Joanne Doyle
Joanne Doyle | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973 (age 50–51) Dublin,Ireland |
| Occupation | Irish dancer |
| Years active | 1995–2005 |
| Career | |
| Former groups | Dualta,Riverdance |
| Dances | Irish stepdance |
Joanne Doyle(born 1973) is a former professionalIrish dancerwho is most famous for her lead role inRiverdance.In her 10 years withRiverdance,Doyle became the longest-serving lead in the show's history and danced in over 2,500 performances.[1]
Early life
[edit]Born and raised inLucan, Dublin,Doyle started dancing at the age of three and won several bronze, silver and gold medals at Irish and World Championships.[2][3]After graduating from Mount Sackville Secondary School in nearbyChapelizod,Doyle began a Masters in European Social Policy where she was required to study at a different university for each semester. In early 1994, she moved toLjubljanato study inSlovenia.It was at this time thatRiverdanceperformed their seven-minute interval act at theEurovision Song Contest.Being aware of the performance, she convinced a local pub to put it on the television. Her good friend,Breandán de Gallaí,was one of the troupe members that night and it was only because of her university commitments that Doyle herself did not audition for a role in the performance.[4]
Riverdance
[edit]Early years
[edit]After completing her studies, Doyle returned to Dublin with the goal of joiningRiverdancefor their first full-length show. Dancing alongside Breandán de Gallaí with their dance companyDualta,Doyle gained recognition fromRiverdanceleadMichael Flatley.She subsequently bypassed the rigorous auditions the other dancers were put through and joined the show's troupe for rehearsals just eight months after the Eurovision Song Contest interval act. She went on to dance in the show's opening night performance at thePoint Theatrein Dublin on 9 February 1995.[4][5]
In November 1995, Doyle was named a principal understudy to lead female dancerJean Butler.Learning the trade from Butler, Doyle went on to do her first show as the lead in London on 29 January 1996. However, she tore a cartilage in her knee on 10 February and subsequently missed out on performing in the show's first overseas tour in March 1996 atRadio City Music Hallin New York City.[4]Later that year,Riverdancedivided into two companies which later grew into three. Doyle and Breandán de Gallaí paired up as lead dancers of the Liffey company which toured Europe and Asia.[2][6]
Later years
[edit]In 2002, Doyle featured in the thirdRiverdancelive recordinginstalment as she danced the lead alongside Breandán de Gallaí inGeneva,Switzerland. In June 2003, she performed at the Opening Ceremony of theSpecial OlympicsatCroke Park,Dublin.[7]In October 2003, Doyle and Conor Hayes were the leads[8]whenRiverdancetoured China for the first time with multiple sell out performances in theGreat Hall of the Peoplein Beijing.[9]
Doyle stopped performing full-time forRiverdancein late 2003 and moved to France with her partner. However, she continued on with the show for two more years as part of the Riverdance Flying Squad which did occasional shows.[10]As lead for the Avoca company, she performed in France throughout 2005 before finally leaving the show for good at the end of the year.[11][12]
Personal
[edit]In October 2005, Doyle got engaged to French restaurant owner Pierre Sansonetti.[13][14]As of 2022, she was teaching Irish dance in various schools in the south of France.[15]
References
[edit]- ^Myall, Steve (17 March 2013)."Riverdance to head back to UK for 20th anniversary".Daily Mirror.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^ab"Riverdance – Biographies".IrishDanceShows.ie.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^"Interview with Joanne Doyle".MagazineKesako. Archived fromthe originalon 22 June 2015.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^abcSzabo, Alex (January 2002)."JOANNE DOYLE: Life With Dance".CelticCafe. Archived fromthe originalon 21 May 2006.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^"Original Troupe announce the 25th Anniversary Shows".riverdance.5 October 2019.Retrieved17 April2023.
- ^"Europe of Cultures – Riverdance".fresques.ina.fr(in French). 16 April 1999.Retrieved11 July2017.
- ^"Riverdance at the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics, Dublin 2003".YouTube. 26 November 2010.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^"Riverdance In China Documentary 2003 - Part 5".YouTube.Riverdance.23 November 2010.Retrieved9 March2023.
- ^"Major tour of China – 2012 / 2013".Riverdance. 6 November 2012.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^Wynne, Fiona (30 January 2004)."Love walked away from me as I was dancing all over the world".The Mirror.TheFreeLibrary.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^"Riverdance on French TV".Riverdance. 23 October 2005.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^"Joanne Doyle".IrishDance13.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^"Riverdance Romance onstage in Paris!".Riverdance. 19 October 2005.Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^Moreau, Charlotte (20 October 2005)."Demande en mariage en direct à la fin de Riverdance".Le Parisien(in French).Retrieved22 June2015.
- ^"COURS DE DANSE ET CLAQUETTES IRLANDAISES".irish-tap-and-dance.fr(in French).Retrieved26 March2023.
External links
[edit]- Joanne Doyleat geocities
