OCTOBER 2009

dance NEWS Dance Ireland is the trading name of the Association of Professional Dancers in Ireland Ltd. Established in 1989, Dance Ireland is a membership-led organisation, operating on an all-Ireland basis, dedicated to the promotion of professional dance practice in Ireland. Incorporated in 1992 as a not-for-profit company with limited guarantee, the organisation has evolved into a national, umbrella resource whose core aims are the promotion of dance as a vibrant artform, the provision of support and practical resources for professional dance artists through our training and development programmes and advocacy on dance and choreography issues. Dance Ireland manages DanceHouse, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art dance rehearsal venue, located in the heart of Dublin’s north-east inner city. DanceHouse is at the heart of Dance Ireland activities, as well as being a home for professional dance artists and the wider dance community. Studios are available for hire. In addition to hosting our artistic programme of professional training and development, performances, exhibitions, special events and a fully equipped artists’ resource room, DanceHouse offers a range of evening classes to cater to the interests and needs of the general public.

BOARD MEMBERS Adrienne Brown Chairperson, Cindy Cummings, Megan Kennedy Secretary, Lisa McLoughlin, Anne Maher, Fearghus Ó Conchúir, Gaby Smith

DANCE IRELAND PERSONNEL Paul Johnson, Chief Executive Siân Cunningham, General Manager Audrey Houdart, Artistic Programme Manager Inga Byrne, Administrator Kelly Chen, Book Keeper Brenda Crea & Glenn Montgomery, Receptionists/Administrative Assistants Dance Ireland, DanceHouse, Foley Street, Dublin 1. Tel: 01 855 8800 Fax: 01 819 7529 Email: [email protected] Website: www.danceireland.ie

Dance Ireland News is published 12 times a year

Published by Dance Ireland, DanceHouse, Foley St, Dublin 1, Ireland. Printed by CRM Design + Print, Unit 6, Bridgecourt Office Park, Walkinstown Ave., Dublin 12, Ireland. ISSN 1649-9506 Disclaimer Dance Ireland reserves the right to edit or amend all articles or notices published in this magazine. The views expressed are those of contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of Dance Ireland members. Cover: The Curve Foundation Photo: Mermaid Arts Centre

Deadlines for next edition: November 2009 Copy & Photos: Friday 09 October Inserts: Friday 16 October All photos submitted must be accompanied by appropriate credits and acknowledgements

2 News

INTRODUCTION n this month’s issue we present our readers with another blast of invigorating Dance Ireland news, notices and opportunities. Just over the page you will find details of our final Iguest residencies with Ennio Sammarco and Tim O’Donnell, details of Dance Ireland Bursary Awards, information about our Dance Forum; Dance Artists: Making Work, Sustaining a Practice in association with the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and a new development, dates of the studio showings from our most recent bursary recipients.

Also in October our members bring you news of performances, workshops and special events happening around Ireland and abroad; something for all tastes and interests. Highlights include performances and workshops by Fidget Feet, , , Legitimate Bodies and Youth , while Animated State take part in this year’s Imagine Arts Festival. Also this month calls for applications for I.F.O.N.L.Y dance festival, workshop opportunities from Dance Artist in Regional Ireland (DARI) and masterclasses with Introdans at Baboró festival Galway and master classes with Irish Ballet Forum at DanceHouse.

Dance Ireland would also like to make a last request to all those who have not yet renewed their membership to do so as soon as possible. Although we have received an outstanding response to our recent membership drive, especially in the student and professional performer / choreographer categories, many renewals remain outstanding. As a member-led organisation, you, our members are essential to the success of our efforts to support, develop and promote dance in Ireland. For information on our membership and application forms visit www.danceireland.ie, email [email protected] or contact Inga on 01 884 8103.

And finally, it gives us great pleasure to introduce our new Artistic Programme Manager, Audrey Houdart. Audrey has worked within several international arts organisations and festivals such as the Centre National de la Danse (CND), Culturesfrance, Les Hivernales / Choreographic Development Centre (Avignon) and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival before joining Dance Ireland. Audrey holds a BA in French Literature, an MA in Comparative Literature from UCC, and an MA in Theatre Production from the Sorbonne Nouvelle University. Audrey can be contacted by telephone on 01 884 8101 or by email [email protected].

On behalf of the Dance Ireland team we bid a fond farewell and sincere thank you to our departing Development Officer Elisabetta Bisaro; we wish her all the best in her future career.

