Dancer From The Dance 2023 – Gathering 3

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Choreographers: Deirdre Griffin – headonbody, Gearóid Solan, Tobi Balogun, Seán Curran, Steve Batts, Justine and Doswell.
Curator: John Scott
Producer: Carla Fazio
Production Manager: Gearoid o’Hallmhurain
Stage Manager: Michaela Conley
Festival Administrator: Lia Bernhardi
Festival Interns: Angelina Hujber, Bryce Reynolds, Emma Winikow

Tobi Balogun is a Multidisciplinary Artist, working across Dance, Theatre, Voice and Design. In 2020 he received a Create Bursary to develop phase one of BLACK CANVAS – an R&D project in relation to Black-Irish creatives and communities. In 2021 he also received an Art’s Council – Bursary Award to develop work emerging from this, which included a curatorial residency in Dance Ireland (MoveMEANT 2022), LIBERTY VIBES – and event supported by DCC Local Live Performance, and NATIVES as part of Culture Night (2022). He is also part of a strategic thinking partnership between DDF, 5 lamps Festival, Carlow Arts Festival and Top 8. In 2022 he was invited to perform at John Scott’s Dancer from the Dance and also choreographed and performed JUXTA for Project Arts Centre’s Open Day. As a choreographer and movement director he worked with Theatre Maker Louise White, Felispeaks and with music artists Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran among others.

Deirdre Griffin is a performer, choreographer and teacher working across Dance theatre and contemporary circus. Deirdre established her performance company Headonbody to create works characterised by wild absurdity and high physicality. Her show SOUP premiered at Dublin Fringe Festival 2019 and was nominated for Best Performer and the Radical Spirit Award. Deirdre has created a number of short works including Pantastic!! The Queer Quartet, Bicycle, Beans That Jelly, and THE APPLICATION (video link) with Gina Moxley.

Deirdre has toured extensively with ponydance theatre and has performed with Junk Ensemble, Brokentalkers, Philip Connaughton, Katja Heitman (Germany), T.R.A.S.H. (Netherlands), Theatre Lovett, Milla Virtanen (Finland), the hit show WAKE and RIOT by THISISPOPBABY (Australian Tour 2018). She has choreographed for award-winning modern circus company Loosysmokes, and for LORDS OF STRUT. Deirdre collaborates with Cian Austin Jesus on Ping Pong Disco, Paradise Cabaret, choreographing and performing with the Ping Pong Girls, as well as street shows GROW and SWARM with Cian Kinsella and Breda Larkin. Currently Deirdre is movement director and performer for LORDS OF STRUT’s new ensemble show THE DREAM FACTORY! On screen she has performed on Penny Dreadful Season 3, Ponydance the movie, Republic of Telly and Dublin Old School. Deirdre trained at Inchicore College of Dance, the Duncan Conservatory Prague and graduated with a BA in Dance Theatre from Fonty’s Dance Academy, Tilburg.

Gearóid Solan: Gearóid grew up in Dunboyne, Co Meath. He received his early training under the guidance of Grainne McArdle, Sarah Chester, and the late Katherine Lewis of Irish National Youth Ballet. At the age of 15, he continued his dance education at The Royal Ballet School. Upon graduating, he became a member of Ballet Zürich, where he danced choreographies by renowned artists such as Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, and Crystal Pite, among others. He has been a dancer with Boston Ballet since 2020.

Seán Curran: Seán’s career in the arts spans 35 years, beginning with traditional Irish step dancing as a child in Boston. A graduate of New York University, Curran now serves as Arts Professor and Chair of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Department of Dance. As a dancer, he is known for his early performance work with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and as an original New York City cast member of STOMP! His 30 choreographic works for his contemporary dance ensemble, Seán Curran Company, are characterized by collaborations across artistic genres and have toured to nearly 100 venues in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Seán Curran Company’s highly regarded service to the field includes donation of performances and classes to the American Civil Liberties Union NYC Chapter, Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Residence (a safe house for LGBTQ youth), Dancers Responding to AIDS and the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

Steve Batts: Steve is Artistic Director of Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company which is based in Derry, Northern Ireland. He guides the company and supports the creation of work by many the many dance artists associated with Echo Echo. He oversees the wide programme of creation, participation and collaboration in the company’s home studios on Derry’s historic city walls and with partner organisations. He produces one or two dance festivals, annually. He performs and teaches internationally and has been making and performing dances for forty years.

Justine Doswell: Based in Dublin since 1997, Justine has worked with numerous notable Irish and international choreographers, directors and companies. Inspired by dynamic structure and living systems her choreographic work is anchored in collaboration and has been supported by The Arts Council of Ireland, Dublin City Council, Culture Ireland, Irish Modern Dance Theatre (IMDT), Dance Ireland, Dublin Dance Festival, Dance Limerick, Shawbrook, Tipperary Dance/Grand Studio Brussels, Liz Roche Company/The Lir Academy, THEATREClub, Dance Resource Base NI, axis Ballymun, the Complex and DYDC. An Arts Council Next Generation 2021 recipient and IMDT Associate Artist, Justine’s new creation will premiere at Dance Cork Firkin Cork November 2023.

“Launched in 2019, Scott’s personal crusade to promote Irish choreographers on the global stage began as a labour of love to challenge limiting, confused, and often negative notions about Irish choreography and identity… the festival’s growth over the past three years has been staggering… Scott’s determination has this year’s festival shining a light on some of our finest choreographers, and dance film makers, positioned as part of a global practice and historic tradition, commanding form and space with the very best. [The Festival suggests] “that Irish choreography, like being Irish, like dance itself, and dance on film, is everything you thought it was and everything you thought it wasn’t. And lots in between you never thought possible or never thought of at all. Shaping identity, and dance, well into the future.” Chris O’Rourke, The Arts Review, July 2021”

Supported by The Arts Council, Dublin City Council, Dance Ireland, Irish Film Institute, Dublin City University, Galway Dance Project, Dance Cork Firkin Crane, Dance Limerick, Scottish Government Ireland Office, Fidget Feet, Culture Ireland

Project Arts Centre is proudly supported by The Arts Council and Dublin City Council.