Latest news with #DublinDanceFestival
RTÉ News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Things to do in Dublin this weekend (May 23-25)
From summer markets and walking tours to free film screenings and community street feasts, there is plenty to be doing in Dublin this weekend. South Dublin Summer Markets When: Saturday, 24 May Where: Tymon Park North, Tallaght, Dublin How much: Free entry The Tymon Park North Summer Markets are a weekly outdoor event, bringing together the best of local food, craft stalls, and family entertainment in one of Dublin's most scenic parks. Held from 11am-3pm, these markets are the perfect way to enjoy the weekend with kids, friends, or a solo adventure in the sunshine. On Saturday, the markets will be celebrating Africa Day. Expect artisan stalls, street food trucks, and plenty of live entertainment. When: Saturday, 24 May at 11am Where: Meeting Point: Hippocampus Merrion Square Park How much: €16 As part of International Literature Festival Dublin, James Murray is hosting a walking tour that explores Dublin's intimate relationship with the written word. People, places and texts of the city's queer past are explored on this unique new tour, which runs on Sat 24 May. Suitable for those aged 18 and over. Buy your ticket at ILFDublin. Dublin Dance Festival: Mosh by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin When: Friday, 23 May & Saturday, 24 May Where: Project Arts Centre, Space How much: €22 Get ready to dive into the heart-pounding chaos of the mosh pit, where dance and release collide. Taking place as part of the Dublin Dance Festival, this 60 minute performance is suitable for those aged 12+ and features loud music, smoke machines, strobe lighting and strong language, as well as references to adult topics and violence. Buy your ticket at Dublin Dance Festival. Hike and Film Screening When: Saturday, 24 May Where: Patagonia Dublin, 24 - 26 Exchequer Street How much: Reserve for free Patagonia has released Disaster Style, a new short film series following climber Zoe Hart as she navigates backcountry skiing, alpine living, and the messy, joyful reality of raising two young boys—Mika and Mathias—with her husband Max, in the mountains. The film will have screenings across Europe with a Dublin date set for Saturday, 24 May. Suitable for those ages 8 and up, the morning hike will take place in Glendalough, Co Wicklow, from 10am - 2pm. Then, the screening will open in Patagonia Dublin at 5:30pm, with free kid-friendly food and refreshments ahead of the film rolling around 6pm. Expect little people to be heading home to bed around 7:30pm. Head to Parenting: Disaster Style for more info and to reserve your spot. What A Difference A Day Made When: Saturday, 24 May, 11am - 7pm Where: Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, D07 XKV4 How much: Free / Donations accepted Celebrate the difference the YES vote made with a free community festival in Collins Barracks. This is a celebration of love, progress, and community — and everyone is welcome. There will be live music and performances from Gloria, Dublin Gay Men's Chorus, Choral Confusion and The Belle Harmonics along with some very special guests. Reserve your spot on Eventbrite. Luxury Exchange Pop Up When: Thursday, 22 May - Sunday, 25 May Where: Studio 10 on Dublin's Wicklow Street How much: Free to enter Luxury Exchange, an Irish start-up that curates collections of pre-loved designer handbags, clothing, and accessories, all at incredible value, is popping up in Dublin city centre from Thursday, 22 May - Sunday, 25 May. Each day upon opening the first visitors will receive a raffle ticket with one winner chosen daily to receive a €500 voucher for use in the pop-up. Cookbook Club X TANGO When: Sunday, 25 May from 5:30pm to 8:30pm Where: Camerino Bakery, Blackrock How much: €99-€120 A celebration of heritage, comfort food and bold Argentine flavour, every course of the Cookbook Club's TANGO event tells a story. The intimate event will bring the pages of this colourful cookbook to life through a specially curated menu. Guests will enjoy a multi-course supper at Camerino Bakery, Blackrock, along with a signed copy of TANGO to take home. Authors, Facundo and Pamela, will be there on the night, hosting a Q&A between courses. Tickets available on Eventbrite. Street Feast 2025 When: 24 & 25 May Where: Your area! How much: Whatever you put into food & drinks Host a party with your neighbours on 24 & 25 of May as part of Streat Feast 2025. Sponsored by Tesco Ireland, this neighbourhood network initiative encourages people to bring people together in front gardens, on streets and greens, in car parks, laneways, local parks and community centres. You must register your street feast at Change X and be sure to check out their website to get your free bunting, invites, posters and an informational folder. To kick the weekend off a little early, check out the improvised musical that is set to be Ireland's biggest ever homegrown fully-improvised show! After a year of sold out performances, including Scene+Heard and Dublin Fringe, Bum Notes are taking to the stage of Dublin's Royal Irish Academy of Music's Whyte Recital Hall. Get your tickets here.
