Blackthorn Dancers

The Blackthorn Dancers, established in 1999, are a lively and energetic Irish dance group. They are the only existing Irish dance group of their kind within the Maritimes. The focus of this unique group is centered on providing audiences with top of the line performances. They are not a formal dance school but a performance group, which gives the dancers more flexibility and the ability to focus their training solely on performances. The Blackthorn Dancers blend together traditional Irish dance with a modern and unique twist resulting in professional, engaging and highly entertaining dance shows.

Four main dancers, Deirdre Porter, Aisling Porter, Beth MacNeil and Erin MacNeil, make up the core of the Blackthorn Dance group. These dancers have achieved individual successes within both national and international competition. They have all competed at the Championship level and ranked high in the Canadian Eastern National Championships. Along with all of their outstanding successes in national competition they also have attended and done well at the World Championships in Ireland. The Blackthorn Dancers are comprised of world class competitive dancers that possess the technical skills to create an outstanding show.

The combination of skill level, upbeat energy and performance experience places the Blackthorn Dancers in high demand. They have performed numerous shows at a wide variety of venues. They have danced countless shows, including a Maritime Christmas Tour in 2002, with the well known Maritime Celtic music group the Barra MacNeils. Other famous local musicians they have performed with include Natalie MacMaster, Richard Wood and Ashley MacIsaac. They have also danced with Symphony Nova Scotia and at many important charitable events; such as the annual Halifax Hooley and the annual Charitable Irish Dinner. In the summer of 2002 the group was flown to Montreal to make an appearance in Cirque du Soleil’s mini-series Solstrum. The most recent success of the Blackthorn Dancers is the completion of a television special. It is a half hour special that features the group and is scheduled to air on Bravo March, 2005.

"...the Black Thorn Irish Dancers, with sisters Ashlyn and Deirdre Porter and Erin and Beth MacNeil performing a less formal style of the form, in shiny black dresses instead of the ornately decorated outfits they'd wear in the second half of the concert.

Moving deftly in criss-crossing patterns, they built up a locomotive rhythm with their feet, with music and without, never losing their poise."

- Stephen Cooke, The Halifax Herald Limited
June 4, 2005

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