Nicole McKeever began Irish dancing at the age of 12 with the DeNogla School in New Jersey and quickly moved up from beginner to Open Champion, achieving top three standings at the Regional Oireachtas, ranking top 5 out of American competitors at the North American Championships, and medalling at All Ireland and World Championships for which she qualified for six times. She was ranked 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic, 4th in the Munster Region of Ireland, 5th in the USA and 20th in the World. In 2006 after earning a BFA in the Visual Arts from Rutgers University in New Jersey, Nicole moved to Ireland to earn a Masters Degree in Irish Dance Performance from the University
of Limerick. There she worked with famous choreographers including Colin Dunne and Breandan De Gallai. While earning her M.A. in Irish Traditional Dance Performance, she continued to compete internationally and study with the Michael Ryan School in Tipperary, Ireland. She competed under Michael Ryan's guidance for two years, qualifying for the Worlds twice, Medalling at the All–Irelands and ranking 4th at the Munster Championships. Nicole was asked to tutor the M.A. and B.A. students in Irish Dance at the University of Limerick.
In 2007 she began an exciting professional career with the respected show Ragus, touring multiple times across Europe and Asia. In 2008 she bypassed the audition process and was scouted to join Riverdance the Show. For five years she toured with the company full time until her move to California in 2013. Nicole has danced across four continents, 26 countries, 49 states and some of her tour highlights include performing at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia; the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, California; the Hammersmith in London, England's West End and dancing for the Princess of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was also the solo dancer chosen to be featured on Riverdance's posters for Summer and Fall of 2012, a signed copy is held in the National Dance Archives of Ireland. She is also listed as one of only 300 female cast members in the “Historic Cast List of Riverdance”. In 2012 she earned her T.C.R.G and then after her final tour in Spring of 2013. Nicole founded the McKeever School of Irish Dance in Sacramento, now located at the prestigious E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts. The McKeever School can boast that it’s stylistic heritage stems from both the MId-Atlantic Region in the USA and Munster Region in Ireland. Nicole was taught by Jennifer Nagle McGovern and Alison Nagle Keane, who were students of Peter J. Smith one of the founding teachers of Irish Dance in North America and a student of the famed Cyril McNiff. Nicole also studied under the legendary teacher Michael Ryan from Tipperary, Ireland whose teachers were Matty Johnson and Anne Whelan. Nicole McKeever, Director of the McKeever School of Irish Dance, is a registered teacher and adjudicator or TCRG and ADCRG with CLRG (An Coimissiun Rince Le Rinci Gaelacha), IDTANA (Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America) and the Western US Region. CLRG is the most elite international governing body of Irish Dance.
