Oran is a multidisciplinary dance artist in the genres of traditional Irish, contemporary and aerial dance who creates original work that crosses over fields of theatre, abstract and spectacle performance.
At 6 years of age he began Irish dance training and competed locally and internationally, mostly as a soloist but also in teams, for nearly 18 years. Amongst numerous regional championship titles, he also holds three World Championship titles and is TCRG certified.
Oran first learned about contemporary dance in a solo and ensemble setting through the Dublin Youth Dance Company. Following that, he undertook an MA in Contemporary Dance Performance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick. There he studied with national and international practitioners of contemporary dance, screendance, traditional Irish step dance, aerial dance, other somatic practices and dance discourse. Since his time there, Oran has become increasingly interested in objects and concepts of gender in movement, upon which his MA thesis was based. He graduated with First Class Honours.
Since then he has worked for a variety of companies and choreographers including Fontanella Dance Company, Catherine Young Dance, Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Theatre, Justine Doswell Dance, Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Infinite Pants, Muirne Bloomer, Iseli-Chiodi Dance Company, Croí Glan Integrated Dance Company and Cie Marie Lenfant. He has also created his own solo dance works which have been presented at a number of Irish festivals, Lisbon Dance Platform and Project Dance: Paris.
Oran was one of the first Fellows of Tipperary Dance Platform. In 2018 he was appointed Assistant Artistic Director to Laois Youth Dance Ensemble. On TV, he has mentored contestants for TG4’s Irish dance series ‘An Ríl Deal’. His screendance Soiléir Doiléir was shortlisted for award at the Light Moves Festival of Screendance 2017 and was officially selected for screening at the Seyr Festival 2019 in Tehran, Iran. In 2020, in recognition as an emerging artist, he received Dance Ireland’s HATCH Award under the mentorship of Fearghus Ó Conchúír.
Currently Oran is working with Fidget Feet, Croí Glan and Infinite Pants – all for new shows in 2021 / 2022. He is delighted to have received his first Circus Bursary Award to further his professional aerial development.