Jackie O'Riley and Rebecca McGowan are a duet specializing in old-style traditional Irish dance, recognized for their unique synchronicity and musicality. Originally drawn to the grace, musicality, and subtlety of older steps, they have been dancing and creating together for the past 12 years. With original choreography and interpretation of traditional steps, Jackie & Rebecca’s work magnifies the intricate movements and musical connections of traditional dance, bringing music and dance back together. Jackie & Rebecca have performed around the US at festivals including Catskills Irish Arts Week, CCE Musical Arts and Dance Week, and Mississippi CelticFest. Their visual album “From the Floor” (2019) was called “audacious, ground breaking, and brilliantly realized” (Irish Echo) and was shown at the Utah Dance Film Festival, St Patrick’s Film Festival London, Motion State Dance Film Series, Leitrim Dance Festival, and others. They were recognized as 2022 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellows in Choreography, and have received support from Next Steps for Boston Dance, Live Arts Boston, and NEFA, and recently had work selected for Dance Documentation in Isolation at the BCA; Dance Complex’s Fest of Us; and the Boston Celtic Music Festival.

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Awards
Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellows in Choreography, 2022
Live Arts Boston, 2021

Next Steps for Boston Dance, 2017, 2022

BCA Dance Documentation in Isolation 

Utah Dance Film Fest, Award Winner

 

Select Performances
Catskills Irish Arts Week

Mississippi CelticFest

Lowell Folk Festival
CCE Musical Arts and Dance Week

Boston Celtic Music Festival