Background
Flynn was born on 1 August 1979 in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland.
Flynn was born on 1 August 1979 in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland.
Bernadette attended Saint Mary Secondary school in Ireland.
Her family has always been very supportive of her dancing. At the age of four she started at the Browne Academy of Dance, studying under Dorian Browne. She has no regrets about leaving her school behind, saying, "This is what I"ve always wanted to do, it"s a dream come true for any Irish dancer".
When Flynn auditioned for, she was chosen to dance the lead role of Saoirse the Irish Colleen while Gillian Norris was chosen to dance the lead role of Morrighann the Temptress.
Flynn is the original Saoirse and appears on both the original Digital Video Disc as well as the Feet of Flames Digital Video Disc. Of her role, she has said:
"I had no idea I would get a lead role. Gillian and I just went along to the auditions just hoping to get in.
We both went into as backline dancers. We"d only seen Michael Flatley in Riverdance and when we had to meet, it was like "Michael Flatley, oh my god!"
After the auditions we went to the rehearsals and were just learning the dances and steps.
At this stage, we hadn"t been given a storyline.
lieutenant was very, very difficult to get used to using our hands as well. One day we all had to dance using our hands, and Gillian and I began to stand out. After two weeks we stepped into our roles as good girl and bad girl and started to arrive early to rehearse and leave late.
lieutenant was all unsaid for a while, but then we were told we were to take the lead roles in the Point in Dublin.
We were told it could last a day, a week, a month or maybe even years!"
Michael Flatley has said of Flynn: "Dancing with Bernadette is like dancing with the air, you don"t have to look and see where she is. You can feel her no matter where she is on the stage."
He is one of the male leads and plays the Flynn prefers show dancing to competition, because she loves the freedom she has while performing.
She has broken a bone in her foot, as well as having a couple of ligament sprains. Highlights of her career include dancing at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles and for the President of Ireland during a visit to Nenagh.
She can also be seen in two Olive Hurley Dance instructional videos: Irish dancing Step by Step and The 25th Anniversary World Championship.
In January 2009, both Bernadette and Damien represented Ireland on the National Broadcasting Company hit reality television show "Superstars of Dance".
Her husband Damien O"Kane is also a member of the troupe and has been so since the beginning in 1996.