Biography
Ronan Regan is a musician and dancer from Salthill, Galway. He currently lives in Carrick-On-Shannon, Co. Leitrim where he is a primary teacher in the local Gaelscoil. In addition to this, Ronan is an instructor of music and dance. He is known for his weaving, lyrical fiddle style and his creative sean-nós dancing and has made appearances on various national television and radio stations including NDR (Germany, 2009), the BBC (England, 2006 and Northern Ireland, 2008), and TG4 (Ireland, 2004-8), WGBH (US 2004). He wrote his thesis on the Leitrim style of music, specialising in the musical styles of Ben Lennon (Recipient of Civic Reception Award from Leitrim County Council in 2007) and Jim Connolly and completed his Masters in traditional music performance, with modules in sean-nós dance in University of Limerick, 2005. As Ronan now lives in Leitrim; he has the enjoyable priviledge of playing a regular tune with Ben Lennon following his weekly music and dance class in neighbouring Belleek, Co. Fermanagh.As a sean-nós dancer Ronan captures the heart, humour and subtlety of traditional music and dances percussively to the essence of the tune. He performs extensively at events such as the Cóilín Sheáin Dharach Festival, An tOireachtas, Aonach Ceoil Baile Mhúirne and in venues such as the National Concert Hall, the Cork Opera house and the Cutler Emerson Majestic Theatre in Boston.Ronan won the All-Ireland Fleadh (Cavan 2010) Sean-Nós Dance Competition.
Described by many as a natural teacher with an infectious love of dance, Ronan offers sean-nós dance workshops throughout Ireland and abroad. He has provided tuition to all ages in educational centers' such as the Clann Resource Centre, Galway, the Ark Cultural Centre for children, Dublin and the Glór center in Ennis. He has also taught at numerous third level institutions including University Limerick, University Washington, Seattle, Evergreen State College, Olympia and the University of Wiscounsin, Milwaukee.
He is an on-going tutor in the Shaylyn Arts Centre, Ballinamore, and at many annual events such as the Dr. Doughlas Hyde Summer School, Co. Roscommon, the Joe Mooney Summer School in Co. Leitrim, The Ballyshannon Folk Festival and Errigle Arts Festival, Donegal, The John Joe Gordon Festival, Belleek, Co. Fermanagh and the Prague International Irish Summer Festival.
His internationally acclaimed instructional DVD 'Dance Sean-Nós' (2005) has so far sold in 17 Countries across the world and features as course material for various university programmes both in Ireland and abroad.
In Spring 2006, as a choreographer he won the RTE / Arts Council 'Dance on the Box' award. He choreographed the short film 'Why the Irish dance that way' which premiered on John Kelly's 'The View'. It appeared in the Dresden International Short Film Festival in 2007 and in New YorkÕs MoMA in 2007 at "Shortfest: Outstanding Films from International Festivals". The film won first prize at the Chicago Irish Film Festival 2008.
Ronan recently produced and directed his second instructional DVD 'Dance Sean-Nós for Beginners'. The new DVD was launched at the Dr. Doughlas Hyde Summer School (2010) and has been received to critical acclaim. It includes his popular 'Alphabet of Steps' a technique which simplifies learning for the beginning dancer and 'Step Creation' which initiates the beginning dancer in the creative process; the essence of sean-nós dance. The new DVD also presents group workshops with members of the Shaylyn Dance Group, Co. Leitrim, including the finalist for the Rose of Tralee, Martha Gilheaney