Irish Times
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Irish Swan Lake star Stephen Murray: ‘After the show you're emotionally drained. Leaving it on the stage is a big challenge'
When Matthew Bourne 's Swan Lake premiered, 30 years ago, audiences embraced it with enthusiasm and some uncertainty. Never before had men taken the lead in a ballet known for its femininity; nor had a choreographer so bravely thrust together ballet and commercial dance . Back then some viewers baulked at the bare-chested men in feathers moving to Tchaikovsky's iconic score, yet in hindsight Bourne's Swan Lake foretold a future that would upend stereotypes in the dance world and the culture at large. His powerful swans ushered in a groundbreaking new era in dance, paving the way for collaboration between genres. Bourne's updated production is about to arrive in Ireland , for a run at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre as part of Dublin Dance Festival . Earlier in the tour, during an almost sold-out run at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, the audience ranges from children to pensioners, some quite familiar with ballet and others seeing it for the first time. 'It's an incredible thing that's happened with the show, because it started off being dubbed as controversial, with all those famous quotes of 'ruffling feathers in the ballet',' Bourne says, on the phone from an opening in New York, 'but actually it was quite welcomed in many ways by the ballet establishment. There were only a few diehards that had a problem with it. READ MORE 'The idea of two men dancing together 30 years ago did result in some people walking out, because it wasn't what they were expecting, like young mothers with their daughters who thought they were coming to a traditional Swan Lake. It had an air of controversy about it, but now it's been embraced by the public as almost like a family show. People bring their kids to it at Christmas.' That effect will have been intensified by the centrality of Bourne's production to the plot of Billy Elliot, Stephen Daldry's hit film from 2000. The traditional version of Swan Lake was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet, in Russia, in 1877, featuring a prince who becomes enchanted by the swan Odette as she draws him into her lakeside world. After declaring his undying devotion, the prince is tricked into falling for Odette's Doppelgänger, the black swan Odile, calling into question the idea of true love. The ballet has persevered through centuries, in large part because of Tchaikovsky's beloved music but also because of the ballet's themes and vignettes. The Dance of the Cygnets, for instance, has become an integral part of the dance lexicon. Boldly, in his rendition Bourne throws out many of the original conventions, yet he does so with such deftness and reverence to classical ballet that one wonders how any other choreographer could possibly reimagine it with equal skill. Bourne focuses on the prince, whose royal family belittles him so much that he is driven towards insanity, and as his tumultuous inner world unravels the male swans take centre stage. Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. Photograph: Johan Persson In the reimagined version of the show, to mark its 30th anniversary, the swans are even more powerfully masculine, with leaps that take them nearly shoulder-height off the floor. The prince encounters these birds in a park, having fled the palace during a moment of despair, and becomes transformed, discovering another part of himself. The second half of this Swan Lake features the lead swan making an electrifying transformation into head-to-toe black, seducing everyone – including the queen – at a palace ball. As the dramatic evening unfolds, the black swan titillates the willing guests until his allure drives the prince mad, literally. The rest of the narrative overflows with iconic scenes. In a nightclub, silhouetted dancers entice the prince to let loose with his bombshell girlfriend. In another witty tableau, costumed woodsmen and fairies perform a clever ballet within a ballet for the narcissistic queen. Bourne's humour and nod to current events strike an ideal balance between drama and dance technique. His style has inspired many young dancers to want to join his company. Matthew Bourne: 'Swan Lake is a sort of a dream piece for a lot of people to be in.' Photograph: Jeff Spicer/Getty 'I know what an effect Swan Lake has had on the next generation,' Bourne says, noting that many current members of the company had not been born when he first created it, in 1995. 'It has become this opportunity for a lot of young people to get involved in dance, particularly the men, who find it very inspiring from when they were young. It is a sort of a dream piece for a lot of people to be in.' Stephen Murray , a lead dancer performing the role of the prince, grew up in Lucan, in Co Dublin; as a boy he dreamed of a career in musical theatre. After attending classes at Westside Performing Arts and then joining Irish National Youth Ballet and the Dublin-based College of Dance , he headed to the UK, where his career took off. He has been with Bourne's company since 2016. 