Working with Artists to help make MUSIC & ART a sustainable career
Welcome to a look behind the curtain at an artist whose life story is as inspiring and emotive as her performances: Sinéad na Gig. Her approach to movement is deeply human-centered, driven by a profound desire to communicate emotion and connect genuinely with her audience. Sinéad shares that she strives to perform in a way that gives others the permission to embrace their own sensuality and self-expression, entirely without shame. This passion for sincere connection defines her powerful artistic voice.
Sinéad na Gig is a true homebird, having been born and raised in Co. Wicklow and never having left for too long. She describes herself as not having been a dancer or sporty child growing up. Yet, even in her early years, the draw toward expressive movement was powerful.
She remembers watching the movie Showgirls late one night after everyone else had gone to bed, and she was absolutely mesmerized by it. Long before that, when she was very young, maybe five or six, she would seek out a fashion book her neighbor owned just to stare at one specific photo. The image was of a ballerina mid-air, performing a split, looking utterly lost in the moment. This memory, she believes, was her very first exposure to movement as a form of powerful expression.
Sinéad’s personal journey of self-expression was forged against a challenging cultural backdrop. She grew up within a culture deeply steeped in sexual shame. She was raised Catholic, receiving her baptism, confirmation, and communion, and she and her sister were among the first altar girls in her local Carmelite Church.
She explains that there was so much shame around pleasure and self-expression during her childhood. The religious organizations of Catholic Ireland hurt her family in many different ways, she notes. Despite meeting many amazing people within the Church, it required significant effort for her to learn to embrace her own sensuality and pleasure later in life.
Starting to dance allowed her to begin releasing the shame she held around her body and self-expression. Instead of shying away from movement, she started to fully embrace it. This difficult journey profoundly influenced her performance style, driving her mission to inspire others.
Before pole dance became her calling, Sinéad explored a number of diverse career paths. She has worked in retail and hospitality. She also spent time working in holistic massage. Additionally, she has experience working with children.
Her professional life also involved working as a trainer, both in a gym setting and within communities supporting older adults and people with disabilities. Sinéad studied Psychology, which led to her working corporate office jobs. Furthermore, she holds a degree in Sports Therapy.
Despite this breadth of experience, performing and teaching pole dance has always remained her favorite work. Pole is the place she goes to for both inspiration and to experience flow. For Sinéad, flow is the ultimate form of self-expression, meaning she is lost fully in what she is doing. She realized that pole dance was more than just a hobby when she started dancing exactly how she felt, moving as if no one was watching. She recognized and deeply felt how truly healing the practice was, sparking a desire to share that profound feeling with everyone she could. Watching people begin to embrace their bodies and self-expression while teaching pole is an incredibly rewarding experience for her.
Sinéad na Gig draws inspiration from artists who demonstrate immense strength alongside genuine vulnerability. The first dancer she truly fell in love with was Lisette Krol. Lisette’s unique way of moving and her strength completely blew Sinéad away. This inspired Sinéad to want to become stronger herself so that she could become a better dancer.
Another hugely admired dancer is Karamel Aura. Sinéad is greatly inspired by the way Karamel uses her own sensuality and actively encourages others to do the same. She also notes that Karamel Aura is simply an absolutely incredible dancer. Vulnerability in expression, whether it comes from music, dance, or other artistic creations, is deeply inspiring to Sinéad. Seeing others create and be vulnerable grants her the permission she needs to be vulnerable too.
For Sinéad, preparing a new concept is always an intensely personal and communicative process. A routine usually originates from where she is mentally or what she is actively processing at that specific moment in time. She is always trying to communicate something significant through her dance.
Her planning involves essential questions: What message am I trying to convey? What story am I telling? Who is this message for? Once the message is clear, she chooses music she feels most connected to, and she allows the music to take the lead in the choreographic process. When seeking creative input, she feels most inspired when walking in nature with her earphones in. Aside from this time outdoors, she is also highly creative when she is in the studio, dedicated to bringing her vision to life.
The creative path is rarely smooth, and Sinéad acknowledges that she faces creative blocks, fear, or self-doubt just like any artist. She believes she doesn’t truly “overcome” these feelings, but instead has learned vital management techniques. Her main tool is grounding herself in gratitude. She purposefully sits with the feeling of gratitude for the opportunity she has and for the capabilities of her own body.
When she feels stuck or nervous, she also envisions certain guides to whom she prays and asks for direction. The iconic artist Sinéad O’Connor often comes to her mind when she feels particularly doubtful or fearful. Sinéad understands that constant evolution is necessary if you wish to be great at what you do, meaning you must accept challenges and ‘no’s’. She moves forward by accepting that setbacks don’t diminish her worth as a performer. Even if failure occurs, giving one's best means learning something and walking away proud of the effort.
Sinéad na Gig describes her unique performance style as both dramatic and emotive. She feels things very deeply, and she tries to allow those feelings to move through her body and express themselves via her dance as much as possible. The central thematic focus in her routines is empowerment.
She intentionally incorporates displays of both vulnerability and strength within her choreography. She strives to demonstrate that these two qualities do not contradict each other, but rather that they naturally go hand in hand. A signature element of her performance is her dedication to telling a comprehensive story. She always aims to connect with the audience on a shared, emotive level. She works sensitively with the energy present in the room and engages with the audience energetically during her set.
Sinéad’s artistic journey has been marked by memorable moments that taught her powerful lessons. Her proudest moment on stage occurred when she collaborated with two traditional musicians, forming a group called the Siles na Jigs. They combined two forms of artistry from very different backgrounds to create something unique that felt magical. This felt especially significant because sensuality and sexual expression are not typically associated with traditional Irish music.