3 DANCE IRELAND PROGRAMME

If you have further questions, please contact Audrey Houdart, Artistic Programme Manager by telephone at 01 884 8101 or by email [email protected].

CHOREOGRAPHIC BURSARY RECIPIENTS 2008/2009 Presentation of work 09 October @ 2pm DanceHouse Admission free Hailing from all corners of Ireland, recipients of Dance

: Photocall Ireland Photocall : Ireland’s Choreographic Bursary Awards 2008/2009 will gather in DanceHouse on Friday 09 October to

Source perform the first of three informal studio showings. The showings will then be followed by a discussion Choreographic Bursary Awards 08/09 with the recipients about their work and the choreographic bursary process. CHOREOGRAPHIC BURSARY AWARD During this first session Laura Murphy will present 2009/2010 two videos of her work-in-progress Lovely, a duet Call for applications performance by herself and Ailish Claffey. Becky Reilly Deadline: 02 October @ 5pm will show sample shots of her dance film Hoover Interviews: 12 and 13 October society, combining three elements: film, dance and costume. Hoover Society performers include Becky For the third successive year, Dance Ireland is offering Reilly, Robert Jackson and Deirdre Murphy. Having Choreographic Bursary Awards. Choreographers, who performed her work in progress in April, Leonie are professional (performer/choreographer) McDonagh (ponydance Company) will also take part members of Dance Ireland, are encouraged to apply. in the informal discussion. We wish to respond to proposals that are daring and imaginative and to support choreographers who The Dance Ireland Choreographic Bursary Awards wish to make new departures. These bursaries are to 2008/2009 were brought about thanks to significant buy time for practice research and development, over support from the Arts Council, whose funding a six to nine month period, commencing from enabled us to award €60,000 in total to the 12 October 2009 onwards. successful artists. Bursary recipients were Nick Bryson, Mark Carberry, Emma Fitzgerald, Elena Giannotti, The Choreographic Bursary Award will give Laura Murphy, Leonie McDonagh, Rebecca Reilly, choreographers the breathing space to explore new Mary Wycherley, Eddie Kay, Áine Stapleton, Emma avenues of interest, and address self-identified areas Martin and Ingrid Nachstern. of development, which cannot be addressed within their normal working process. We ask choreographers The two remaining performance dates will take place to identify their own needs and aspirations. A on Friday 06 November and Friday 11 December. For detailed information sheet can be found on the further information on the Choreographic Bursary Dance Ireland website www.danceireland.ie. Awards visit www.danceireland.ie.

4 : Photocall Ireland Photocall : Source

Choreographic Bursary Awards 08/09

DANCE FORUM Cork; Michael Klein from Daghdha Dance Company, Dance Artists: Making Work, Sustaining a Practice representatives from Dance Artists in Rural Ireland 16 October (DARI) and the Genesis Project Dublin. 9.30am – 4.30pm The forum is supported by the Arts Council’s Drumroe Village Hall, University of Limerick European Cultural Contact Point, and is a joint In recent years many interesting and innovative initiative between Dance Ireland and the Irish World spaces, and collective structures, have been Academy of Music and Dance. developed with the expressed purpose of supporting For further information and panallist’s profile visit dance artists to research, develop and present their www.danceireland.ie; or to book a place contact Inga work. All of these spaces and structures, whether they on 01 884 8103; email [email protected]. have been developed in response to individual and/or collective needs, or designed to act as catalysts for change, reflect the artistic, social and political ideals of the people who created them. This INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATE ARTIST one-day event will provide an opportunity to hear RESIDENCY presentations, from invited panellists, about models Ennio Sammarco that have developed in specific cultural contexts, Contemporary countries and counties. It will also provide an 27 - 30 October opportunity for discussion and debate about how French choreographer Ennio Sammarco will be back these models support artists in building constructive in Dublin for his last week of residency in relationships, in evolving their working process and in DanceHouse. During their recent residency time at realising their aspirations to develop and disseminate DanceHouse Ennio & Cynthia worked with their art. photographer and visual artist Elena Gallotta, whom A diverse and interesting group of national and they met through Filmbase, to film their last days of international speakers will present and talk about research, together and separately, inside and outside their models and experiences. Presenters are Jan of the studio. The result, a short video-witness of a Ritsema (Performing Arts Forum); Tatiana Galleau, time that is not made to…, about research, efforts, Administrator of Le Pacifique|CDC Grenoble; Joan connections or loneliness, will be shown at Davis; Jane Kellegher from Blank Canvas Firkin Crane DanceHouse on Friday 30 October at 4pm. Having