'When I first came here I don't think I was as confident as I am now,' Murray says. 'Matthew really coached me and gave me a lot of good advice, like how to place yourself within a scene. Working with him, you just listen and take it all in.' Stephen Murray: 'It's a very, very emotional role.' Photograph: Johan Persson Since founding his company Adventures in Motion Pictures, in 1987 – it became New Adventures in 2000 – Bourne has become synonymous with successful, large-scale productions. Swan Lake has toured multiple times around the UK, Europe, the United States and Asia. In its first year alone the show earned an Olivier Award for best new dance production and Tony Award for best choreography. Bourne has since received honorary doctorates, Critics Circle awards and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award for outstanding services to the art of ballet. Alongside the success of Swan Lake, he has been able to sell out theatres with his other shows, such as Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, Edward Scissorhands and Romeo and Juliet. Bourne also spends time in the studio creating and revamping new works, joining the company on the road whenever possible. 'Almost every day I wake up and think, 'How am I going to sell tickets today?' There aren't many directors or choreographers who think like that, I can tell you,' Bourne says. 'I'm conscious of how to reinvent the shows, and each time we do them we change our publicity and we rethink our logos. We don't just post the same thing again and again. We make it feel fresh. 'I sometimes think when things are funded to a great level [by the English Arts Council], there is less emphasis on, 'Are we actually serving the audience?' For me it's not about the money necessarily, but it's about selling a show. I really am very conscious of that.' Jackson Fisch as the Swan and Stephen Murray as the Prince. Photograph: Johan Persson Bourne's penchant for putting on shows dates back to his childhood, in London, where his parents took him to the theatre from an early age. Neither of his parents was involved in the theatre, but they exposed him to it, adding to his already burgeoning interest in film. Soon he was re-creating his own performances for the neighbours, offering tea and biscuits with the price of a ticket. Fast-forward through studying dance at London's prestigious Laban Centre – beginning his training at the relatively late age of 22 – and Bourne had found his calling. Support early on in his career came from Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of shows such as Phantom of the Opera and Cats. The two since have collaborated on West End and Broadway productions of Mary Poppins and Oliver! Their latest is Old Friends, an adaptation of Stephen Sondheim songs, starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. I have a lot of family who would never be able to make it overseas to see me. Being in Dublin, it's not a far journey away. Even close friends from school who have never seen me dance before, this will be the first time. So I'm really excited — Jade Copas 'The thing I will say that's most important to me is having a company,' says Bourne, who at 65 maintains the energy and drive of someone who is only getting started. 'It's the thing that grounds me, weirdly. Knowing that there's that continuity. It's a privilege to be able to do the work you want to do, because I know a lot of people who have to wait to be asked all the time. I can decide to do whatever it is and do it. So that is really such a privilege, not being pulled in lots of odd directions.' In Edinburgh, as the dancers prepare for Swan Lake, a sense of camaraderie spills from the dressingrooms into the stage wings, where the cast members must make multiple quick changes between the ballet's three acts. Rows of mirrors and make-up bags hang from the backstage curtain to allow for the quick application of the signature black stroke on each swan's forehead, as well as for its fast removal, for changes in character. The female ensemble dancers must also set up their prop stations carefully, complete with everything from masks to gloves and wigs. 'As the ensemble, we add the context to some of the scenes,' says Jade Copas , a dancer from Banbridge, Co Down, who joined New Adventures in 2021. 'We have our little hats and our aprons, as you see. The quickest change in the whole show happens where we run backstage, unpin our hats, put a new hat on, take our apron off and put our aprons in a little pocket. There we have a pair of gloves. We put the gloves on, someone puts pearls on our necks and then we're running to the wings and entering. That happens in the space of 20 seconds, maybe.' Swan Lake: Co Down dancer Jade Copas (second right) with Carla Contini, Molly Shaw-Downie, Anna-Maria de Freitas and Christina Walters. Photograph: Johan Persson If the backstage action challenges the ensemble dancers, the postperformance regroup can be the toughest part when dancing one of the leads, according to Murray. 