Jaclyn O'Riley

Jackie O’Riley will conduct research for a performance and documentation project centered on the Dorothy Hayden Steppers, a NY-based Irish dance troupe representing one of the last living links to a community-rooted style that began to disappear in the late 1950s. By the 1960s, a Northern Irish style had taken over, leading to the highly physical, solo-focused aesthetic seen in competition and Riverdance. This project explores the transition between these forms—its frictions, innovations, and the near-erasure of a communal tradition. Key questions include: Who were these dancers, especially the often-unnamed women? What was it like to be among the last bearers of a fading style? More broadly: What can this moment teach us about cultural change, identity, and continuity? This research will lay the groundwork for a performance and film project exploring how these steps can be preserved and passed on through storytelling, context, and emotional resonance.