She Blends Irish Dance, Hip-Hop, Gets a Big Call

'Riverdance' wants Virginia's Morgan Bullock
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 20, 2020 10:00 AM CDT
Updated Jul 25, 2020 7:00 AM CDT

Morgan Bullock is a 20-year-old resident of Richmond, Va., who posted a video of herself dancing to hip-hop on TikTok. Not so unusual. But in Bullock's case, she accompanied the music with traditional Irish dancing, her passion since she first saw it performed as a young girl, reports the New Statesman. In a first-person account in the Irish Times and in an interview with the BBC, Bullock explains that while she received a lot of support online, she also took grief from critics who accused her—a Black woman—of cultural misappropriation.

"I love the idea of being someone that people who may not fit the mold of a 'typical' Irish dancer can look up to," Bullock says, per the New Statesman. "Being in the position to inspire others as a Black woman in Irish dance is just amazing to me." As it turns, Bullock has some important allies in her corner. An Irish radio program was interviewing her when Padraic Moyles, lead dancer in Riverdance, called in to invite her to perform with the troupe when it visits the US. "Thank you for having the guts ... to put yourself out there," Moyles told her, per the Irish Examiner. No word on when Riverdance will be able to resume touring. (More uplifting news stories.)

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