Rochester has long embraced Irish dance, a tradition that flourishes through its many competitive studios and frequent performances across the city. Against the background of traditional Irish dance, ROCeltic offers an experimental lens that combines classical Irish with concert dance. By blending styles and collaborating with local artists, while staying true to the core of Irish dance technique, ROCeltic presents unique works that appeal to audiences of all interests.
At the heart of this creative evolution is Rochester native and ROCeltic founder Briana Blair Kelly, whose early passion for Irish dance set the stage for her later explorations into dance fusion. Kelly teaches contemporary, ballet, jazz, and tap as an adjunct lecturer at the State University of New York at Fredonia, but Irish dance is her first love. She was fully embedded in the Rochester dance community throughout her childhood, studying Irish dance at Drumcliffe (now part of Rince Na Tiarna School of Irish Dance) and ballet at Draper School of Ballet.
Kelly’s studies at Drumcliffe and Draper led her to question how these traditionally separate dance techniques might intertwine. As part of her master’s thesis in choreography and performance at SUNY Brockport, Kelly began exploring the application of various dance styles to a base of Irish technique.
“What happens if I change an element of the physicality of Irish dance?” she said.
Her finished product was a piece that kept the core elements of Irish dance—the intricate footwork, rhythm, musicality, and energy—but replaced the traditional rigidness of the upper posture with contemporary movements using the upper body.
Her experimentation at Brockport laid the groundwork for what Kelly defines as ‘Irish fusion’—a blend of styles that characterizes ROCeltic’s performances. ROCeltic’s progressive choreography draws inspiration from tap, contemporary, Irish hardshoe, hip-hop and ballet.
“A lot of dance forms are created through the intermingling of cultures, and our goal is to unearth the choreographic potential of Irish dance by finding connections with other styles,” Kelly said.
ROCeltic pushes the boundaries of Irish dance to uncover new possibilities of the style while respecting and celebrating Irish culture. For this reason, most company members, like original member Fiona Kier, have extensive training in traditional Irish dance.
Kelly’s vision of merging diverse dance styles resonated with Kier, who danced competitively starting at a young age. In contrast to the rigid structure often found in competitive Irish dance, Kier appreciates the collaborative process of ROCeltic, which encourages its members to both perform and choreograph. This dynamic allows for a creative, cohesive performance that’s always fresh and inspired.
“We create and perform for audiences, often people who may be more interested in modern or ballet, and give them a taste of Irish culture,” Kier said.
In ROCeltic’s performances, ‘Irish fusion’ isn’t limited to choreography alone—the exchange between dance and music is equally essential.
“Jazz dance and music evolve together, you can’t separate the two, and it’s the same with Irish dance and Irish music,” said Kelly. “You can’t separate them.”
ROCeltic regularly brings a splash of concert dance to the Irish festival space by collaborating with local musicians. One of their frequent musical collaborators is The Irish Lassies, a six-piece Celtic folk band based in the Finger Lakes. The band accompanies ROCeltic in performances around the region, including the Honeoye Celtic Festival (founded by The Irish Lassies and Birdhouse Brewing Company).
Irish Lassies member Caleb Cotter feels ROCeltic’s strength lies in their energy and connection with the audience. Irish dance is a social dance and the company keeps this element of the style front and center.
“I was immediately drawn to them because a lot of Irish dance is very strict and structured—in their uniforms, timing, and precise movements,” Cotter said. “Whereas watching ROCeltic is like going to a party with your friends, and they all just so happen to be dancers.” roceltic.com
Sydney Burrows is a freelance contributor to CITY.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