'The challenge for me is definitely in this role,' he says. 'It's a very, very emotional role. We always talk about how hard the show is, like physically, but I do think with the prince, after the show, it still kind of stays with you for a bit, because you're emotionally drained. I'd say out of everything, that's the hardest thing. To leave it behind. Leaving it on the stage is a big challenge.' Murray and Copas look forward to performing to a home audience in Dublin. 'It's so special for me and also for my family,' Copas says. 'I think because my mum and dad are so supportive, they're able to fly anywhere I am and watch me in my shows. I'm so grateful for their support, always. But I have a lot of family who would never be able to make it overseas to see me. Being in Dublin, it's not a far journey away. Even close friends from school who have never seen me dance before, this will be the first time. So I'm really excited.' This will not be the first time Dublin audiences see Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake – it made its debut in the city in 2014 and returned in 2019 – yet this production has metamorphosised to change with the times. In addition to the swans' increased fervour, and a black swan with a less overtly Russian influence, it features new costumes and more streamlined sets. Regardless of these shifting details, the compelling storyline remains constant. 'Everything that happened back then with Swan Lake was pretty unexpected and unheard of and not predicted by us, certainly,' Bourne says. 'But there are other pieces I have interpreted, like Cinderella, that has my sort of family history in it, like the second World War Blitz, with my parents and grandparents, so that's a more personal kind of reason for doing that piece. 'Some dances I'm proud of because I managed to make them happen, like Sleeping Beauty. It's such a big thing to take on that sort of classic story. You're also dealing with incredibly famous music. It can be quite tough to say, 'Well, look at this version, it's different.' So I'm proud of those things. 'But Swan Lake will always be very special, because of what it's done for us and also what it continues to do.' Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake: The Next Generation is at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre , as part of Dublin Dance Festival , from Tuesday, May 20th, until Saturday, May 24th
RTÉ News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
RTÉ is Supporting 28 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this May
This May, RTÉ is delighted to support Bealtaine Festival, Fastnet Film Festival, and Dublin Dance Festival, along with 25 other arts and cultural events all over Ireland spanning theatre, film, literature, music, opera, dance, festivals, exhibitions and more. Bealtaine Festival, Ireland's national celebration of the arts and creativity as we age, is celebrating 30 years with events across the month. Fastnet Film Festival will focus on the craft of filmmaking, hosting seminars, workshops and masterclasses with industry experts on all aspects of the film industry. Dublin Dance Festival will feature bold new performances from Irish artists and leading choreographic voices from around the world. Arts and Minds, Maynooth University's annual celebration of the best in Irish and international arts and culture events, will include performances by Irish National Opera and movie screenings with acclaimed directors. Writers, artists and poets will congregate in the beautiful heritage town of Listowe in County Kerry for Writers Week Literary Festival, while Cavan Arts Festival will present a diverse range of arts and cultural experiences in the heart of Cavan Town. The annual island-wide celebration of poetry, Poetry Day Ireland, will also take place on Thursday 1st May, with the theme May Day. A host of music festivals will also take place across the country. In Tipperary, SCS Killaloe Music Festival will take place, in Offaly, Birr Festival of Music will host an array of classical music performances, and Galway Early Music Festival will host concerts, immersive musical journeys, workshops, and a multitude of local and international artists. West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival and Marble City Music Festival in Kilkenny will present a diverse programme of concerts that is sure to delight audiences, and in Waterford, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival will present A Midsummer Night's Dream. Music for Wexford Summer/Autumn Series will commence its annual series of recitals by both Irish and international musicians. Crash Ensemble and Chamber Choir Ireland