She trained under the tutelage of Abbey Pride and Brent Wood at their studio in Savannah, Georgia. She later traveled to Ireland to continue her practice with former lead of Lord of the Dance, Fiona Gallagher. She placed top 3 at her regionals from 2008-2018 and was 12th in the world in 2018. She has also shared the stage with incredible talents, including the legendary Chieftains and Cara Butler. Most recently she has been performing in USA Today’s #1 theme park show, Celtic Fyre, at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Laura Neese (performer) is a dance artist and educator from Staten Island, NY, where she developed a love for dance under the mentorship of Rosemary Cappozalo and studied Irish dance with Niall O’Leary. Described as “ethereally romantic” by the Dance Enthusiast, Neese has performed works by artists including Darrah Carr, Melissa West, Sean Curran, Ann Carlson, Maho Ogawa, and KitchenSink Collective, among others. Performing credits range from Jacob’s Pillow to the Today Show to Wexner Center for the Arts. Neese presents her own stage and site-based choreography at venues in New York City and nationally. She holds an MFA from the Ohio State University, a BFA/BA from SUNY Buffalo, and pilates certification from Kinected. Neese is currently on faculty at the University of Kentucky's department of theatre and dance. Teaching credits include Irish Arts Center, Hofstra University, Kinected, and The Ohio State University.

Melissa Padham-Maass (performer) began her dance training at the Dancer’s Studio in Warwick, NY, under the direction of Lucinda Henry. She holds a BFA with honors from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College (SUNY), an MSc in dance science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, and an MFA in dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Melissa has been performing with Darrah Carr Dance and Forces of Nature Dance Theatre for over 15 years. Melissa is the founder and current artistic director of the Warwick Center for the Performing Arts and the Warwick Dance Collective, as well as co-producer of the Fuller Moon Arts Festival and the Warwick Broadway Collective.

Jacoby Pruitt (understudy) is a New York City based performer, teaching artist, and choreographer. He began his dance training in Miami, Florida where he attended New World School of the Arts. He is an honors graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of Dance and the recipient of the Martha Hill Dance Fund’s “Young Professional” Award (2015). Jacoby has danced with Ailey II, Company XIV, and The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, among other choreographers and freelance opportunities. His T.V. & film credits include Good Morning America, Comedy Central’s Alternatino, In The Heights (film), and music videos for various recording artists including Fletcher, Lexxe, Chad Lawson, and Loren Allred. Jacoby is currently a performer with the Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Company and has been working with Seán Curran Company since 2016.

Jack Puluka (performer) is a Montclair State University graduate with a deep adoration for storytelling. With his BFA in dance & minor in filmmaking; Jack’s background in musical theater, Irish dance, film & design combine to amplify the human experience in her choreographic & cinematic work. Working with Hammerstep Dance Theater from 2018-2021 with Garret Coleman & Jason Oremus. Combining body percussion, hip hop, Irish dance & digital technology for an immersive theater experience. At Montclair she has worked with Jessie DiMauro, Christian Von Howard, Stefanie Batten Bland, Paul Taylor Company, Urban Bush Women & Dolly Sfeir. In 2023 he began performing with FreeSpace Dance led by Donna Scro. Jack’s films have been shown at the Maryland Institute College of Art Film Festival 2021-2022 as well as the 2023 Pittsburg Moving Picture Festival winning best experimental film for Bandaid. His choreography has been performed at Montclair State University’s Creative Collaborations show 2021-2022, Montclair’s Dance Makers 2023 performances of Wilted Greens, and at Modern Moves 2023 in Rutherford NJ. He is currently managing the American branch of the custom Irish dance dress company Doire Designs alongside Shauna Shields & Susan McDonald. Jack strives to continuously explore the art of amplifying storytelling through movement & multimedia for all audiences.

Kyle Sanna (musician) is a guitarist whose musical practice includes composition, improvisation, the recording studio, live coding, and the traditional music of Ireland. His compositions have been performed at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, the Royal Opera House in Oman, Sydney’s ABC studios, the National Recital Hall in Taipei, New York’s Carnegie Hall, and many points between. WNYC’s New Sounds and Soundcheck host John Schaefer called his music “unconventionally beautiful.” Kyle Sanna has received commissions from Brooklyn Rider, The Knights, Palaver Strings, Beta Collide, soprano Danielle Birrittella, and flutist Alex Sopp. His “ruminative and shape-shifting” (San Francisco Chronicle) work for string quartet, Sequence for Minor White, won first prize in the 2018 Charlotte New Music Festival Composition Competition. He performs regularly as an improvising guitarist with Ground Patrol and Kinan Azmeh’s CityBand, and performs traditional Irish music with Dana Lyn, Seamus Egan, and Martin Hayes. Kyle Sanna studied jazz at the University of Oregon and composition at the Université Lumière Lyon II in France. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Sadi Weir (performer) grew up in Saint George, Utah and has been singing, dancing and acting ever since she was 4 years old. She is now a New York City based artist and recently graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in May of 2023 with a bachelor of fine arts in dance and a minor in business of entertainment and media industries. Sadi has worked with choreographers such as Sidra Bell, Bill T. Jones, Andy Blankenbuehler, Elizabeth Parkinson, and Scott Wise and is also represented by Bloc Talent Agency in New York City.

