DDF News — 13 May 2024
DANCE OUT LOUD
Kicking off this week, Dublin Dance Festival shares dance that takes a stand, ditches convention and claims its strength. Dance that embraces the lows, celebrates the highs and welcomes our future. This year, dance demands to be heard, and with something for everyone in the Festival programme, you’re sure to find something that is music to your ears.
If you don’t know where to start with picking what to see over the next few weeks, then read on…
FOR THE WANDERLUSTY
Yes, that is definitely a real word. I have decided it is.
Every year Dublin Dance Festival brings some of the best international work to our stages, and this year is no different. If you’re daydreaming about escaping on a holiday, then perhaps you should book a ticket to Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s show 13 Tongues. A thrilling representation of the sights, sounds and vitality of street life by Asia’s leading contemporary dance company, 13 Tongues promises to transport and captivate its audiences. Or why not journey through an exploration of European folk dances through the fresh lens of street dance, hip-hop and club culture in Marco da Silva Ferreira’s CARCAÇA?
FOR THE FAMILY
We have something for all ages at the Festival, so if you are looking for a treat for the whole family, head along to Roser López Espinosa’s Cometa at The Ark. Get ready for an intergalactic adventure as a playful space explorer invites her audience to consider gravity, movement, empathy and much more in this imaginative and joyful show.
FOR THE DANCER
Dublin Dance Festival isn’t just about watching dance! There are plenty of opportunities to dance yourself with masterclasses and workshops throughout the programme. Professional level dancers and dance students can enjoy pro-intensives in Afrohouse with Fábio Januário, Far From the Norm Company’s signature style with Botis Seva and Krump with Nach. Dancers of all levels (aged 15+) can learn the fundamentals of Hip-Hop with Collectif FAIR-E and leading Irish Hip-Hop dancers.
FOR THE OUTDOORSY
With summer weather finally beginning to break through the rain, it can be hard to sit in a dark room watching a show, so why not catch some rays while you enjoy Bench #3, presented by CoisCéim Dance Theatre and Waterways Ireland. Through vibrant choreographic commissions and short live performances over two days, Bench #3 celebrates Dublin’s canals, and invites its audiences to pause, take a breath, and appreciate the beauty and creativity of everyday spaces.
FOR THE CINEPHILES
Alongside the live dance programme, Festival-goers have the chance to enjoy a fascinating new documentary from Laura Murphy, This is it | 8 Dance Portraits. Co-presented with the Irish film institute, this multifaceted documentary challenges our perceptions of dance and dancers careers as it tells the stories of eight extraordinary women in the dance sector in Ireland.
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO BE AHEAD OF THE PACK
As well as taking in some of the leading productions in the dance world today, Dublin Dance Festival audiences also get a glimpse of things to come with the Originate – Performance Showcase and Artist Pitches. At the showcase you can catch three new works in development from Amir Sabra, Luke Murphy-Attic Projects and Junk Ensemble, while at the pitches, you can hear from Croí Glan, John Scott Dance and Off the Rails Dance about their new works, creative collaborations and future plans.
FOR THE DANCE FANS, DANCE NEWBIES, AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN
Whatever you choose to see and do at Dublin Dance Festival, whether it is the exhilarating Night Dances from Emma Martin, Oliver du Bois’ unconventional co-created performance My Body of Coming Forth by Day, incisive explorations of representation, mis-representation and lack of representation in Impasse, the Olivier-award winning BLKDOG, captivating Krump-inspired choreography in Cellule, or a thrilling programme of cyphers, exhibitions and showcases in DanceScapes, make time for some dance this month and join us as we dance out loud!
Written by Saoirse Anton