Kevin Doyle’s Roscommon Soles
Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, Kevin Doyle is an Irish step dance master who learned his first jigs and reels from his County Roscommon-born mother, Margaret Taylor Doyle.
As a youth, Kevin quickly progressed from dancing in the kitchen to studying traditional Irish dance with renowned instructors from Rhode Island and Boston, learning steps traceable to the old dance masters of Ireland. As a teen, Doyle successfully competed in East Coast feis (competitions) earning U.S. Irish Dance Champion honors, while also expanding his performance portfolio to include influences from American jazz and tap dance.
In 2014, Doyle was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as a National Heritage Fellow, the highest honor conferred upon folk artists in the United States in recognition of their lifetime contributions to their traditional craft.
Doyle will be accompanied by his band Roscommon Soles with All Ireland Award-winning fiddler Sheila Falls; All Ireland Award-winning uilleann piper Torrin Ryan; pianist Donna Long; flute/whistle player Josh Kane; and Mary Lee Partington: A fourth-generation Rhode Island born and bred singer and storyteller, award-winning Partington customizes each Roscommon Soles concert with a narrative that weaves the dances, tunes, and songs into a common cloth of artists and audiences, together. "photo credit: Tom Pich"