5 Dance and has been a body worker since 1991. Currently he is teaching and performing in NYC where he resides. Tim recently performed in Myriad Dance’s One Penny Operas at DanceHouse as part of the 2009 Absolut Fringe Festival. Class work will incorporate a wide range of somatic and body based practices that challenge students to hone their attention to what is happening in their bodies and how they think about it as they work. Students will be encouraged to approach new information with an open curiosity, to experiment, to study it and to discern its value as it applies directly to themselves and their classmates. Ample opportunities will be given for students to develop their eye as a means to offer insight into one another’s growth and development. With

: Tim O’Donnell : thoughtfulness, dedication, and rigor, we will all work together to achieve our goals and to increase our

Source capacity as artists.

Tim O’Donnell Places for this workshop are limited and can be booked by contacting reception on 01 855 8800 or by written for Ennio and Cynthia during their residency, email [email protected]. Duncan Keegan will also take part in the informal post performance discussion. During his final week in Ireland Ennio will be teaching morning class from 27 to 30 October. Class work is based on the experience acquired as a performer, the necessity to have everyday a body physically and mentally ready for the adventure of contemporary creation. From the pleasure of waking up to the discovery, the morning class remains a privileged moment to experiment and renew one’s knowledge and experience. Control and flexibility, the relation with the partners (the floor as the first one), rhythmic

and spatial precision are at the centre of Ennio’s Tim O’Donnell : classes. Source INTERNATIONAL GUEST TEACHING RESIDENCY Tim O’Donnell Tim O’Donnell Contact Improvisation: The Balance of Listening DANCE MASTERCLASS WITH 09 - 13 November INTRODANS 10am - 1pm Baboró International Arts Festival for Children Dance Ireland members €12; non-members €14 17 October @ 4pm Members who book on the first day of the workshop Iris Reyes Blanco from Introdans will lead a repertoire can now buy a class card for the reduced rate of €50 masterclass for professional and semi professional dancers (ages 16+). This is an opportunity to work Tim O’Donnell has been studying, teaching and with one of the best dance companies in Europe. This performing contact improvisation for over 12 years. special once off masterclass is presented with the His exploration in the form is strongly rooted in a support of Dance Ireland. deep physical listening and a sense of adventure. His classes range from the gentle and subtle to the For venue details contact Baboró Office on acrobatic and fluidly athletic. He holds an MFA in 091 562 667 or by email: [email protected].

6 COMPANY NEWS

ANIMATED STATE Samsara 28 October @ 8pm Imagine Arts Festival Price: €15 www.imagineartsfestival.com Animated State presents their new work Samsara as part of this year’s Imagine Arts Festival. Samsara considers a constant energy that moves between the

calm and the frenetic, searching and finding, Ballet Ireland : travelling and arriving. This precarious pathway is

sketched by the relationship of bodies, sound and Source elements of improvisation to communicate on a sentient level with honesty and immediacy. This Cinderella performance, choreographed by Libby Seaward, sees dancers Jess Rowell and Steven Johnson joined by after’ where Cinderella and Prince Charming struggle acclaimed musician and composer Francesco Turrisi. to overcome their differing backgrounds. Along the Animated State is supported by City way, Morgann’s new work explores in more depth the Council. supporting characters of the ‘ugly’ sisters and the often forgotten Buttons. Morgann has been choreographing for Ballet Ireland since 2005, creating over eight works for the company including two full- length collaborations, A Christmas Carol and Die Fledermaus, with Artistic Director Gunther Falusy. As an extra treat, this evening of high-quality ballet will open with a short Lyric Suite by one of Britain’s most prolific and outstanding choreographers, Michael Corder. The production opens at the NCH on Oct 24th before

: Libby Seaward Libby : embarking on a nationwide tour. Details also available on www.balletireland.com/touring. Source

Samsara CORK CITY BALLET BALLET IRELAND 19 – 21 November Cinderella and Lyric Suite www.corkcityballet.com www.balletireland.com Cork City Ballet, in association with the Cork Opera Ballet Ireland present an exquisite new two-act ballet, House, recently launched its forthcoming production Cinderella, choreographed by Morgann Runacre- of The Nutcracker, which will run at the Cork Opera Temple. The tale starts with the most famous incident House 19 - 21 November. of a lost shoe in fictional history and continues past the wedding scene to the not quite so ‘happily ever For this festive production, Cork City Ballet is

