CIARA SEXTON is an internationally known Irish dancing professional who possesses multiple
skills as a lead dancer, choreographer, lecturer and television announcer/presenter for major shows and
events throughout the world. She is a fi ve-time World & All-Ireland Champion and has starred as a lead
dancer in Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home and in both Lord of the Dance and Lord of the Dance 3D.
Ciara is proud to be a senior editor for Irish Dance Magazine. She thanks her family and friends for
their continued support.
44 CENTERBILL • JANUARY 2018
Male Lead Dancers
WILL BRYANT, born in Sydney, Australia, trained with the Halloran Dance School in Irish, ballet,
contemporary and tap from the age of four. Will performed lead roles in musical productions and made
regular appearances on TV. At University, he studied for a Bachelor of Music and is an accomplished
guitarist. An ambitious athlete, Will is studying personal training on and off tour. Following an
impressive competitive Irish dance career, placing top-three internationally and winning state and
national titles, he then went on to perform with Celtic Illusion and Heartbeat of Home. In 2014, he
joined Riverdance, touring over ten different countries, and is thrilled to be part of the lead team.
KIERAN HARDIMAN started dancing at the age of nine for the Costello O’Brien School in Galway,
Ireland. He has competed in every major championship, winning the Connaught and All Scotland
Championships before placing third in the world. In Kieran’s professional career, he has performed
with over 12 different shows touring in over 40 countries. During this time, he has performed on BBC’s
The Alan Titchmarsh Show, RTE’s The Late Late Show, BBC’s Proms in the Park, and UNICEF’s
Cinema for Peace. He has also danced for the President of Ireland and the Empress of Japan. Kieran
fi rst joined Riverdance in 2007 and is delighted to dance the lead role.
JASON O’NEILL started dancing at the age of fi ve alongside his six sisters. Under the tuition of the
Armstrong school in Belfast, he developed a deep-rooted passion for rhythm. Jason has been a lead
dancer with Prodijig’s Footstorm and with Heartbeat of Home and is truly honoured to attain the lead
role in three shows. As an avid traveller, he has now performed in 200 cities worldwide.
The Riverdance Band
PATRICK MANGAN (Fiddle / Musical Director), two-time All-Ireland fi ddle champion, is from
Brooklyn, New York, where he was introduced to traditional music at an early age. He grew up playing
alongside legendary Irish musicians from both sides of the Atlantic. At aged sixteen, Patrick appeared
in Riverdance On Broadway, becoming the youngest fi ddler in the show’s history. Since then, he has
toured extensively, playing to enthralled audiences around the world. In addition to his love of the
stage, Patrick is also an award-winning composer. His debut CD, Farewell to Ireland is available now
at cdbaby.com/mangan.
MARK ALFRED (Drums / Percussion / Bodhrán), a native of Monaghan, began playing drums at the
age of four. He studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and then the Performing Arts
College. He is now one of Europe’s most sought after, and highly regarded drummers and is constantly
in demand from a host of leading stellar international music acts. His very individualistic and energetic
style has seen him play with many international acts including Lionel Richie, Simply Red, Katie
Melua, Josh Groban, The Corrs, The Divine Comedy, Lemar, Gary Moore, Mary Coughlan, Ronan
Keating, Westlife, Girls Aloud, Donnie Osmond, and the late Christy Hennessy. Mark Alfred uses and
proudly endorses: Pearl Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Vater Drumsticks, Protection
Racket Cases.
TARA HOWLEY (Uilleann Pipes / Low Whistle / Tin Whistle / Concertina) is an award-winning
multi-instrumentalist, singer and dancer from Kilfenora Co. Clare. She is a two-time senior All-Ireland
champion on the uilleann pipes. Starting both classical and traditional music at the age of four, Tara
has numerous All-Ireland titles in solo competitions and with bands and groups in various instruments
such as concertina, fi ddle, drums, mouth-organ, piano, whistle and uilleann pipes. In 2014, Tara toured
Britain and Ireland with the group Macalla na hEireann and The Echoes of Erin. She produced and
launched her debut solo album in April 2015 and is currently studying Irish music and dance in the
Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick.