Netherlands Dance Theatre - Choreography by Jiri Kylian

This is a must see!

Full Time Academy of Russian Ballet

 

The Academy was officially opened by the Minister for Arts, Jimmy Deenihan at The Convention Centre Dublin in January 2013. It is designed for transition year (or younger) vocational dance students. 

MUCH more information about the syllabus etc is available on website - 

http://monicaloughmanballet.ie/ballet-academy/full-time-international-academy/

Keep Breaking Down Those Walls

“…Always keep breaking down those walls. Keep breaking down what you think you can do. Always!

Don’t stay comfortable ever! There’s no I can’t. Ever! Anything is possible. It’s all your choice. It’s about what do you want and how you want to process…

You can encage your spirit and allow it just go and dance. If you free your body has to got to get in line. It has to! It has to listen to it. In that place of freedom, in that place of trust is the most amazing place that you can dance from”

Mia Michaels

Very wise words from Mia Michaels.
I believe as dancers and artists we should go back to this place of freedom everyday, challenging not only our bodies but who we are. Overcoming not only our fears but also encouraging others to step out and get away from their comfort zone.

Exciting News! (BFA in Performing Arts)

Exciting News!

Together with the The Gaiety School Of Acting, CoisCéim signs an historic partnership agreement with American College Dublin in the provision of a BFA in Performing Arts. The degree offers a broad and holistic approach to the performing arts, one that not only concentrates on performance from a participatory perspective but also prepares the student for the wide and exciting range of careers available in the performing arts industry.

CoisCéim’s involvement will be in the development of the dance element of the programme which will be led by Jen Fleanor. Further information is available at
www.acd.ie

Dunamaise 2012 - DANCE SUMMER CAMP

This is the final presentation of the Dunamaise Dance Summer Camp. It happened in the week of 9 to 13 of July/2012.

These dance classes in Portlaoise were funded by Laois Arts Office and as a tutor explored the basic elements of dance, space, energy & rhythm while nurturing kids expressive capacity using creative movement & contemporary dance.

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.