7 delighted to announce chef Grainne, is a fresh, healthy and delicious that the Prima Ballerina complement to a day of creativity and of Ballet Russe, Chika communication. Temma, will star as the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Also this month Daghdha are happy to announce company’s first full- that Fearghus Ó’Conchúir has been awarded the length production of Daghdha residency for 2009. The company thank The Nutcracker. Leading everyone who applied and aim to announce more the cast on an residencies for national and international artists in enchanting journey 2010. Updates on their current events and through the Land of opportunities can be found at Snow to the magical www.facebook.com/daghdha. Kingdom of the Sweets, Chika’s interpretation of

: Cork CityBallet Cork : DANCE ARTISTS IN REGIONAL IRELAND the Sugar Plum Fairy is (DARI) world-renowned. Source University of Limerick Irish ballerina Monica 17 & 18 October The Nutcracker Loughman will also star Drumroe Village Hall in the production, Dance Ireland members: €25 (1 day) €40 (2days) together with dancer Robert Gabdullin, Non members: €30 (1 day) €50 (2 days) and Leigh Alderton, who trained at London’s Royal [email protected] Ballet School. Enhanced by magnificent costumes specially commissioned and made at the Kirov Ballet After the successful weekend in Birr with Joan Davis, in St. Petersburg, Cork City Ballet’s Nutcracker Dance Artists in Regional Ireland are delighted to promises to be a thrilling spectacle of sumptuous announce the next weekend of reflection and dance delights. networking, this time hosted by the University of Limerick. The sessions will be lead by D.A.R.I. core This production by Cork City Ballet will be members, Catherine Young, Tanya McCrory, Cristina choreographed by its Artistic Director - Alan Foley, Goletti and Nick Bryson as well as guest tutor. D.A.R.I together with Yuri Demakov from the Bolshoi Ballet. is hosted by the University of Limerick, Mary Nunan It will feature principals, soloists, and a full corps de and supported by Dance Ireland. The event is open to ballet in this seasonal classic for the entire family. all professional dancers. Saturday DAGHDHA DANCE COMPANY 09.30 - 11.15 Yoga (Catherine) & Daghdha does brunch Seated Meditation (Tanya) 03 October 11.30 - 13.00 Dance Technique (Cristina) 11am – 2pm 13.00 - 14.30 Lunch Daghdha space, St. John’s church Admission free 14.30 - 16.00 Choreography Workshop (Nick) www.daghdha.ie 16.15 - 17.45 Massage for dancers (Tanya) Daghdha Dance Company would like to invite you all 18.00 - 19.00 Open Showings & Discussions to join them in welcoming the new artists on the Daghdha Mentoring Programme (DMP) with the Sunday return of Daghdha does brunch. Saturday 03 October 09.30 - 10:00 Walking Meditation (Tanya) will be hosted by the fifteen artists joining Daghdha’s 10.15 - 12.15 Dance Technique (Mary) 09/10 programme in choreography and dance, an 12.15 - 12.45 Discussion on Technique (Mary) ideal opportunity to witness dance and performance in a relaxed and informal setting, curated by 12.45 - 14:15 Lunch dramaturge Steve Valk with the DMP artists. 14.15 – 16.00 African Dance with live drumming (Catherine) The whole family is welcome for a morning of live 16.15 – 17.00 Finishing Discussion performances, installations, relaxation, brunch, reading the morning paper and much more, all within the relaxed social lounge setting of daghdha space, St. John’s church. The food, prepared lovingly by our www.danceireland.ie 8 called Madam Silk, which will be performed at two venues only before embarking on a nationwide tour in 2010 with some dates in Iceland, France and UK. Aerial workshops Master class Aerial Workshops in Fabric with Fred Deb’ Fee: €70 (one day) €120 (two days) Acceptance on course will be subject to experience 30 October 11:00 – 18.00 The Village Hall, Longford : Kiaran Harnett : 12 November 11.00 – 18.00

Source Tralee Circus Festival in Siamsa Tire Theatre

Dance Theatre of Ireland Beginners Aerial Workshops in Cocoons with Fidget Feet DANCE THEATRE OF IRELAND Fee: €50 for one day Dance Performance Outreach Programme All levels welcome www.dancetheatreireland.com 13 November 11.00 – 15:00 October sees Dance Theatre of Ireland begin Tralee Circus Festival in Siamsa Tire Theatre preparing for a new theatre production after their extensive run of BLOCK PARTY! and are about to carry For details and bookings on workshops contact out numerous workshops throughout Ireland as part Sheenagh Gillen, FF General Manager on of their Dance Performance Outreach Programme [email protected] or Chantal McCormick, FF Artistic (DANCE POP). They will also be teaching as part of the Director on [email protected]. southeast schools initiative, with residencies culminating in informal performances. Dance Theatre of Ireland’s next ten-week term of classes has begun and will run through to 05 December, with daytime, evening & weekend classes. New classes include Swing Dance with Jamie Furler (USA), Modern Dance for 5-7 year olds and their parents and Ballroom & Social Dancing. For class details and a full timetable visit www.dancetheatreireland.com. Enrolment can be made by contacting Dance Theatre of Ireland on 01 280 3455 or email [email protected].

