Cast & Creatives

Originally from Dromore country Tyrone, Barry Teague began Irish dancing at just four years old in Omagh with the Baxter School. He competed under the Baxter School for 18 years, building an outstanding competitive career that included winning the Ulster Championships 7 times and the An Chomhdháil World Championships six times. Alongside dancing, Barry also proudly played GAA for both his club and school teams.

Professionally, Barry has performed with Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant at Disney Springs, toured Taiwan with Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames , and performed in the Celtic Angels national tour. As a performer, he loves meeting new people from all around the world, travelling to see new places, and learning from the many incredible dancers he has worked alongside throughout his career.

Callum O’Neill is a champion Irish dancer from Birmingham, England. He began dancing at the age of seven with the renowned Carey Academy of Irish Dance, where he discovered a love for performance and a drive for excellence.

Throughout his competitive career, Callum achieved extraordinary success, becoming a World Champion, North American National Champion, Great Britain Champion, British National Champion, and All Scotlands Champion—a rare collection of titles that firmly places him among the top dancers in the world.

He has also performed internationally with the iconic show Riverdance, touring as part of its 25th Anniversary Production, and now continues to share his passion on stage with A Taste of Ireland, bringing world-class Irish dance to audiences across the globe.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan – Dillon began Irish Dancing at the age of five, following in the footsteps of a long lineage of dancers in his family. Dillon has trained under Tim O’Hare, and his aunt Megan Sanders-Paulowicz, at the renowned O’Hare School of Irish Dance.

A dedicated and accomplished competitor, Dillon has travelled across the world to compete. He is most proud of his top placements at the World, North American, and Regional Championships in both solo and team categories.

In February 2025, Dillon joined the cast of A Taste of Ireland. He has toured across the USA, UK, Ireland, London’s West End and Off-Broadway. Dillon is thrilled to be bringing his passion for Irish Dance to the stage

Ella Giammichele is a soloist with A Taste of Ireland. Since making her professional debut in A Celtic Christmas in 2021, she has performed in A Taste of Ireland, A Celtic Christmas, and TARA by A Taste of Ireland — and twice danced a lead role off-Broadway. She has also taken the lead on London’s West End in Éireann, commanding one of the world’s great theatre stages.

That stage presence is built on a championship pedigree. Ella began Irish dancing at four with CMDance in Brisbane, Queensland, and over 17 years of competition has claimed four Queensland State Championship titles, a top-10 placement at Nationals, and multiple further championship wins, alongside appearances at the 2017 and 2023 World Championships.

Beyond performing, Ella mentors younger dancers and continues to train in ballet and contemporary.

Emily Grace lives in New York and began dancing at the age of 6. She dances for the Denogla Academy and has successfully competed for the last 18 years. Throughout her competitive career, Emily achieved top 3 at the Worlds, All Irelands, and Great Britain’s, as well as winning the North American Nationals and the Mid Atlantic Regional Oireachtas. Emily has been doing tours with A Taste of Ireland company for the last two years and recently travelled to Taiwan to perform with Lord of the Dance.

In addition to dancing, Emily graduated from Manhattan College with a degree in exercise science, and hopes to one day become a physical therapist. Emily loves nothing more than dancing and performing, and is very excited to continue to tour and improve!

Enda Keane is an Irish-born dancer based in Canada who brings a deep-rooted passion for rhythm and performance to the stage. After beginning his training at a young age, Enda had the privilege of honing his skills under the guidance of Butler Fearon O’Connor and the Michaela Hinds Academy, eventually earning top placements on the international competitive circuit. He has since loved transitioning into professional performance, enjoying every opportunity to bring his strong technique and dedication to the stage. On stage, Enda focuses on bringing high energy, crisp rhyt

John is delighted to join The Pace Live Group for the first time on this Taste of Ireland tour. John is a singer/songwriter from the west of Ireland, now residing in Perth, with over 16 years experience in the business and is excited to bring this experience to the group. Having performed in two Lincoln Centre Festivals and Galway International Arts Festivals, multiple RTÉ productions in Ireland and supporting some of Irelands finest musicians across the country, A Taste of Ireland is a new and exciting opportunity for him!

Julia O’Rourke, from Malverne, New York, began Irish dancing at the age of five at The Petri School of Irish Dancing (now the Doherty-Petri School). Her early journey was featured in the internationally released documentary Jig, which brought global attention to her remarkable talent and dedication. Over her career, Julia has achieved extraordinary success as a four-time World Champion, two-time All-Ireland Champion, six-time North American National Champion, and multiple Great Britain and Mid-Atlantic Regional title holder.

