Laois Youth Dance Ensemble

Since September 2013, Laois Youth Dance Ensemble has facilitated young people to create and produce contemporary dance works to a high standard of performance, through weekly workshops, annual showcases and attendance at renowned youth dance festivals in Ireland such as Dublin Youth Dance Festival and NoiseMoves Dance Festival.

If you’re passionate about dancing and want to be part of this exciting dance group come along to

FREE auditions on the first day! 

Info and registration: LYDE artistic director Erica Borges 087-132 8852. 

* The audition will consist of a workshop, followed by a short interview.

  

Meeting Schedule:

@ Dunamaise Arts Centre on Saturdays from 20 September 2014 to June 2015:

2-3pm Juniors (Ages 9-12); 3-5pm Seniors (Ages 13-19).

Members Annual Fee: ONLY €100 for Juniors; €150 for Seniors (Sept 2014-June 2015)

For those already attending dance classes in Portlaoise or around the Co. Laois, it can be a boost into the dance skills besides making your local dance school/teacher proud. This exciting new dance ensemble seeks young people who are passionate about dance, love to perform and have the commitment to make the most of this opportunity.

Like LYDE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaoisYouthDanceEnsemble?ref=hl

Laois Youth Dance Ensemble 1st Performance

Laois Youth Dance Ensemble is a newly formed contemporary dance group aiming to achieve quality and freshness in what they do. Since September 2013, LYDE has been giving opportunities to young dancers to participate in the creation, production and performance of contemporary dance works and has also been creating and developing dance for the County Laois community. 

In this performance (FOLLOWING YOUR STEPS I CREATED MY PATTERN) we were inspired by the the Renaissance period, a cultural movement which saw a resurgence in learning based on classical sources. As choreographer I attempted to show that we are still following the model of the ballet courts by aiming for aesthetics outcomes, however, we have broken the socio-cultural bondage by bringing to the stage ordinary people with ordinary steps and styles,resurging throughout our socio-inclusion a new learning which can be available to anyone.

* More Info: www.laoisdanceacademy.com

Laois Dance Academy - Dance classes in Portlaoise, Portarligton and Mountmellick

Laois Dance Academy new term starts next week. Preschoolers Ballet, Creative Ballet, Creative&Contemporary, Dance&Exercise, Jazz. Classes for ALL ages. So much to choose from that u can't miss it! Locations: Portlaoise, Portarlington and Mountmellick. Join the fun! www.laoisdanceacademy.com

Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/co.Laoisdanceacademy

Following your Steps I Created my Pattern

This is about the dance a performance at 'Dance Symposium 2011' on 10th of December 2011 - Dunamaise Arts Centre, Co. Laois.  The dancers were being trained in contemporary dance only 3 months before the actual performance and their age were 11 to 14 years old.

The Dance Symposium aimed to connect  communities by  cultivating a network of dance artists/bodies working and  funding work made in Laois and across the Midlands, to create  opportunities  for  community  practitioners  and  participants  to  engage  and  exchange with professional dance bodies and to build  a  cohesive  program  of  dance  training  and  audience  participation  in  Laois  that  is  inclusive, sustainable and consistent.
The program was divided into three sections. The first section was with performances, the second section was given to Philippa Donnellan (CoisCeim Dance Theatre - Broadreach), Nick Bryson (Legitimate Bodies Dance Company), Maria Kerin and Anica Louw (Shawbrook Dance School) to make presentations on live/recorded performance and a lecture. The third section consisted of discussion and development meetings.

Achieving Excellence

 

In many cases in my opinion, dance artists are busy worried about fundings etc, forgetting that when we achieve excellence in what we do there's not much to be worried about it.
There's a belief out there that excellence in dance only represents what is aesthetically pleasing with  certain level of difficulty in terms of technique and tricks. To me however, excellence in dance or in any other art form means to make achievements in creating a piece of art that expresses who we are  independently if it is simple as dove or magical and elegant as Toucan. Actually, I often tell my students and dancers that simplicity works! (Took me a while to understand this, but since I did, it became a tool in my creativity and style).
Of course is important to challenge ourselves as artists but that doesn't mean that we should be or do what is not part of us. Excellence is about our honesty in our creativivity and professionalism to explore, investigate and refine our piece of art.
I believe the audience is attracted to what pays off their money and they only will support us when they see in us professional people with vision and purpose that don’t use replication of what is already there but works with innovation and creativity, sharing not only an idea , but what is real in our soul.
In terms of honesty and innovation there are 3 dance companies that I admire. They are brave  professionals and became inspirations to me: The Brazilian Company ‘Deborah Colker’, the English ‘Siobhan Davies Dance Company’ and the Irish led by the Spanish Mariam Ribon ‘Dublin Youth Dance Company’. These are companies strive for excellence not only in their statement, but when they meet together and deal with one another, mirroring to the audience quality in what they do, establishing their space and creating a legacy.