Lauren Milord, a resident of Jamaica Plain, performs in Kieran Jordan Dance company’s production of “Little Gifts” with set designs by Vincent Crotty. Maryellen Malloy Photography photoThere are more than a few Dorchester natives who have childhood memories of long hours spent undergoing instruction for Irish step dancing, an art form characterized by the sound of shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. For some youngsters who have reached a certain age, the refusal to continue with these lessons constituted the first act of defiance against the authority of their well-meaning parents. The parents wanted to preserve an Irish tradition, the children just wanted to be American. During those times when dance crazes like the Twist, or the Funky Chicken were fashionable, Irish dancing seemed hopelessly outdated.

A generation later, Riverdance came along and changed things. The whirlwind success of that Irish dance troupe came as a shock to those who believed that Irish dancing would never make it into the mainstream. Imagine how those same people felt when they saw the fortunes flowing to Michael Flatley and other Irish dancers who were making a splash on the world stage. While this “show” style of Irish dancing seems to have peaked, smaller, more intimate venues are becoming more popular.

Matthew Byrne: “These songs are windows into the lives of those people, and the time and place in which they lived,” says Matthew Byrne of his repertoire, much of which comes from his family. Graham Kennedy photoAt the end of last year, Newfoundland folk singer Matthew Byrne did what countless aspiring musicians have dreamed of down through the ages: He quit his day job.

This was no spur-of-the-moment impulse move on the part of 31-year-old Byrne, however, but rather the outcome of several years of carefully assessing the trajectory of his musical career – which, following the release of his first album in 2010, only continued to rise. Toward the end of 2014, Byrne – who was providing tech support for the University of St. John’s distance education program – found himself needing so much more time to devote to his music that he went to his managers and asked for a one-year leave so he could narrow his focus. They gave it to him.

And then came 2015: He released the album “Hearts & Heroes,” which garnered widespread critical acclaim and considerable radio airplay, and he also performed more in the US, including in Lowell last year as part of the first “Summer Celtic Sojourn” show. So he returned to his bosses and put in his notice.