ÉRIU DANCE COMPANY'S 'LINGER' All Ireland Tour 6-31 March

'Lïnger' is a critically-acclaimed contemporary Irish dance work involving former principal of Riverdance Breandán de Gallaí and Nick O’Connell, two male dancers at opposite ends of their dancing careers. Following stellar reviews at home and at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, Ériu Dance Company returns to Ireland with an eight venue tour of 'Lïnger' this spring.

Choreographed and directed by Breandán de Gallaí, this immersive work explores identity, sexuality, and aging, unfolding through a rich tapestry of music, movement, live drawing, photography (Declan English), and film (Terry O’Leary). Lïnger offers a visceral aesthetic, the mercurial movements of youth juxtaposed with the more considered gestures of the less young. The piece harnesses this contrast, making us reflect on the passage of time and who we are at various junctures of our lives.

Irish dance is the choreographic starting point for Lïnger, yet de Gallaí is influenced by many dance genres, resulting in a new style of Irish dance unfolding on stage that is both contemporary and provocative. His artistic ethos is inspired by iconic choreographer Pina Bausch and her perspective on dancers, ("I’m not so interested in how they move as in what moves them”). By simultaneously maintaining the traditional Irish dance legacy and emphasising the expressiveness of the dance, de Gallaí strives to bring a fresh perspective to the art form.

De Gallaí explains, 'Lïnger is a meditation on masculinity, a concept that can mean many things, and it aims to leave the viewer a little closer to understanding its complexity. Lïnger is biographical, and it comes from quite a sad and painful place, but it resolves into something quite hopeful.'

"Lïnger is superb: a must-see full-on theatrical show … intensely moving … technically brilliant … breathtaking”
-Stephanie Green & Mark Harding, The Skinny

“Tender and brave”
​-Judith Mackrell, The Guardian

“In one moment there is defiance and power … a proud living in the present. But there is also repression … a closed-eye uncertainty and vulnerability to outside forces. Lïnger skilfully manages these contradictory tensions that lie at the heart of human identity.... his work has a universality that resists any one reading.”
​-Michael Seaver, The Irish Times

This tour is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council/An Chomhaírle Ealaíon.
Lïnger is a Dance Ireland Commission.
A legacy fundraising award of DI 21, presented in partnership with Dance Ireland, Dance Limerick, Firkin Crane Cork, and Project Arts Centre, Dublin.

For tour dates and more information, visit the Ériu​ Dance Company website.

---