Bluegrass Ceili Academy teams up with local artist Wylie Caudill to weave Kentucky art into Irish dance traditions
This past weekend in Lexington, artist Wylie Caudill stood surrounded by onlookers at the Woodland Art Fair, dipping his brush into a brilliant hue of blue. On his canvas, layered flower petals began to form his signature cerulean roses—a pattern that has swept across mural walls, gallery canvases and even Lexington fashion over the past few years.
Meanwhile, 300 miles north in Toledo, Ohio, a Bluegrass Ceili Academy dancer was onstage at the Great Lakes Feis. The dance costume? That exact same floral motif—custom printed onto a vest.
The collaboration between Caudill and Lexington’s community-based Irish dance school started when one of the dancers reached out to the artist after seeing the eye-popping blue rose design.
“Irish dancers are known for their flashy attire and bold fashion statements,” dancer Timothy Anderson-Williams shared.
Academy director Megan Moloney met Caudill at an event not long after and planning for new costume pieces began. With permission from the artist, Bluegrass Ceili created a team vest and incorporated the signature blue flower into a cape design for new team dresses. The costumes made their debut this summer.
“Collaborating with local artists like Wylie is such a natural extension of what we do at Bluegrass Ceili Academy,” says Moloney. “Irish dance is an art form rooted in community. Being able to weave Lexington’s vibrant contemporary art scene directly into our performance and competition costume is an absolute honor. When our dancers step onto the stage wearing Wylie’s cerulean roses, they carry a piece of Lexington’s creative spirit right alongside our tradition.”
Why cerulean blue?
Caudill first debuted his signature cerulean rose motif in 2021, drawing inspiration from a famous monologue in The Devil Wears Prada about the cultural significance of a single shade of blue. What started as an artistic study quickly evolved into one of Lexington’s most recognizable visual marks.
For Bluegrass Ceili Academy, incorporating cerulean blue wasn’t just an aesthetic choice—it was a deeply personal one. Long before Caudill’s roses were added to dancer’s costumes, cerulean blue held a profound place in Bluegrass Ceili’s identity. When the school designed its award-winning Heart Sings tartan in 2019, each thread was chosen to tell the story of its community. Every color in the design has meaning: “Blue, green, black and white signify who we are, where we began and who we hope to become.” Royal blue dominates the tartan in honor of Kentucky, the bluegrass region and the sporting spirit of the Wildcats. Vibrant green pays homage to ancestral roots in Ireland, while the black and white of the Sligo flag honors the traditional steps of the school’s dance family.
Yet it is the addition of cerulean blue—a word derived from the Latin caeruleum, meaning “heavens” or “sky”—that carries the most meaning. Incorporated into the tartan and taking inspiration from the wisdom of a beloved community mentor who now rests among the stars, cerulean serves as a constant tribute to Bluegrass Ceili’s guiding motto: “Do what makes your heart sing!”
“Bringing Wylie’s cerulean roses into the costume design bridges this cherished history with modern local artistry, reminding dancers every time they step on stage to dance with joy and share their heart with the community,” Moloney said.
Whether displayed on a downtown mural, a framed canvas or on a dance costume, Caudill’s signature cerulean roses are a testament to what happens when local creatives support one another.
For more information on artist Wylie Caudill and his signature cerulean rose artwork, visit wyliecaudill.com or follow him on social media at @wyliecaudillart.
Ready to dance with #TeamBCA?
Interested in joining our vibrant dance family? Whether you’re a beginner looking for fun or an experienced dancer ready to perform and compete, Bluegrass Ceili Academy offers community-based Irish dance instruction in Lexington for dancers of all ages. Registration for 2026-27 opens August 19.