will present: Jóhann Jóhannsson: Drone Mass in Limerick, Letterkenny and Dublin. In Cork, Cork International Choral Festival and Open Ear music festival will take place. LOVESONG by Abi Morgan will take to the stage at The Gate Theatre, and Dublin International Piano Competition will bring the world's top young pianists to Ireland to compete. There are also a range of exhibitions taking place, from Mainie Jellett and Evie Hone | The Art of Friendship in Dublin's National Gallery, to Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe, Changing Ireland and Dead Zoo at Large, at the National Museum. IMMA Collection: Art as Agency also continues this month. For more information about the events we are supporting this month, check out the websites listed below: Dublin and Cork Forgotten Peoples | Dublin Dublin International Piano Competition | Wexford Music for Wexford Summer/Autumn Series | Kerry Writers Week Literary Festival | Galway Galway Early Music Festival | Dublin Lovesong at The Gate | Dublin Changing Ireland | Dublin Dead Zoo at Large | Nationwide Dublin Abbey Theatre | Every year, RTÉ supports 170 arts and cultural events all over Ireland through the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme. Spanning film, music, dance, opera, festivals, literature, theatre and exhibitions, and with dedicated promotion on RTÉ's television, radio and digital services, and extensive support across RTÉ's social channels, the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme is a lifeline to Ireland's creative and cultural sectors.
Irish Times
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Behind the scenes at Luail as Ireland's national dance company prepares to open Dublin Dance Festival
When Luail 's artistic director, Liz Roche , spoke to The Irish Times last August she was in the midst of what she jokingly referred to as kicking the company into existence. The choreographer, already with a successful company of her own, had won the tender to create an all-island dance company with an Arts Council guarantee of €5 million in funding over three years. Top of her to-do list were finding a studio and offices and auditioning dancers to form the full-time core of the company. At that time any appearance onstage seemed a long way away. [ Luail director Liz Roche: 'A regular income and stability are important. We have to work towards that for all dancers' Opens in new window ] Now preparations are gathering pace for Luail's hard launch, a triple bill of dances called Chora, at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, that will open this year's Dublin Dance Festival . It features three new works: by Roche, by Luail's choreographer-in-residence, Mufutau Yusuf , and by the Barcelona-based choreographers Maria Campos and Guy Nader . But there's still some kicking to do. The company remains without a home, so rehearsals for May's performances are taking place at DanceHouse, Dance Ireland 's base in Dublin city centre, which offers six studios to a mix of companies and individuals. READ MORE The day The Irish Times visits, production meetings and other preparations are popping up in the building's other rooms and corridors. Amid all of this action, Roche suggests talking in the relative quietness of the kitchen. 'The space issue is breaking our hearts,' she says, cup of tea in hand. 'It's really hard to find somewhere central in Dublin.' One particularly promising possibility recently fell through. 'Everything was looking good, and then just something completely left of centre came in. Suddenly all of those months spent on it are gone. I feel that we can't fully take flight without our own space and without some level of permanence.' Luail artistic director Liz Roche. Photograph: Ailbhe O'Donnell At least stability is offered with the eight full-time dancers who were appointed late last year. 'The audition process itself was unusual, because we are a new company,' she says. 'We were selecting dancers without having an existing repertoire, which is a bit backwards. It wasn't about matching people to roles but more about matching energy and openness.' The core company of dancers appointed are a mix of Irish and international dancers: Jou-Hsin Chu, Conor Thomas Doherty, Clara Kerr, Sean Lammer, Tom O'Gorman, Hamza Pirimo, Rosie Stebbing and Meghan Stevens. Glòria Ros, Luail's rehearsal director, will also dance in productions, and guests will be invited to supplement the core company. Luail: Sean Lammer, Rosie Stebbing and Hamza Pirimo rehearse Chora, the triple bill with which the company will open Dublin Dance Festival 2025. Photograph: Maurice Gunning After the official business and contract signing, the first few weeks included the dancers getting to know each other, involving discussions about the company's identity and repertoire. 'We've been honest with them that the aesthetic and direction of the company is still emerging,' Roche says. 