KATE BOLE

Principal Choreographer

Kate Bole is a step dancer, and the New Century Ensemble’s principal choreographer. Specializing in traditional Irish step dance with a modern twist, Kate began dancing at age 6 with Theresa Burke in Youngstown, Ohio. Since moving to Washington, D.C. in 2002, she has studied dance with Sean Culkin and Nicki Bayhurst at the Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance. With their guidance she developed a love for choreography, performing with live music, and teaching students of all ages. She has choreographed and performed for productions at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theatre and Millennium Stage, the Strathmore Performing Arts Center in concert with Eileen Ivers, the Blackrock Center for the Arts, the Montgomery College Performing Arts Center, and the Washington Performing Arts Society 2013 Gala.

Kate’s style of choreography has a strong focus on musicality, and as a performer, she is known for her strong and precise hard-shoe dancing. She has been featured as a guest dancer with many Irish music touring ensembles, including Natalie MacMaster, Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul, Lúnasa, Téada, Lilt, Kevin Burke, and The Rovers. When she’s not dancing Kate works as a physicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.