Since transitioning into professional performance, Julia has continued to make her mark as a lead dancer with A Taste of Ireland, performing to sold-out theatres across the United States and internationally.

Liam Fitzgerald began his dance training at the age of 3, learning Irish dancing at the Halloran School of Dance and also learning Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre at Sonja Dene Dance Studios. 

Liam has had a successful competitive Irish dance career, becoming a multiple-time NSW State Champion and Australian National Champion, and competing internationally at the World Irish Dancing Championships and the North American Irish Dancing Championships where he has placed in the Top 5.

Liam has performed with Pace Live in ‘A Taste of Ireland’, ‘A Celtic Christmas’, and ‘Éireann’ including on the West End and Off-Broadway. He has also performed with ‘Eireborne’, Wayne Scott Kermond’s ‘Candyman’, Repgrom’s ‘12 Days of Christmas’, Carnival Cruise line in the Caribbean, Disneyworld in Florida, at the MLB, and in numerous productions with OP Productions. 

Madison “Mattie” Pennington started Irish dancing when she was 4 years old, and developed a lifelong passion for the art form. Under the Rince Na Tiarna School of Irish dance in Buffalo, New York, she has 15 years of competitive training in Irish dance. Mattie has earned multiple Top 5 finishes at both the  regional level and North American championships, while also achieving placements internationally at the World Championships. 

Mattie began her professional career in Fall 2025, where she performed her first show with “A Taste of Ireland.” She is thrilled to be a part of the company, touring North America and joining them for their first Canadian tour in 2026. No matter the stage or country, Mattie finds the greatest joy in sharing her passion for Irish dance and performing for audiences around the world.

Minnie Yarnold is a professional Irish dancer currently touring with A Taste of Ireland. Having established herself as a distinguished competitor at the highest level of Irish dance, she earned recognition as a World Medallist and achieved a top-15 placing at the CLRG World Championships. Minnie is also a multiple World Champion in both ceili and figure dancing.

In addition to her competitive accomplishments, Minnie holds a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma, graduating with triple A* grades in a variety of fields of dance. She is proud to bring the discipline and experience gained through years of elite competition to the stage.

Mitchell O’Hara was born in New Zealand and spent his early childhood in Wicklow, Ireland, where he began Irish dancing at a young age and quickly developed a deep passion for the art form. Proud of his Irish heritage, he has dedicated himself to honoring the tradition of Irish dance while helping shape its modern evolution.

Throughout his competitive career, Mitchell became an eight-time national champion, earned multiple Australian International Oireachtas titles, and achieved Top 10 placements at the World Championships. In August 2025, he made his West End lead debut with Éireann, marking a major milestone in his professional career.

He has since taken his passion to the professional stage, performing as a principal dancer with A Taste of Ireland across Australia, the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom.

Rochelle Hoffmann is a dancer from Kelowna, Canada with over 20 years of experience in Irish Dance. A World Medallist and 7-time Regional Champion, she has earned top 5 finishes at major international competitions, including the Great Britain Championships, North American Nationals, and Australian International Championships.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design and has performed internationally throughout Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, the UK, and Ireland, with highlights including performances on London’s West End and Off-Broadway in New York City. Passionate about performance and storytelling through movement, Rochelle is thrilled to continue sharing her love of dance with audiences around the world.

Rory McLaughlin is a guitarist from Donegal, Ireland currently residing in Sydney, Australia. A versatile performer, he has played across the world with a variety of bands and productions. After performing in last year’s Christmas production, Rory is delighted to be returning and looks forward to sharing the music with audiences once again.

Brent Pace is the CEO and Producer of Pace Live and the creator of A Taste of Ireland.

Ceili Pace is Executive Producer of the A Taste of Ireland Company, overseeing the touring, marketing and international expansion of Pace Live’s portfolio of productions.

Before producing, Ceili spent a decade performing — Australian National, North American National, All Ireland, and World Champion in Irish dance, with credits in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance across more than 15 countries. Highlights include performing the lead role of Morrighan alongside Michael Flatley, dancing on the West End, and appearances on The Graham Norton Show and Good Morning America. She was an Ambassador for the Peter “Bullfrog” Moore Foundation, supporting young performers and athletes pursuing their own careers.

Today, Ceili leads the commercial and audience-facing side of the A Taste of Ireland Company — guiding A Taste of Ireland, A Celtic Christmas, Éireann and Tara across stages from Sydney to the West End to Off-Broadway and beyond. She works alongside her partner Brent Pace, Artistic Director, to bring the Company’s productions to new markets while holding the artistic standard that defines them.

Ceili is grateful to her family, friends and mentors for the support that brought her here — and to every audience that’s made the work possible.