'We've talked a lot about communication and the kind of environment we want to create. What was really encouraging was their awareness of how they might help to build the identity of the new company. There's a real sense of shared responsibility. Everyone's invested in what Luail can become over the next five or 10 years.' Luail: Liz Roche, rehearsal director Glòria Ros and Katherine Hunka during preparations for Chora. Photograph: Maurice Gunning Rehearsals have been full-on since January. In addition to the three dances in Chora, work has already begun on Sarah Golding's Reverb, with music by Lisa Canny, which will tour in September and October. And the choreographer Fearghus Ó Conchúir came in for research and development time with the company. 'The dancers are constantly shifting focus and vocabularies, which really requires agility,' Roche says. 'There's a strong sense of adaptability within this group, which is something we were either very good at spotting in the auditions or just incredibly lucky to find.' Chora will show off this versatility with its trio of works highlighting different styles. 'I really liked the idea of a triple bill,' Roche says. 'I didn't want to be front and centre but, rather, present three diverse voices.' Alongside Roche's Constellations, Chora includes Yusuf's Invocation and Nader and Campos's I Contain Multitudes. Luail choreographer Mufutau Yusuf. Photograph: Alisson Rocha Roche chose to call the performance Chora because the word, which originates in Greek philosophy, refers to a concept of space as an undefined realm that exists between being and nonbeing. It is often understood as an intermediary space, neither entirely material nor fully abstract. According to Roche, Chora explores how these in-between spaces, both physical and conceptual, shift and evolve to reflect the themes of memory and connection. 'Guy and Maria's piece explores fractals and shared spaces,' she says. 'As each dancer traces their own path they interact and diverge with others, creating a kind of community. Guy and Maria's work is highly physical, and I felt it would bring the movement into an exciting place. It is strong, logical, not overly narrative, but rich in content.' Her own work, Constellations, was inspired by working as movement director on the Gate Theatre production of Nick Payne's Constellations , a play that explores a couple's relationship through the lens of parallel universes and string theory. 'Now I'm really interested in exploring these ideas purely physically,' she says. 'I wanted to look at this simple grouping of people and how what they do creates a whole different connection together. Also I wanted to look at one moment from lots of different perspectives and explore different endings and different results.' Leaving the quiet kitchen, we move to the studio, where Roche works with the dancers on fine-tuning some transitions in Constellations. Luail: Jyoti Soni, Clara Kerr, Glòria Ros Abellana, Hamza Pirimo, Sean Lammer, Rosie Stebbing and Jou-Hsin Chu rehearse Chora. Photograph: Maurice Gunning The rehearsal also includes perfecting timings between the dancers and Sam Perkin 's composition Nimbus. Minute-long sections of movement have to correlate with broad sweeps of music. During the run-throughs, Roche is happy to stand aside and let the dancers find their own internal rhythm rather than imposing strict counts on each movement. Later, in rehearsals for Invocation, Yusuf can't stop himself perfecting little details. Notebook in hand, he jumps into the group, slightly changing the position of an arm or the tilt of a head. The notebook is essential, as he likes to separate work in the studio from time spent reflecting on his choreography. Mufutau Yusuf with dancers Tom O'Gorman, Clara Kerr and Sean Lammer during rehearsals. Photograph: Maurice Gunning 'I don't like working nonstop for six or eight weeks,' Yusuf says, thankful for Luail's multiproject timetable. 'I need breaks to step away and bring fresh energy back into the work. I'm a big believer in external stimuli, letting something outside come in and shift things.' He isn't overly prescriptive, however. 'Once you're in the studio you have to negotiate between what's in your head and what actually happens. Sometimes your plan has to change because something new takes shape in the space.' Chora will feature the Irish Chamber Orchestra playing live on stage. Mufutau chose Julia Wolfe 's Dig Deep as his score . 'It's quite a complex piece, rhythmically,' he says. Luail: Sean Lamer, Meghan Stevens and Jou-Hsin Chu. Photograph: Maurice Gunning Consultations with the composer Tom Lane revealed a score that shifts time signatures constantly and would be difficult to match with movement. 'That's what makes it so thrilling – but also a challenge choreographically. At first I thought I might match the movement exactly to the music , but then I let that go. I didn't want the music to boss the movement. It's more interesting when the relationship between sound and movement emerges organically. Otherwise it can feel too literal.' Roche says this was the perfect moment to collaborate with the orchestra. 