FIDGET FEET AERIAL DANCE COMPANY Madam Silk www.fidgetfeet.com Fidget Feet begin their residency with the Firkin Crane in October where they will be working on film research for Madam Silk. Their residency, which runs from 11 – 23 October, will culminate with an informal showing at 8pm on Friday 23 October at the Firkin Crane dance studios. The company will also be offering workshops during this period. For more details visit www.firkincrane.com. Jym Daly :

Fidget Feet and Fred Deb’ from Cie Drapès Aerièns Source (France) have been working together since 2008, this collaboration has resulted in a stunning new show Float

9 FIRKIN CRANE Arno Schuitemaker (The Netherlands) on R-ated a Blank Canvas duet with Cristina Goletti and Oscar Padrosa / Petr www.firkincrane.ie Oparsky exploring the theme of violence as entertainment. In the second two weeks Legitimate This month Firkin Crane will host Fidget Feet as part Bodies began devising a new dance theatre piece. of their Blank Canvas residencies. Fidget Feet will be Sharing this work in progress, Nick Bryson and working on their trio Madam Silk, integrating Damian Punch took us on an imaginative journey to elements of film. Choreographer Fred Deb’ (Drapés outer space through dance and dialogue. Aériens) will work with Chantal Mc Cormick from Fidget Feet (Donegal), Lindsey Butcher from Gravity At the end of October Firkin Crane will welcome and Levity (Brighton), and Jennifer Paterson from All Phluxus Dance Collective from Brisbane, Australia. or Nothing (Scotland) to develop this aerial dance Nerida Matthaei, Chafia Brookes and Skye Sewell, are piece - manifesting on stage visions of movement three independent dance artists devise and create through a sensual maze of fabric, film and animation. collaboratively since 2006. In 2009 Phluxus appeared At the end of their Blank Canvas residency, Fidget in the 2009 Short Sweet and Dance Festival in Sydney, Feet will reveal work in progress in an informal a season at The Street Theatre in Canberra. In sharing free of charge and open to all on Friday 23 residence with Blank canvas 2009 for the month of October, 6pm at the Firkin Crane Studios. To be November, Phluxus plan to develop new work completed in spring 2010 Madam Silk will tour culminating in a double bill showing established and Ireland, UK and France. new work on 26 November at the Firkin Crane. Blank Canvas Phase 3 ended with a sharing by For any queries/questions you have on the BLANK Shakram Dance Company (Mairead Vaughan and CANVAS residency program please contact Dara O’Brien) and Legitimate Bodies Dance Company [email protected]. (Nick Bryson and Cristina Goletti) Mairead Vaughan created an experience relating choreography to the Firkin Crane’s architecture and giving a glimpse of I.F. O.N.L.Y. FESTIVAL their explorations into experimental ways to capture Call for applications movement through film. This sharing marked the end 17 December of Shakram’s residency working with four dancers in a Birr Theatre and Arts Centre period of research and development for the creation www.birrtheatre.com of a new site-specific dance film. This is a final call for applications for the I.F. O.N.L.Y. While in residence with Blank Canvas, Legitimate festival of solo performance in Birr Theatre and Arts Bodies were working on two projects. In the first two Centre on Thursday 17 December. To apply please weeks the company worked in collaboration with forward a short bio, DVD of proposed work and technical requirements to Legitimate Bodies Dance Company, c/o Birr Theatre and Arts Centre, Oxmantown Mall, Birr, Offaly. For further information please e-mail [email protected]. : Legitimate Bodies Legitimate : : Dragan Tomas Dragan : Source Source

Firkin Crane Touching Distance

10 IRISH BALLET FORUM Dance Company have also been awarded a Master Classes commission to create a new dance piece during this 26 October residency. The Company will also tour in Latin 1 – 4pm America. Admission free www.balletireland.com

