When it comes to choreography their Irish viral dance routines, the rules exist simply to be breaking for the Gardiner brothers. Professional dancers and content creators, Michael and Matthew Gardiner, 29 and 26 years old, organize five world championship titles between them and both played the main role in RiverBut they can just as easily incorporate disco weapons into an Irish size as they can perform traditional steps with a poker posture.
Born in Denver, CO, Irish parents before moving to Galway, Ireland in Ireland in 2006, the couple developed a follow -up of dedicated social networks of 3.6 million on Tiktok and 1.7 million on Instagram thanks to their Irish popular dance routines to trendy Beyoncé songs, Queen and even the Wicked soundtrack. “Our real objective and our vision were to show Irish dance to modern music,” explains Michael.
Dance spirit Talked to the tap upstairs duo of the way they merge Irish dance with other styles of performance, why they want to advance the form of traditional dance, and what to expect their brand new stage show to come.
Why does Irish dance have a viral appeal?
Michael: This is certainly something about the rhythm – that is what took us both as small children – and also the shape of the Irish dancer. There is something beautiful in the placement of the foot and the rhythm. It's a bit like: “How do they do that?” Because the speed is simply scandalous. For people who do not know Irish dance, it's a bit hypnotic.
How did you find the process of breaking the traditional rules using your arms?
Matthieu: Our vision was fair to show how modern, athletic and versatile Irish dance can be. We also inspire places like RiverGene Kelly, Fred Astaire and other online dancers who are in a different genre, such as hip hop. We just wanted to continue to repel the limits of Irish dance – keeping us on the tradition of the past, but to innovate it for the future and to see where we can take it.
What was it to see the Irish dance in popularity on social networks and to become more integrated into the wider dance culture?
Michael: It's amazing to see and really refreshing. When River was created in 1994, it was an explosion for Irish dance. But I think that in the pandemic in 2020, he took another step, and we are very proud to be part of it. It's great to see other people who are not afraid to explore with their Irish dance. The sky is the limit and I hope it continues.
How do you find the work alongside your brother? Are there any spots?
Matthieu: If there are, it is generally because we are hungry and tired, or that we have not slept enough. This certainly helps us that we are brothers because we have this synchronicity, we have a very similar dance style. It may not have worked as well for us if we were different, but we are very similar. We are always asked if we are twins.
What are you looking for in the songs you choose to dance?
Michael: We love disco songs, like Abba or The Bee Gees. These classics are doing very well for us online, perhaps even a little more than the very modern. We just like to create and choreographed to any song and see what we offer. It's good for our mind and keeps us in shape, mentally and physically. We like to explore with our dance.
Do you have a favorite tiktok routine that you filmed?
Matthieu: The first one that comes to my mind is “Tulsa Time”. We took the plane to produce ourselves during an event at the University of Tulsa, and they had an Irish theme. We just fell in love with the choreography we offered, and the music was incredible. It was special for us.
You are about to launch a brand new professional show, Unleashed. What can people expect?
Michael: We have always been good friends with the (Scottish Folk Band) Talik. They push the limits of traditional Irish and Scottish music, and we push the limits of Irish dance, and I think the marriage of that will be special – we will unleash tradition. It will be an incredible experience of tradition, innovation, emotion and enormous energy.
Publisher's note: dates of the tour for Unleashed are reprogrammed on February 19, 2025.
