Check out our instructors: Cormac · Natalie · Nicole · Sarah
Cormac O'Sé
Cormac was born in Dublin into an Irish Dancing family. His parents Aine and Seamus O’Sé had him growing up in the heart of Ireland’s dance, music, and cultural scene. He began taking accordion lessons from Gerry Nulty, a well known accordion player from Dublin at the age of 6. He both played and danced in numerous music shows, in corporate and concert events in Ireland, in Folk Festivals across Europe, and in travelling the US, doing Master Classes and Workshops with his family.
Cormac had a great Irish Dancing Career, placing at many World and All-Ireland Championships and winning several World and All-Ireland Ceilis. He was a dancer in the original performance of Riverdance with Michael Flatley and Jean Butler on worldwide television in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 and went on to add 6 years touring the world with Riverdance – The Show, giving more than 2000 performances, across four continents to over two million people. He can be seen in the original film, Riverdance, The Show; in Riverdance at Radio City; in Riverdance, A Journe;y and in The Best of Riverdance.
Cormac became a T.C.R.G in 2006 and now lives in Minneapolis, MN as director of O’Shea Irish Dance – a 300 student strong dance school where he prepares students for competitive dancing and just for fun. He is furthermore excited to be carrying on the tradition of sharing the culture, having founded a cultural center in St. Paul, MN for the Celtic Arts of dance, music, arts and language, called The Celtic Junction. The center features rehearsal space and a concert venue primarily for traditional and acoustic music. It is also home to the Center for Irish Music, where he is a teacher of accordion.
He has been playing for feiseanna across the US and Canada for the past five years, including the 2009 National American Championships in Nashville. His sound engineering and stage experience has led him to produce numerous public, corporate and private music and dance events in both Ireland and the US, just a few of which have begun to be held at The Celtic Junction!
Natalie O'Shea
Natalie is owner of The Celtic Junction, a center for Traditional Arts in Saint Paul. She is a co-founder of O'Shea Irish Dance, and teaches actively with her husband Cormac, whom she met while touring internationally with Riverdance. She is also founding Vice President of The Center for Irish Music, St. Paul, MN and of Theater M, New York, NY. She is currently creating a youth program for acting & the creation of original theatrical works with Julia Carey at The Celtic Junction.
Writer and Director at Stepping Stone Theater for Kickin' It Irish & for Get Up Your Irish, (Story of an Immigrant Boy) both original works featuring music, dance & local history. Assistant Director to Julia Carey, for multiple works at Guildford School of Acting, London, & NY School for Film and Television as well as for productions in NY's Off-Broadway at the John Houseman Theater, Judith Anderson Theater, The Theaters at 45 Bleeker Street, Circle Repertory Theater and The Mint Theater. She has extensive design experience, having served 6 years as Scenic & Lighting Resident Designer of the Theater Exchange, Minneapolis & Theater M, NY; spanned Manhattan doing corporate and headliner events for Mariah Carey, Jamiroquoi, Take That and with See Factor, NY & has a dozen local Twin Cities Theater lighting designs to her credit, including The Ordway, for Carmel Quinn in Concert and other productions at The Theater Garage, Park Square Theater, Teatro del Pueblo, The Southern, Teatro Latino, The Illusion Theater and Theater de la June Lune. A Field Rep for Vari*light, London, England she trained in WholeHog & WYSIWYG; Assistant Production Director for the Minnesota Opera Company; Assistant Lighting Designer for the Guthrie Theater; B.A. Graduate of Theater from St. Olaf College. Teaching experience includes Dance, Art, Creative Dramatics and Character Study.
Natalie had early dance Training in ballet, tap & jazz at Pat Peare School of Dance & for musical theater training. She continued her training with the St. Olaf College Dance Department; Ballet with Susan Bauer, Modern Dance with Judith Rock & Sherri Saterstrom; Tap with Toni Rizzo; Renaissance & International Folk Dance with Anne Von Bibra. She continued with additional Ballet training at Minnesota Dance Theater and Irish Dance Training with Scoil Rince Uí Shé & Cormac O'Sé.
Nicole
Nicole started taking jazz and Irish dance lessons at age eight in the Chicago area at a local park district. Soon after, she realized that her true passion was Irish dance. She joined the McNulty school at age nine to begin dancing in local competitions. A year later, her and her family moved to Hamburg, Germany. During her time there, she danced with the Gabriel School of Irish Dance, competing and performing throughout mainland Europe. When her family moved to Minnesota in 2007, Nicole was thrilled to find O'Shea Irish Dance and began competing regularly in the Open Championship level, placing at both the Mid-America Oireachtas and the North American Nationals.
In 2010, Nicole graduated from high-school and is currently a Global Studies major at Hamline University. She hopes to be able to live in southern Asia, working for a non-profit organization.
Nicole has has also recently discovered her love for the practice of yoga and is completing a teacher training program with Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center. She would like to teach yoga as therapy for individuals with eating disorders in the future.
Nicole feels blessed to be a part of the O'Shea family, and to have the opportunity to share her love for dance with others.
Sarah Ann Weaver
Sarah Ann Weaver has a decade of teaching experience and nearly three decades of dancing experience. This includes intensive study of ballet and modern dance. She has danced with Oregon Festival Ballet Children's Company, Macalester's Dance Ensemble, appeared in Glass Opus and Sharon Varosh's choreography at various Twin City venues. Sarah currently teaches ballet, creative movement, and lyrical at 5 Star Dance Studio. She is a licensed classroom science teacher and works part-time for both Saint Paul Public Schools and the University of Minnesota. Sarah is thrilled to share the joy of movement and Irish tradition with your family.