Irish Ballet Forum’s first event will be master classes given by Alan Foley and Anne Maher. Talented students will have an opportunity to dance alongside professional dancers from Ballet Ireland and Cork City Ballet. This event is supported by Dance Ireland and will be held at DanceHouse on 26 October at 1pm. Students aged 14 and over, who are of intermediate

standard or above, are invited to attend. The master Bodies Legitimate : classes are free, but places are limited. Students must

apply individually for a place by phoning 046 Source 9557585 or by emailing [email protected]. Teachers are invited to attend the master classes to Hanging in There observe. This is the first in a series of master classes which will be facilitated by Irish Ballet Forum over the coming year. LEGITIMATE BODIES DANCE COMPANY Double bill tour Irish Ballet Forum (IBF) was established last January [email protected] by a number of organisations and people from the professional ballet community. Its aim is to serve and Legitimate Bodies are delighted to announce the tour advance ballet in Ireland. Chief amongst IBF’s aims are of a double bill that includes their Belfast Festival at to unify individuals and organisations working in Queen’s debut. This is a moment of gravitas as classical dance, to create a strong and cohesive voice Hanging in There, the work about Northern Ireland and to promote ballet in Ireland and Irish ballet. Irish politics will be performed in Belfast. The Old Museum Ballet Forum’s core focus is on the strengthening of Arts Centre plays host to Hanging in There on 28 & 29 the fundamental framework and infrastructure for October. Irish ballet. Ultimately, we exist to assure ballet Touching Distance is a dance for the age of recession professionals can train, create, perform, and excel where three working women get back in touch with without having to leave Ireland in the future. Further themselves as they battle to stay in control of their information on IBF can be found by visiting the ballet working lives as the money runs out. With Ireland website www.balletireland.com. choreography by Nick Bryson, the work will be danced by Cristina Goletti, Rohanna Halls and Isabella JAZMIN CHIODI Oberlander. Music is by Michael Fleming and Mo Benison. For touring dates and information contact Excel Centre Dance Residency legitimate bodies by email: www.iselichiodi.com [email protected]. South Tipperary County Council Arts Service and Arts & Culture Centre have extended their support for another year of dance residency REX LEVITATES DANCE COMPANY directed by Jazmin Chiodi and Alexandre Iseli. September in review Developing contemporary dance remains their www.rexlevitates.com central focus as well as their principal challenge. Throughout the year they will teach in schools and September has been a busy month for Rex Levitates community groups, some weekend workshops will performing 12 Minute Dances, choreographed by Liz also be organised. The season began this September Roche, at the Absolut Fringe Festival Dublin and with a new session of classes that will run throughout Unsung at both Kilkenny Arts Festival and Edinburgh the year. Classes take place in Excel Arts and Culture Fringe Festival. 12 Minute Dances received a five star Centre in Tipperary Town. review from the Irish Times and an outstanding response from audiences, as did Unsung on its touring Jazmin and Alexandre, Choreographers of Iseli-Chiodi dates in Ireland and Scotland.

11 YOUTH BALLET WEST The Celebration / Once Upon a Time 18 October 3pm & 7pm Baboró International Festival for Children www.youthballetwest.ie This October sees Youth Ballet West premier their new works The Celebration and Once Upon a Time, as part of Baboro (The International Arts Festival for Children) taking place in Galway Town Hall Theatre. : Fionn McCann Fionn : The Celebration, choreographed by Cathy Sharpe, highlights the young dancers energy and youth, Source providing an inspiring outlet for their technical Minute Dances abilities. Youth Ballet West has been supported by the Arts Council’s Commissions Awards Scheme to create Rex Levitates would like to say a big thank you to this piece. their dancers, musicians, designers and technical crew for their wonderful work throughout this month Choreographed by Judith Sibley, and set to a magical of performances and touring. 12 Minute Dances and score by John Lanchberry Once Upon a Time takes the Unsung performances were made possible with the audience on a spellbinding journey through many support of the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, Deis and favourite classic tales, including Snow White, Red Absolut Fringe Festival. For upcoming Rex events and Riding Hood and Goldilocks. Tickets for these information find them on facebook. performances can be booked by phoning 091 569777. SIAMSA TÍRE Recent performances have included Ballet Egyptian at the Volvo Ocean Race (May), The Dublin Youth Dance Rithim Rhythm 25 September @ 8.30pm Price: €17 / €15 www.siamsatire.com The Irish Premiere of Rithim Rhythm, a collaborative performance featuring dancers from the Printz Dance Project (San Francisco) and The National Folk Theatre, kicks off in Siamsa Tíre, Tralee as part of Culture Night on Friday 25 September at 8.30pm, before touring to Cork, Belfast and Limerick. A heady mix of traditional and contemporary dance, and choreographed by Artistic Directors, Stacey Printz (PDP) and Jonathan Kelliher (NFT), Rithim Rhythm is crammed with Irish step, beat boxing and funky moves. Eleven dancers take to the stage in an exhilarating 70 minutes of vignettes, culminating in a unique collaboration which sees Irish step and modern dance effortlessly fuse and sizzle. Audience members are also invited to attend a post- show discussion at each of the venues, where the members of both companies discuss the genesis of the collaboration and what the experience has brought to their individual practices. : Stephen Macken Stephen : Siamsa Tíre is supported by the Arts Council. Culture

