Showing posts with label irish entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label irish entertainment. Show all posts

Friday, March 16, 2012

Sneaky Steppers accept 'The Ellen Show' dance dare - VIDEOS

The creative minds behind last year's viral St. Patrick's Day flashmob video hope "The Ellen Show" host Ellen Degeneres will take notice of their most recent stealth Irish dance clip on YouTube.

The elite Irish dancers of the Sneaky Steppers have accepted Degeneres' "dance dare," and they hope their video will make it on the show's segment dedicated to dance-bombing unsuspecting people.



"It's pretty much Sneaky Stepping," Sneaky Steppers co-founder Chris Naish said. "So coincidental, but we thought, 'we have to make a video.'"

The three guys clad in skin-tight Irish-themed body suits are Naish, Sneaky Steppers co-founder Jason Oremus and two-time world Irish dance champion Garrett Coleman. The Sneaky Steppers is a street-level initiative that is a branch of Hammerstep, the Irish dance-infusion show and social experiment.

And it's not just the Sneaky Steppers vying for Degeneres' attention this St. Patrick's Day. There are quite a few "dance dare" videos posted to YouTube that showcase legitimate Irish dancers -- as opposed to the multitude of videos featuring wannabe jiggers. Here's a few of my personal favorites:











Earlier today, IrishCentral staff writer Anotoinette Kelly reported that crew members from "The Ellen Show" will travel to Dublin to record footage for a special St. Patrick's Day segment for next week's show.

Check back here for news, results, photos, interviews and more! Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like us on FaceBook, Tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below. THANK YOU!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Irish dancers of Prodijig win Sky1's 'Got To Dance' - VIDEOS

After stomping through three rounds of competition, the Irish dancers of Prodijig were named "Got To Dance" champions Sunday evening.

"We're just all going to take a bit each, and then just growing Prodijig," the dance crew's leader and choreographer Alan Kenefick said of the £250,000 prize in a post-show Sky1 interview.



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Prodijig immediately captured the judges' attention in the first round of auditions. Wowed by the Irish dancers' use of hip hop, tap, flamenco and drill in a number choreographed to Kanye West's hit "Power," judge Adam Garcia told the troupe, "You could win this."




Prodijig astonished the show's live audience and judges again with a semi-final round performance:



And once more with Sunday's final performance:



In the end, Prodijig fulfilled Garcia's prediction, winning the 2012 title.

But the dancers of Prodijig aren't newbies to success. Among the seven dancers -- Kenefick, Dane McKiernan, Darren Casey, Craig Mason, Andy O'Reilly, Christina Havlin and Ciara McGillan -- are former Riverdance leads; and regional, national and world champion step dancers.

Back in 2008, Kenefick posted this solo dance video to YouTube, highlighting his impeccable rhythm and precise footwork:



For those of us who've been watching this video -- slack-jawed, wide-eyed -- for the last three years, we're not surprised by the sudden and immense success thrust upon Kenefick and his crew. This win has been lifetimes of practice, dedication and innovation in the making.

Now, we anxiously await the Prodijig world tour, which -- apparently -- is in the works.

Congratulations, Prodijig!

Check back here for news, results, photos, interviews and more! Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like us on FaceBook, Tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below. THANK YOU!