Breándan de Gallaí

Who is Breándan de Gallaí?

Breandán de Gallaí, a.k.a. Brendan de Gallaí or Brendan Galway, is a professional Irish dancer, who is most famous for his lead role in Riverdance and as a TV personality on TG4.

Born into a family of seven, by his father Gearóid who's from Belfast and mother Nellie, originally from Gweedore. In 1987, he went to the United States and joined the Gus Giordano’s dance academy and there he studied Ballet, Jazz, Modern and Tap dancing. In Dublin, Ireland he worked as a teacher teaching Applied Physics and Irish after completing a four year degree at Dublin City University.

He was first picked by Michael Flatley to join Riverdance for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. In the meantime de Gallaí set up his own dance company called Dualta with few other friends. From 2001 to 2003, de Gallaí was the lead role in Riverdance and has been honoured to perform for and to meet King Hussein of Jordan, the Emperor of Japan, the Crown Prince of Japan, Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Rainier of Monaco, Queen Sonja of Norway and Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. He states Vaslav Nijinsky as one of his biggest influences. In 2003, he and Riverdance performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games at Croke Park, Dublin.