Since it was established by Artistic Director Catherine Nunnes in 2002 the Dublin Dance Festival has brought international choreographers and dance companies to audiences throughout the city. Enjoying unprecedented success it became an annual event in 2008, and 2014 will mark the 10th festival. The celebrations started on Tuesday with the world premiere of home-grown performance Tundra by Emma Martin Dance at the Beckett Theatre. Also showing tonight and tomorrow evening Tundra has been praised as an ‘edgy, image driven work’ with ‘the style and pace of a Nordic noir thriller’.
The festival will also host Russell Maliphant’s new work Still Current alongside his Olivier award-nominated piece Afterlight (Part One) and the solo Two. Performed at the Abbey Theatre on May 29th, 30th and 31st it will be danced by Thomasin Gülgec, Dickson Mbi, Carys Staton and Maliphant himself. On top of this Maliphant, Dan Canham and Örjan Andersson will be holding master classes while Gandini Juggling will be putting on children’s workshops. Amongst the other highlights will be Arcane Collective’s world premiere of Return to Absence, a routine inspired by the novels of Samuel Beckett, and L’apres- midi d’un Foehn the troupe of prima Ballerina plastic bags that stole the show at the Edinburgh Festival (2013). Dancewear Central’s must-see performance however, is Bodies in Urban Spaces created by Cie. Willie Dorner. On May 24th and 25th twenty local dancers will be stations across the city forming a chain of live body sculptors. The audience is encouraged to follow the moving trail in order to rediscover Dublin’s best known sites.The Dublin Dance Festival
The Dublin Dance Festival is in full swing and celebrating its tenth anniversary in style. Up until May 31st the theatres, concert halls and streets will be filled with ballet, hip hop, swing etc. in a bid to bring contemporary dance toIreland. From Master classes with international renowned choreographer Russell Maliphant to juggling crockery sets, this year’s programme is something special.