Megan Downes

Teaches at City Stompers

Megan Downes performs and choreographs old style Irish steps, sean nós, Canadian step traditions and American clogging and flatfooting. She trained in competitive step dance with National Heritage Fellow Donny Golden, learned traditional Irish set pieces, old-time waltzes and vaudeville routines from Josephine McNamara and country sets from traveling master Connie Ryan. After graduating with a BA in Anthropology from Smith, Megan returned to NYC to teach traditional dance and directed the dance program at the Irish Arts Center for many years as a volunteer.

She calls dances and teaches workshops, including 14 years at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing and at the Augusta Heritage Center at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia. As a principal dancer with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble for 16 years, Megan performed with the Turtleduhks at the Ulster-American Folk Park, in The Crossing with Tim O’Brien, and with StepAfrika. A member of SAG-AFTRA and ASCAP, Megan is known for co-writing the popular Uncle Earl song “Crayola” with Kristin Andreassen, and was hired by Columbia Pictures to teach Brad Pitt, and dance with him and Harrison Ford in the film "The Devil's Own".

Megan has toured or performed as a guest artist with Billy McComiskey, James Leva, The Duhks, Lúnasa, and Danny Knicely & The Furnace Mountain Band. Megan has been the Artistic Director and Principal Teacher of the City Stompers since 2011. She currently teaches Appalachian clogging for The City Stompers and Irish dance at Theatre 80 St.Mark’s.