Three-Times World Champion
Eireborne ‘Hit Irish Dance Rock Show’
Interview By Chris Duncan
Eireborne is a ‘Hit Irish Dance Rock Show’ which has taken the country by storm. We had the opportunity to chat to three-times Irish Dance World Champion – Liam Costelloe – just as rehearsals began …
Can you tell us a little bit about the show?
The show is an Irish dance rock show that has a whole bunch of Irish dancers dancing to Irish born musicians, such as like Van Morrison, The Script, Sinead O’Connor and stuff. Dancers are Irish dancers, ballroom dancers, there’s singers, everything coming together and creating a rock Irish dance show, bringing the Irish dance scene into a more commercial and modern light from Riverdance.
The world really fell in love with Irish dance through Riverdance … what’s different about this show?
This show is definitely more of modern take on Irish dancing. So Riverdance is more traditional and has all the arms down by your side, like turned out feet place, everything’s placed perfectly. This is more of a modern Irish tap fusion style show bringing it into a modern scene. It shows the evolution of Irish dance through fusions with tap.
You are a three-times World Championship holder in Irish … tell us about your dance background?
So I started jazz dance classes when I was five and then I saw at my end of year, like dance concert that they had an Irish dancing section. So I watched the video over and over again and taught myself over the summer holidays. And then as soon as I could get into dance Irish classes, I was straight in it. And so I’d been doing competitions since then. And as I started to place better through time, I started going to like the state championships and I would win them. And then the nationals and I would start to win that. And then I went to the world Irish dance championships for the first time in 2013 and got 16th. And then I kept going over consecutively year after year and I got fourth, then I got fourth again, and then I got fourth again and then second. And then I got first three times now.
But along with all of that, I’ve kept up all my other dance styles. So tap, ballet, contemporary, jazz, musical theatre, commercial, like all of it I’ve been doing throughout the whole time and, yeah. 
Where did you do your initial training?
I did all my training at Carlingford School of Dance, and then I also did fulltime dance at Brent Street.
Tell us a little bit about your personal life …
My life is basically dance, dance, dance. That’s all I’ve ever done. But I love alone time, like time to myself to gather my thoughts, because I live quite a busy schedule. When I can get my own time, I like to just sit, do nothing, watch films. Do absolutely the least amount possible, obviously hang out with friends when I can, but I like time to myself.
Is this your first big big show?
No, I’ve done one before, multiple times, but this is my first time with EIREBORNE.
Are you open to doing other show-styles in your career or are you fixed on continuing with Irish?
I’d very much like to expand into every dance form. I’ve trained to try and become the most versatile dancer I can, so anything and everything, musicals, backup dance, music videos, Irish dance shows … literally anything and everything I would just love to do and always open to taking part in.
What is your best advice to the next generation of dancers coming through, particularly those that might be interested in Irish dance?
I would just say, train as hard as you can and always stay determined in what you do, even when things get tough … just power through, because it’s always brighter on the other side and your effort always pays off.
Catch Liam in EIREBORNE! Remaining tours schedule and tickets can be purchased – CLICK HERE
