Siobhan Butler
Dancer
Siobhan Butler is an interdisciplinary artist based in North Leitrim, Ireland. She is the founder of the online Irish dance education platform, Bánóg. Her work in traditional dance and visual art has been showcased internationally and explores the connections between movement, nature, and culture. Siobhan is an acclaimed visual artist and traditional percussive dancer. Her creative methodology is informed by decades of study and engagement with traditional dance, alternative photographic methods, and ethnographic research.
Siobhan Butler
Siobhan's approach holistically incorporates historical, cultural, and aesthetic contexts. This work has been featured on international stages and in institutions around the world, where her performances, showcases, and lectures have gained significant recognition. She draws inspiration from her passion for movement, local traditions, and nature, along with their ephemeral qualities, highlighting the commonalities between dance and visual art. As a traditional dancer, Siobhan has had the privilege of performing and collaborating with many leading traditional artists of the North Atlantic, including Cherish the Ladies, Kevin Burke, Nic Gareiss, Nuala Kennedy, Kieran Jordan, and John Whelan, among others.
Since moving to Ireland from the US in 2016, she has been particularly influenced by the unique "battering" style of County Clare's Set dancers. Siobhan is honoured to share their steps and stories, as oral history, folklore, and heritage serve as significant inspirations for all her creative pursuits. As a visual artist specializing in cyanotypes, Siobhan's work plays with irony. She utilizes a photographic process reliant on UV light to create abstract images in a country known for its lack of sunlight. Using materials sourced from the beaches and woodlands near her home, she creates images that invite viewers to get lost in the details, conjuring new memories and associations with each viewing.
Siobhan holds a BA in Anthropology from Goddard College (USA) and an MA in Ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick (Ireland). She lives in Ennistymon, Clare, with her husband, Dominic Keogh, a stonemason and traditional musician.