There is something for all ages at Dublin Dance Festival’s 2023 Edition, taking place in venues and spaces throughout the city from 16 – 28 May.
Families are invited to The Ark from 18 – 21 May for the world premiere of The Race, an exciting new dance piece for children by acclaimed international choreographer Marc Brew.
Presented by The Ark, Dublin Dance Festival and Arts & Disability Ireland, The Race entwines three of Aesop’s Fables to create a fun, interactive and colourful world of animals, puppets, theatre and movement for children aged 4+.
Cheer with the cast of animals as the Tortoise and the Hare set off for the finish line, join the Grasshopper in gazing with fascination as the Ants collect food for the winter ahead, and root for the little Mouse as she faces down the mighty Lion. Watch as their journeys unfold through beautiful movement and dance, and share in the lessons they learn along the way.
Presented by a cast of disabled and non-disabled dance artists, all performances will have integrated ISL and are also accessible without captions thanks to the show’s highly visual style. Audio description and touch tours will be available for every show but will require advance booking. Every performance is relaxed in nature, offering an inclusive audience experience that is welcoming to children who are neurodiverse.
The Race is a MOVE Commission, an initiative of The Ark, and Arts & Disability Ireland to commission a new dance production for children created by a choreographer who identifies as an artist with a disability. Hear from choreographer Marc Brew and some of the cast about the inspiration behind the piece and the importance of showing differently-abled bodies on stage in this short video:
The Festival continues to engage with Dublin city by inviting all its citizens without exclusion to join in and participate.
In free performances at Wood Quay Amphitheatre on Friday 26th & Saturday 27th May, Finnish choreographer Taneli Törma will present his meditative work ALIEN, created with 9 dancers from the MA Contemporary Dance Performance programme at University of Limerick. This large-scale, moving and living statue will create a striking tribute to anyone who has ever felt like a stranger – an outsider – an “other”. A powerful physical and visual experience, it is a testament to our human need for connection and community.
ALIEN is created as a Big Pulse Dance Alliance co-production, co-produced by New Baltic Dance (Lithuania) and Dublin Dance Festival (Ireland), co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Explore the full DDF 2023 Edition programme and & Book Tickets at dublindancefestival.ie
Lead Image – The Race by Marc Brew
