Flynn O'Kane Academy of Irish Dance

Irish Dancing at the tender age of four in Nenagh, Co.Tipperary. Bernadette went on to dominate the world of competitive dance winning a further seven All-Ireland, four British National, four North American, and six World Championships. At age sixteen her dancing career took a further leap when she auditioned for 'Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance' and landed the role of his original leading lady. Bernadette has travelled the world performing alongside Michael and has starred in both the Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames DVD's. Bernadette danced the lead role for fourteen years and not only performed with the show but was also dance captain for the dance troupe for her duration with the show. This involved training the dancers on a daily basis as well as working very closely with Marie Duffy, the show’s assistant choreographer on new routines and keeping the show stage ready at all times. Bernadette’s talent and grace has been recognised on the four corners of the globe on the world's most prestigious stages. In March 2011, the Lord of the Dance 3D movie was released worldwide in cinemas to rave reviews and the DVD was released in Autumn 2011. Bernadette is very excited to return to where it all began and begin to pass on her amazing experiences and expertise to the young people of where she loves best. DAMIEN O'KANE started dancing at age nine in County Derry. Being a relatively late starter, with natural talent Damien went on to be a great success in the world of competition winning various titles such as Ulster, British National, Great Britain, All-Ireland and placed second in the World Championships on many occasions. At age eighteen, Damien was asked to audition for Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance and landed a place in the original cast. After a year performing in the chorus, he was handpicked by Michael Flatley to be his replacement in the lead role when he retired from active touring. Damien danced the lead role for thirteen years and both he and Bernadette have performed Lord of the Dance to 80 million people in over 60 countries. He has performed for royalty and on many prestigious stages worldwide. Highlights of his dance career include performing at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Gardens, Buckingham Palace and The Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Damien also performed with Michael Flatley and Lord of the Dance on the 69th Academy Awards in Los Angeles which was aired to audiences across the globe. Damien was also the first male dancer after Michael Flatley to perform the iconic 'Feet of Flames' Solo. Damien performed the lead role in Feet of Flames in 2008 and 2012 to audiences of 20000 in Asia. Bernadette and Damien have toured the world many times over and have also performed on many TV shows worldwide. These include The Jay Leno show, Britain's Got Talent, Fame Academy, The Late Late show, Ireland AM, Dancing with the Stars and at the Oscars in LA. In January 2009, they represented Ireland in the NBC hit TV show 'Superstars of Dance' in the USA. It was aired in many countries worldwide and was another exceptional highlight of their ever expanding dance careers. They were both very excited to pass on their knowledge, skills, expertise and experiences to younger dancers. In 2010 they opened the doors of their own Irish Dance Academy, Flynn O’Kane Academy of Dance, which has been highly successful in a very short time. Dancers from their academy have won every major title on the competitive circuit. They have produced many champions which include Munster, Leinster, All Scotland, Great Britain, British National, European, All Ireland and of course the World Championships. In 2014 they produced their first solo World Champion. In 2017, 2018 & 2019 two of their team groups won 1st place at the World Championships. This is a feat not achieved by many dance schools and is a result of the specialized training being provided to their students. In 2018 their students also returned home after the World Championships with eight solo World Medals which ranks their academy as one of the best in the world. Their innovative and exciting choreography is very sought-after worldwide and very much in demand as is their expertise, training regimes and attention to detail. Both Bernadette & Damien are qualified Irish Dance teachers (TCRG) and adjudicators (ADCRG). Flynn O'Kane Academy is registered with An Coimisiun le Rince Gaelacha (CLRG), Dublin