Jean Butler

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Jean Butler.

Jean Butler was born (March 14, 1971) in Mineola, Long Island. Butler, whose mother is from Co. Mayo in Ireland, began training in Irish dance at the age of four with the widely respected teacher Donny Golden. She also participated in tap and ballet classes, but step dance became her focus. Her talent was clear from a young age, and she competed in regional, national and international championships, as well as performing 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.

Ms. Butler attended Hofstra University and earned an Honours Degree in Theatre and Drama from England’s University of Birmingham. In England she met the Irish dancer Colin Dunne, and they performed together at Mayo 5000. In 1994, under the invitation of producer Moya Doherty, she performed in a seven-minute intermission piece at the Eurovision Song Contest entitled Riverdance. The piece was co-choreographed by Butler with Flatley. The response was so explosive that it was extended into a full show, starring Jean Butler and Michael Flatley. The show toured for about a year. Flatley then abruptly left the show over mutual contractual disputes; six months later, he created his own show, Michael Flatley's Lord Of The Dance. Jean Butler who was upset about the change, quickly moved on and was next 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."

Butler has also appeared in several films: The Brylcreem Boys, Goldfish Memory, The Revengers Tragedy and Old Friends. In 2001 she married Irish designer Cuan Hanley. She recently earned a Masters Degree in Contemporary Dance. From 2003 to 2005, Butler was Artist In Residence at the University of Limerick's Irish World Music Centre.

In 2005 she released an instructional DVD, Irish Dance Masterclass With Jean Butler.