Night Tralee has been sponsored by The Department Source of Arts, Sport & Tourism, Kerry County Council and Tralee Town Council. Kingdom Come

12 Festival in Dun Laoghaire and the Galway Arts Festival’s Macnas Parade (July), a fund raising OTHER DANCE NEWS extravaganza on the streets of Galway raising €1,200 (August) and a TG4 show about the company on its primetime Ponc slot (September). COLLEGE OF DANCE Youth Ballet West (YBW) would also like to New junior associate classes for boys congratulate the twenty-five young dancers who From 22 September were recently selected through audition to join the 5 – 6.30pm company. YBW is a non-profit making organisation Price: €100 per 12 week term / €10 per class and membership of the company is free. By providing www.collegeofdance.com the opportunity for young dancers to gain performance experience, train with top-class The College of Dance will be offering junior associate teachers, work with acclaimed choreographers and classes for boys wishing to study classical ballet. work closely with professional dancers Youth Ballet Classes taught by Stephen Brennan (Ballet Ireland) West aim to lead these young dancers to fully will take place from 5pm to 6.30pm on Tuesday develop their artistic potential. evenings. For further information contact [email protected].

YOUTH DANCE CELEBRATION 09 The College would also like to congratulate Elizabeth Benham who has been awarded a Bank of Ireland 24 October @ 2 pm Millennium Scholarship. Benham will now continue Price: €8 (Group rate 5 for €30) her studies at London Studio Centre. She is the eighth College of Dance student to have received this Imagine Arts Festival presents a lively showcase of prestigious scholarship. the local youth dance scene. This unique annual event, now in its 7th year, brings together young dancers from a variety of disciplines, including classical ballet, contemporary dance, jazz, hip hop, FORCE MAJEURE traditional and modern Irish dance, in an exciting The Age I’m In celebration of dance styles. Entertaining for all the 06 – 10 October @ 8pm family and a great opportunity to discover and enjoy Pavilion Theatre € € the local youth dance scene. Enjoy the newly 20/ 30 regenerated Theatre Royal. www.forcemajeure.com/au It’s not how old you are, but how you are old. Force Majeure’s The Age I’m In is a poignant, witty and revealing portrait of how we inhabit the age we’re in throughout our lives. Woven together and brought to life by the company’s distinctive dance-theatre language, a diverse selection of Australian aged between fourteen and eighty offer astonishingly personal responses to a range of emotive issues, creating an intimate and warm-hearted snapshot of the ageing process. Under acclaimed director Kate Champion, this remarkable performance which won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Company at the 2009 Australian Dance Awards, skilfully combines audio visual technology, real-life interviews and a distinctive physical language to take a fresh and humorous look at generational clichés, family interactions and the complexity of human relationships. : Derek Speirs : Source

Youth Dance Celebration www.danceireland.ie

13 LD DANCE AT SHAWBROOK Celebrating 25 Years of Summer School Author: Annica Lowe www.shawbrook.org In 1984 a few brave young dancers (including Lisa McLoughlin and Olwen Grindley) arrived at Shawbrook, a working dairy farm for the first one week residential summer school, cost: £25