A major breakthrough performance arrived unexpectedly at a gig where ticket sales were poor and some performers had dropped out. Although there were not many people present in the room, Sinéad channeled a great deal of energy into her performance and gave 100%. After the show, a producer approached her, having loved her performance, and she soon became a regular performer for their show. This experience taught her a crucial lesson: it doesn't matter who is or is not in the room. By giving 100%, you can walk away proud of your effort, and you never know where amazing opportunities might come from or who might be watching.
Community and collaboration play a vital role in Sinéad’s creative life. She expresses a dream to collaborate with passionate, nice people, whether they specialize in dance, music, or other forms of creation. She currently engages with the pole and movement community both in person and online. She truly enjoys going to events and showcases, where she can watch others perform and support their artistic endeavors.
The audience, both in-person and online, significantly shapes her creative decisions. The specific energy in a room dictates how she portrays her performance and how she engages with the crowd. This might mean making more or less eye contact, or using bigger movements to hold attention, or perhaps holding back a bit more, all depending on the specific vibe. When it comes to teaching, she listens intently to what people struggle with and bases her teaching choices on what they need to learn.
Sinéad na Gig is continuously pushing her boundaries and planning new, inspiring projects. She currently has several performances lined up. Looking ahead to the new year, she is planning a special collaboration with a beautiful artist that centers on the important theme of climate justice. To expand her reach, she is also working on creating online classes that will offer people teachings at the click of a button.
In five years, she hopes to see her journey evolve to include much more collaboration, both on stage and online. Her ultimate dream performance would be held in an outdoor arena with beautiful music playing. She explains that performing in such a setting feels incredibly freeing and magical.
An exciting new chapter in Sinéad’s collaborative work is her upcoming project with the musician Roo Elizabeth. The two artists met at an event where Sinéad was dancing and Roo was singing, and they immediately got along, feeling as though they had known each other much longer than they had. The idea to collaborate on the Mná Misneach performance came from Roo, and Sinéad was instantly on board. Blending singing and pole performance is, in fact, her absolute favorite type of performance.
The title Mná Misneach, which means Women of Courage, holds deep personal significance for Sinéad. She attributes her character to her family, noting that she comes from a line of very strong women who have profoundly shaped who she is today. She emphasizes that Mná Misneach is her family, her biggest source of inspiration. Sinéad feels a lovely connection and synergy with Roo, noting they are very much on a similar page when making creative choices.
For this special performance, the audience should expect a routine where Sinéad allows Roo’s beautiful songwriting to tell the central story, with her dance powerfully emulating that narrative. She felt such strong emotions listening to Roo’s songs that she almost knew the setlist before it was sent to her, signifying a strong connection. The performance’s thematic core will be stripping away different layers of the masks we wear. Ultimately, they hope the audience leaves feeling inspired and having experienced the raw emotion of their combined art forms. Sinéad is excited about the future, hinting that she can definitely think of some cool things they could do together next.
When asked about the ultimate impact she hopes to make, Sinéad na Gig returns to the theme of empowerment. Since she was a shy and non-sporty child, she genuinely hopes people take away a profound sense of confidence from her performances. Her message is clear: If she can get up on stage and do this, then the audience can go and have that hard conversation or take that necessary risk in their own lives.
Her artistic expression aims to communicate a vital truth: You deserve to be able to enjoy and express your sensual self. This freedom doesn't have to manifest on a stage; she stresses that it can simply be found in your own kitchen. She is a firm believer that dance equals freedom and connection. While she loves attention-grabbing moments and big tricks—which will always be part of her performances—she consistently allows the guiding force of the story and how it truly feels to lead her creative choices.
In a life so dedicated to energetic expression, Sinéad finds balance through quiet, grounding passions. Nature is a profound source of inspiration for her. It reminds her that there is a deep beauty inherent just in existing. Nature teaches her that she doesn't always have to be "doing the most" in order to create beauty.
Her daily rituals include meditation and walking, which keep her mentally and physically grounded. To recharge after intense training sessions or major performances, she makes sure to get outside and spend time walking. She focuses on really paying attention to what she sees, noting that bird watching is one of the best ways to practice this mindful observation.
Sinéad na Gig’s performances are genuine acts of emotional storytelling, blending powerful strength with honest vulnerability. If you want to witness this magnetic performer share her heart and her art, you have a unique opportunity coming up! Sinéad and Roo Elizabeth, along with Roo’s band, are preparing to deliver the stunning Mná Misneach routine, a powerful blend of melody and movement that is sure to leave you inspired.
After their set, the evening turns into a vibrant, community-driven open jam where musicians and music lovers come together to create spontaneous, unfiltered magic. This is your chance to soak in an incredibly relaxed, artsy evening of creativity, connection, and raw emotion. Whether you are a musician seeking to jam freely or a music lover eager to support this community of dedicated artists, this event is a musical playground you won't hear again the same way. It’s an intimate setting where barriers between genres break down, and creativity flows freely. Come support Sinéad na Gig as she brings her message of empowerment to the stage at Fibber Magees Basement on 4th December, starting at 8 PM. You’ll be part of a living, breathing musical moment.
DISCOUNT CODE: SINEAD (€2 OFF)
Tickets for general attendees are only €10, making this an accessible way to experience world-class, heartfelt artistry and contribute directly to the artist community. Don't miss the chance to be inspired by Mná Misneach and the powerful, genuine connection Sinéad na Gig shares with her audience.