Alexandra Williamson (performer) is thrilled to be returning to the Céilí! Alexandra is currently on tour with Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas. In 2021, Alexandra was awarded the Meg Hunt Artist In Residence, Wrangell Mountains Center, in the Wrangell- St. Elias National Park, Alaska. She has taught and performed at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival and the Alaska Folk Festival. Alexandra attended Montclair State University receiving a BFA in dance and a minor in musical theatre. She studied Irish dancing with the Davis Academy. Alexandra attended the Morris County Academy for Visual and Performing Arts High School where she was encouraged to integrate modern and contemporary dance with traditional Irish step dancing. Alexandra currently dances for several companies and choreographers including Darrah Carr Dance, General Mischief Dance Theatre, DiMauro Dance Co., Kristina Berger, Karen Gayle, Emotions Physical Theatre, Jennifer Chin, and Moe-tion Dance Theatre. Alexandra is on faculty at Hofstra University and Montclair State University, has taught at Steps on Broadway, the School at Steps, Peridance Capezio Center, the Joffrey Ballet School, Kean University, and Bergen Performing Arts Center. Alexandra has performed on the TODAY Show and Good Morning America, and has toured internationally, most recently at Project Arts Center in Dublin, Ireland. 

Mark Randall (set and visual design) is the associate dean and an assistant professor in the School of Design Strategies at Parsons School of Design in New York. He is principal of Worldstudio, a strategy and communications firm that works with non-profit and civic organizations to improve the lives of individuals and communities. Mark is president of Worldstudio Foundation, the first nonprofit in the U.S. devoted to encouraging social responsibility in the design and arts professions. Mark has collaborated as a visual designer with Seán Curran Company for over 20 years, most recently at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Next Wave Festival for Abstract Concrete (2018) and Dream’d in a Dream (2015). In 2017, he launched B-Line Ice Cream, sweetened with honey from his own hives. In addition to tasting good, B-Line promotes local beekeepers in Upstate New York and educates the public around the critical role bees play in our lives. In 2017 Mark was the recipient of the prestigious AIGA medal.

Amanda K. Ringger (lighting design) has been designing locally, nationally, and internationally for over 20 years with artists such as Darrah Carr Byrne, Faye Driscoll, Cynthia Oliver, Doug Elkins, Leslie Cuyjet, Molly Poerstel, Laura Peterson, Kyle Marshall, Antonio Ramos, Alexandra Beller, Deborah Lohse, Kota Yamazaki, Sean Donovan, and cakeface, among others. She received a BA from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD, and an MFA from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She is the recipient of a Bessie award for her collaboration on Faye Driscoll's 837 Venice Boulevard at HERE Arts Center. Mandy thanks Darrah for over 20 years of friendship and artistic collaboration.

Randi Rivera (stage manager) is a native New Yorker from the Bronx. She has been a freelance stage manager and lighting director since 2009, working both in NYC and on the road. A few favorite colleagues include Tina Satter & Half Straddle, Keigwin & Company, Dance Heginbotham, Harlem Stage, Faye Driscoll, Doug Elkins Choreography Etc., Sidra Bell Dance NY, The Chocolate Factory, Andrew Schneider, Ivy Baldwin, Cathy Weis, Octopus Theatricals, Gallim Dance, Sean Donovan, Phantom Limb Company, Ballez, and The Kitchen. Rivera served as associate director for the Broadway run of Half Straddle's 'Is This A Room' in 2021. She is thrilled to return this year as part of this Darrah and Seán, and IAC collaboration. All of her work is for her family.

Amanda Shafran (costume design) is an international designer, artist, and teacher based in NYC. Selected NY theater, opera and dance credits include Ars Nova, the Signature Theater, 59E59, HERE Arts Center, Green Room 42, José Limón Dance Co, and BAM Next Wave Festival. Solo multimedia art shows include Evolution (2016) and FasciaFigures (2014). Regional and international credits include the Kennedy Center and the Beijing Opera. Corporate collaborations include Fox Searchlight Pictures, Amazon Prime, Dover Publishing, Tiffany & Co, L. Delaney Miniatures, and MetaAnatomy. Amanda’s work has been written up in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NYYogaLIFE. Amanda has also received certification in trauma-informed yoga, and you can find her teaching at Upper West Side Yoga and Wellness. M.F.A—NYU Tisch.