We had a leaky tent, one stranded caravan, a dance Speirs Derek : studio with dressing room (floor space used for sleeping), one toilet, no showers or cooking facilities. Source Anica taught classes, cooked, cleaned and managed almost on her own. Every evening Anica took LD Dance at Shawbrook everyone to the Inny River (bring shampoo) to “swim”. Then hurry back to the farm, make a fire, eat barbeque MERMAID ARTS CENTRE (no vegetarians then), sit on straw bales, tell ghost The Curve Foundation Dance Company stories, and go to bed (bed time was difficult in those 15 October @ 8pm days). Make a fire in the morning, for toast, plenty of Price: €16 / €14 Concession raw milk (just scoop out of tank) for cereal, sitting in www.mermaidartscentre.ie sleeping bags with sleepy eyes. Class started at 10am. Sometimes after dinner costumes will be rummaged Mermaid Arts Centre presents a triple bill by Scottish through, dances and stories made up. When Leonore dance company The Curve Foundation. These Medina arrived from Mexico we were introduced to performances will feature the Irish premiere of Cunningham and contemporary dance. That “Bird Passomezzo by renowned choreographer Ohad Dance” with Philip Glass music, will we ever forget? Naharin, the classic O Caritas by Peter Darrell CBE and Unforgettable too was Mick M. Dolan’s interpretation the eagerly awaited premiere of Close-Up by of Prince’s Purple Rain until 3 in the morning. Fernando Hernando Magadan of Netherlands Dance Theatre. Now 2009 Shawbrook has just run 5 weeks of summer school, 9 performances, attracting over a hundred dancers, being taught by international CHOREOGRAPH.NET teachers. No more cows lots of trees, and in place of From Framing Paper for ‘Still Open’ by Ellen Kilsgaard milking Philip cooks hundreds of meals. Anica is there I am experimenting with how much information we to observe, learn, lend a hand, and make it all happen. can sense or receive from each other, how this Do we still turn out as many dancers? Do we still information passes between us and how the change people’s lives? Perhaps not so radically processing of this information might come to have anymore. But we introduce much more people to dynamic and qualitative expression. I am questioning much more dance. how an embodied communication may become performance or whether it is an approach to make And I hope to think we still make a difference and performance, or both. I try calling the work: embodied give support to those who really want to dance connectivity in multiple directions as once. seriously. I experiment with how the event of meetings and Scholarships 2009 non-meetings may be the instances that determine Week One: spatial patterns and energetic dynamics. (Whatever Shauna McCormack and Eleanor Waldron (Anica) dynamics, emotions or ‘games’ arise I consider them having an artistic potential. Also conflicts, clashes and Week Two: misunderstandings I find very potent in this context.) Aoife O’Keefe (Rachel Goode) and Gwen O’Driscoll (Emma Hayward) I think of these ‘meetings’ as for example the meeting of a magnifying glass and the sun. There is a series of Week Three: different elements which align, something dry, Meagan Hoare (Debbie Allen) and Niamh Carey someone to hold the magnifying glass and a building (Phyllis and Judith) up of intensity, a focusing of heat through the glass, Week Four: there is a ‘tipping point’ and a fire starts. Catching fire Christina Cullen (Sylvia Behan) and Charlotte is the instance of the meeting. The fire itself is what Govier (Margaret Hunter) you see as the material.

14 15 DANCE IRELAND MORNING CLASS @ DANCEHOUSE

28 Sept - 02 October Michael Martin Dolan Yoga 05 - 09 October Ballet Ireland Ballet 12 - 16 October Ballet Ireland Ballet 19 - 23 October Lee Clayden Contemporary 26 - 30 October Ennio Sammarco Contemporary

Class Fees: DI Members: €7 per class / Non-members: €10 per class Class card available Time: 10.00am to 11.30am

For further information: www.danceireland.ie; Concession rates: DI members

PROFESSIONAL CLASS AT FIRKIN CRANE with Dance Ireland Every Wednesday Contemporary Firkin Crane, Shandon, Cork Time: 11am to 12.30pm Fees: DI Members: €7 per class / Non-members: €10 per class For more information: Firkin Crane @ 021 450 7487

PROFESSIONAL CLASS AT SIAMSA TÍRE with Dance Ireland Every Tuesday Contemporary Siamsa Tíre, Tralee, Co. Kerry Time: 9am to 11am Fees: DI Members: €5 per class / Non-members: €8 per class For more information: Catherine Young @ 087 266 0012

MAIDEN VOYAGE PROFESSIONAL CLASS with Dance Ireland Every Wednesday Contemporary Dance Resource Base Studio, 35 Donegall Street, Belfast Time: 6.30pm to 8pm Fees: DI Members: £4 per class / Non-members: £5 per class For more information: Maiden Voyage @ 0044 2890 330925

MYRIAD DANCE PROFESSIONAL CLASS with Dance Ireland Every Wednesday Contemporary Myriad Dance Studio, Wexford Time: 10am to 12noon Fees: DI Members: €8 per class / Non-members: €10 per class For more information: Myriad Dance @ 053 9174 665