Erin O’Reilly, world traveling dancer, returns to Sonoma for weekend workshop

As a young girl, Erin O’Reilly dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Now, after a series of ambitious steps, her career has taken a big leap forward.

As the daughter of Patty O’Reilly, artistic director of Sonoma Conservatory of Dance, Erin grew up surrounded by dance, learning from Patty and the other instructors at the studio, cultivating her craft. In 2008, she leapt into bigger ponds, studying at the Washington School of Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Ballet.

In 2012, she made her biggest leap yet, all the way to the Ballet Junior de Genève, in Geneva, Switzerland. There she explored the world of contemporary dance in depth, incorporating everything she learned along the way into this fascinating, cutting-edge, and expressive art form.

Since graduating from Ballet Junior, Ms. O’Reilly has gone on to perform in festivals all around the world with various choreographers and companies, including Junebug, which she co-founded with fellow Ballet Junior alumni Sophie Ammann and Rosanne Briens.

This summer alone, O’Reilly has performed in pieces at the Festival d’Avignon in France, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, and the New Dance for Asia International Festival in Seoul, South Korea.

At Resolution 2016, the UK’s biggest festival for new dance, she garnered some impressive praise: “O’Reilly offers a performance with total conviction, which resonates

profoundly with everyone,” wrote Maya Pindar. Lindsey Winship said she was “a performer to watch.”

“Patty teaches classical ballet in a way that can be applied to any form of movement. Basically, she taught me how to be a ninja,” Erin laughs. “She inspires focus and drive in each of her students and shares the joy of dancing in the community that is Sonoma Conservatory of Dance.”

Erin is excited to return to the studio this weekend and share the experience she has gained overseas with the students of SCD in a contemporary dance workshop on Saturday, September 9, at 12:45-2:30. For more information, contact the Conservatory at 707.938.1424 or [email protected].

Top: Erin O’Reilly in performance in Berlin, Germany, photographed by Didier Philispart

Middle: Erin O’Reilly in performance in Avignon, France, photographed by Lena Meyer.