'We recently had a first rehearsal together, in Limerick, and it was amazing. Despite all the logistical challenges, it felt right. The energy between the dancers and musicians was so strong.' Dancers rehearse with the Irish Chamber Orchestra for Chora. Photograph: Maurice Gunning Mufutau agrees. 'Seeing the musicians perform live added to the choreography,' he says. 'Julia Wolfe even includes physical notes for the musicians, words like 'dig deep' written right on the score. That physicality performed by the musicians is inspiring.' Members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra during rehearsals. Photograph: Maurice Gunning As well as Reverb, Luail's plans for the year include Emma Martin 's 2015 work Dance Hall, performed with the Crash Ensemble . 'We're planning several years out – even to 2028, which looks busy,' Roche says. 'We want to sustain a rhythm with a large-scale production per year, a revival or reimagining of a work, and something for younger or community audiences. 'Next year we're planning two new creations, a revival and an international work. We also want to explore coproductions across genres and borders.' Luail has yet to receive the full allocation promised by the Arts Council's announcement of €5 million over the three years from 2023 to 2025. When the council issued a call for proposals for a new company, in May 2023, it claimed it would decide on the winning tender by October that year, by which time the new company could draw down €500,000 to establish itself. This turned out to be unrealistic deadline: it was not until May 2024 that Roche was formally announced as the successful applicant. The delay meant that both Liz Roche Company and Luail received funding in 2024, creating confusion. 'Liz Roche Dance Company was awarded €295,000 funding for activity in 2024 and drew down part of this in relation to existing programme commitments and work that was already in train,' the Arts Council explains. 'Liz Roche Dance Company paused their activity in June, and two of their coproductions, Sentient and Impasse, transferred to Luail.' Still, Luail is out of pocket. Only €4.2 million of the promised €5 million has been made available up to 2025. Roche won't talk about the funding, but she acknowledges the importance of financial certainty for the company's success and survival. 'If we can keep the momentum going through these first five years, get a building, secure the dancers' development and keep the work visible, then I think we can shift the dance landscape for the better.' Chora is at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, on Tuesday, May 13th, as part of Dublin Dance Festival . It is then at the National Opera House , Wexford, on May 16th; Lyric Theatre , Belfast, on May 18th; and Cork Opera House on May 28th Dublin Dance Festival 2025: Six other shows to look out for This year's festival includes two productions at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre: Luail's Chora and Matthew Bourne 's Swan Lake: Next Generation . Thirty years after the ballet's premiere, the bare-chested and feather-legged male swans of Bourne's take on Tchaikovsky might not be as shocking as they were in the 1990s. But the English choreographer has constantly reshaped the production as casts have changed and world events evolved. A new work by Oona Doherty is always eagerly anticipated. Specky Clark tells the story of her great-great-grandfather who emigrated to Belfast from Glasgow. One of three productions at the Abbey, it is partially set in an abattoir. Doherty draws visual inspiration from the film versions of The Butcher Boy and Animal Farm. More text-based and character driven than previous works, it premiered last year at Aix-en-Provence; its 10 coproducers are evidence of Doherty's ever-growing reputation in continental Europe. Although offered the expanse of the Abbey stage, the festival's artist-in-residence, Luke Murphy , will continue the almost claustrophobic aesthetic of The Archivist and Volcano with Scorched Earth , this time via an interrogation room. In a story inspired by John B Keane's The Field, a cast of five flesh out the cat-and-mouse game between detective and suspect. In contrast, expect a visceral Technicolor experience with Re:Incarnation , by the Nigerian choreographer Qudus Onikeku, with live music by Olatunde Obajeun. Over at Project Arts Centre , Mosh makes a return from its successful Dublin Fringe Festival debut , in 2023. Written and directed by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin , with choreography by Robyn Byrne , it captures the raw energy and madness of the mosh pit through hyperphysicality. In contrast, Boris Charmatz 's beautiful solo Somnole focuses on the moments between sleep and wakefulness, when the mind wanders and the body submits to unconsciousness.