Saúl Ullerio (assistant stage manager) is a Dominican-American dance, music, and light artist. Ulerio has been seen in the works of Heather Kravas, RoseAnne Spradlin, Daria Fain, Rebecca Lazier, and Kota Yamazaki, among other, and currently performs in the works of Antonio Ramos, Daria Faïn, and Ivy Baldwin. Ulerio was a 2011-2012 New York Live Arts Fresh Tracks artist and a 2012-2014 Movement Research artist in residence.

Tigger Benford & Martha Partridge (body percussion choreography)
Tigger (Robert) Benford  is a percussionist, composer and educator, specializing in hand drumming, improvisation, and music for dancers. He is professor emeritus at Rutgers University, where he served as music director of dance from 1988-2018. In addition to his works with Seán Curran, he has produced scores for Jane Comfort, Septime Webre, and many works for colleagues at Rutgers. He has produced and released five full length albums of original music; recordings can be found at CD Baby, among other digital distribution sites. 

Martha Partridge has a long career as a dancer, musician, and body worker.  A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she studied composition with Bessie Schoenberg, and in New York, worked extensively with Ruth Currier as performer, technique instructor, and pianist.  As a master teacher of Limon Technique, teaching positions included Tisch School of the Arts, Connecticut College, and the Laban Centre in London, where she choreographed and performed for Centre Dance. Dance festival positions include Jacob’s Pillow, American Dance Festival, Manchester Dance, and Bates Dance Festival. Performance credits include Doug Nielsen, Vanaver Caravan, Vicky Marks, Rachel List, and others. A pioneer in the use of movement to treat Parkinson's disease, she ran a studio employing pilates, Trager, and other modalities to help people with Parkinson's for 23 years.

About Irish Arts Center

Irish Arts Center, founded in 1972 and based in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, is a home for artists and audiences of all backgrounds who share a passion or appreciation for the evolving arts and culture of contemporary Ireland and Irish America. We present, develop, and celebrate work from established and emerging artists and cultural practitioners, providing audiences with emotionally and intellectually engaging experiences in an environment of Irish hospitality. Steeped in grassroots traditions, we also provide community education programs and access to the arts for people of all ages and ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In a historic partnership of the people of Ireland and New York, Irish Arts Center recently completed construction on a fully-funded $60MM state-of-the-art new facility to support this mission for the 21st century.

Acknowledgements

Darrah and Seán extend their sincere thanks to the entire staff at Irish Arts Center and to our dancers, collaborators, and production team for all of their work on this project. We thank our many Céilí supporters, including Purchase College and New York University, Tisch School of the Arts for rehearsal space and additional support. Seán Curran Company (Curran Events, Inc.) and Darrah Carr Dance, Inc. are non-profit organizations as defined under Section 501(c)(3). Tax-deductible contributions to support our work may be made at seancurrancompany.com and darrahcarrdance.com.

Irish Arts Center Staff

STAFF 

Adam Browne (Development Associate)
Elise Bargman (Ticketing and Marketing Data Manager)
Zohra Coday (Programming and Education Assistant)
Aidan Connolly (Executive Director)
Christine Cullen (Director of Administrative Operations)
Manuel Da Silva (Production Manager and Lighting Supervisor)
Chloe Eisen (Development Associate)
Fiona Farrell (Communications and Marketing Associate)
Vivian Fong (Director of Communications and Marketing)
Laney Granito (Special Events Coordinator)
Rachael W. Gilkey (Director of Programming and Education)
Jon Harper (Chief Operating Officer)
Anah Klate (Audience Services Manager)
Barry Ó Séanáin (Director of Development)
Ciara O'Shea (Communications and Marketing Associate)
Brian Ralston ( Associate Director of Development Operations and Database Administrator)
Emma Reifschneider (Executive Assistant)
Jessie Reilly (Director of Education, Family and Community Programming)
Grace Schultz (Artist Services Manager / Resident Stage Manager)
Teresa Shyr (Development Associate)
Mac Smith (Director of Production)
Pauline Turley (Vice Chair)
Saúl Ulerio (Stage Supervisor)
Dennis Walls (Director of Facility Operations)
Kestrel Wolgemuth (Associate Director of Programming)

Tehmina Anjum (Senior Accountant, NCheng)
Desaann Legzim (Senior Accountant, NCheng)
Pat Morin (Graphic Designer)
Taylor Panetti (Graphic Designer)
Vera Wong (Senior Accountant, NCheng)
Faizan Younus (Manager, NCheng)
Blake Zidell (Public Relations Consultant, Blake Zidell & Associates) 

Mia-Isabella Brea (Development Intern)
Gráinne D’Alton (Special Events Intern)
Honor Fitzpatrick (Programming Intern)
Emily Mayo (Communications & Marketing Intern)

FRONT OF HOUSE