03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Irish ex-Riverdance brothers go stateside to kick off new career in Nashville
'We built up our own brand while working in Riverdance and we felt that the time is now right to move on and take it to the next level.'
Michael and Matthew have had more than a billion views of their dancing
Michael and Matthew have had more than a billion views of their dancing
With more than one billion views across social media, former Riverdance stars The Gardiner Brothers have become an internet sensation.
Their dancing skills — think Michael Jackson meets Michael Flatley — have captivated their nine million followers online that include superstars Hugh Jackman, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tiesto.
The social media influencers, whose clients include Aer Lingus — they created a spectacular online dance routine to Nathan Carter's Wagon Wheel for the airline's recent direct flight to Nashville launch — have also built up a reputation as top-notch motivational and inspirational speakers.
Now, after wowing fans around the world as lead dancers in Riverdance, Michael (29) and Matthew (26) from Clarinbridge in Galway have stepped out on their own and moved to Nashville to start a new life and career.
Michael and Matthew have celebrity fans across social media
'We built up our own brand while working in Riverdance and we felt that the time is now right to move on and take it to the next level,' Michael tells the Sunday World when we meet up in the Tennessee capital.
'We've always wanted to try our business here in America as content creators, performers and as speakers, where we talk about high performance, do a little bit about motivation and also leadership speaking at conferences.
'We talk about the leadership lessons that we've learned, the highs and lows of our life as Irish dancers and how we realise now that it wasn't just about the Irish dancing, it was about the life lessons that we've learned along the way.
'We do so much of that in America, so we want to build a base here.
'There was a selection process between the different cities, New York, Chicago, Denver and obviously Nashville.
'And we just felt Nashville was a natural fit for us with the music, the culture, the people, the amazing food and the sports.
'So we wanted to try it out. It's one flight now from Ireland with the new Aer Lingus direct flight and we're excited to set up the business here.'
The brothers also host inspirational talks
It was the Covid-19 pandemic that helped them to amass their massive online following. They regularly posted videos dancing to chart hits on TikTok and Instagram and were astonished to notch up millions of fans that included the aforementioned Hugh Jackman, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tiesto, who reposted the videos to their own followers.
'During the pandemic everything shut down and we started our own social media page dancing to modern music,' Michael says. 'It just exploded and we kept it going.'
Matthew and Michael are American citizens as they were born in Denver, Colorado.
'Our mother is from Sligo and our father is from Dublin and they emigrated to America after graduating from Trinity College in Dublin where they met,' Matthew explains.
'They were only supposed to spend a year or two there, but they stayed for 16 years and that's where their three kids, including our sister, Anna, were born.
'We were all sent to Irish dancing as young children because our Irish parents wanted us to have something Irish growing up in America.'
When the family returned to Ireland they set up home in Clarinbridge, where the brothers joined the local Hession School of Irish Dance and would go on to notch up 40 major titles, including five world championship titles between them.
Michael and Matthew could pass as twins, and Matthew says: 'We get the twins thing a lot, even our mother mixes us up the odd time. We live together, work together so we're very close.'
Michael and Matthew have had more than a billion views of their dancing
'Our parents are still in Ireland, but they are both American citizens and welcome to join us in Nashville any time.
'We'd love to have them because we haven't figured out the washing machine yet,' Matthew jokes.
You can always send your dirty washing home to Mammy.
'That's true, and she can sent them back on a direct Aer Lingus flight,' he laughs.
Their departure from Riverdance and move to Nashville has come with a sacrifice — Michael and Matthew are now facing prolonged separations from their girlfriends who are leading members of the dance troupe.
'They are both lead dancers and dance captains in Riverdance right now,' Michael reveals.
'They are finishing that part of their journey and are at the peak of their powers.
'So they are going to continue doing that while they can.
'We are going to keep dancing as well here in Nashville. We did a performance for the Aer Lingus video at the bottom of Broadway here in Nashville and it was a lot of fun.
'We had a few people coming up to us interacting straight away, so we need to figure out a way to do a bit more interactive stuff like that here in the city. We're excited for the future and what lies in store for us.'
