5th June 2023

Last week we spent two days in the company of almost 200 children who came along to our Primary School Dance Festival at Belvoir Studio Theatre.

Over the two mornings we travelled under the sea, on the Eurovision bandwagon and to ancient Egypt. We were moved by a piece about the environment crisis and uplifted by characters from Encanto, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and Hairspray.

Feedback from teaching staff at the five schools who took part was incredibly positive.  Importantly they feel an event like this really sparks something in many that perhaps never would have thought of dancing before and helps show the children that hard work and practice really pays off.   For the DU Dance team it was really clear from the smiles and chatter how the children’s confidence was sky high after the festival and apparently it was all they talked about on the bus trip home!

The Festival provides a special opportunity for children to perform on stage in front of an audience  in a non-competitive environment.  It introduces children to the importance of dance and shows them how capable they are without any pressure

One P5 teacher said “Children were extremely proud of themselves and what they had achieved. They loved watching the other schools dance and perform.”

Sheena Kelly, Community Engagement Artist, has big plans for the festival next year:  “Year after year, this event demonstrates just how impactful this opportunity to dance and perform can be for young children, helping them grow in confidence, explore movement and practice teamwork.  We are hoping to extend the opportunity to more primary schools in Greater Belfast in 2024 and increase the number of school workshops DU Dance deliver in the run-up to support the children in creating their piece for the festival.”

If you would like to find out more about the Primary School Dance Festival please contact Sheena on sheena@dudanceni.com

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s festival.  Firstly, the professional dancers Sean O’Neill and Emily McDonagh who created a piece specially for the festival called “Solas” about friends exploring together using light to guide the way.  The audiences’ jaws dropped when a creature-like tent with torchlit eyes morphed into a display of acrobatic prowess by Emily and Sean.

Secondly, artist Lina from Misty Blue Craft who ran a really well-received workshop for the children with wonderful paper collages of dance poses surrounded by movement patterns.

Next, thank you to Marie O’Donoghue, Arts Educationalist, Education Authority Northern Ireland and DU Dance board member, who gave the closing words with  her usual warmth and encouragement to the children and handed out certificates.

Finally, thank you to funders Community Foundation NI and Halifax Foundation.

Day 1:

Day 2:

(Photography: Joe Fox)

25th May 2023

We are delighted to report that our Belfast Boys have been selected to perform at the U.Dance National Festival which takes place in Newcastle from 21-23 July.

Representing Northern Ireland, the six boys were selected at UNANIMOUS 2023 which acts as one of the U.Dance Regional Platforms held each spring across the United Kingdom.   The piece they performed there, and will showcase in Newcastle, is called Together.Real.Individuals.Brotherhood.Equals – an exploration of what it means to be a Tribe and how community and friends are key to helping every young adult strive for greatness and achieve their highest potential.  The piece was choreographed by Belfast Boys dance artist Sean O’Neill.

The largest event of its kind, the U.Dance National Festival is a special celebration of youth dance.  Groups perform on professional stages, take part in workshops with leading dance professionals, and are offered inspiring dance careers information.  It is presented by One Dance UK in partnership with NYDC (England), Northern Stage, Dance City, Newcastle College and TIN Arts.

Have a look at this short film made by Arts Council of Northern Ireland featuring Sean and some of the Belfast Boys talking about the opportunity.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

We need your support raising funds to pay for flights, accommodation and meals for the five dancers and two staff whilst they attend the event. Make a Donation Here

Or to have a chat about how you provide any other support, please contact Morag on 028 9023 0877 or email info@dudanceni.com.

Belfast Boys performing T.R.I.B.E at Unanimous 2023

11th May 2023

Back in March, BBC NI Education and Arts Correspondent Robbie Meredith, reported on the Creative Schools project which DU Dance (NI) have been involved for the past few years.

In 2023 this project went intergenerational with a new group of Year 9s from Blessed Trinity in North Belfast and members of Newington Day Centre.

Have a look at this fantastic feature on the project and hear just why it meant so much to everyone involved.

Sean and Sheena who worked on the project, plus all the participants, will be attending the premiere of ‘Dancing Together’ the film they made with afternoon tea on June 14th at Blessed Trinity.

The Creative Schools project is delivered by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Urban Villages and Education Authority.

This year’s ever popular Belfast Boys Summer Sessions will take place between 7th and 11th August 2023 in the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast BT7 1NH.

Boys aged 7 – 11 years will meet from 1:30pm – 3:30pm

The group is led by dance artist Sean O’Neill and throughout the week the boys will learn different dance styles, create their very own dances and most importantly have fun.

No experience is necessary, new faces are always welcome!

The fee for the week is £10 for new members; £5 for current members.

Places booked up very quickly last year, so don’t miss out…

To book a space please email info@dudanceni.com

Following the success of our annual Summer Dance Sessions last year, we will be back in Dungannon for a fun filled week of dance starting 31st July for any children aged 7 to 11 years.

The Suteminis week  is open to everyone (no experience is necessary) and will include learning different dance styles, creating your very own dances and a sharing for parents at the end of the week.

It will take place at the Hill of the O’Neill & Ranfurly Arts Centre in Dungannon every day from the 31st July to 4th August 2023 at 10am – 12 noon.

The fee is £10 for new members; £5 for current members.

Places booked up very quickly last year, so don’t miss out!   If you are ready to book or have any questions, please email us at info@dudanceni.com

The Suteminis Summer Sessions are funded by Children in Need.

4th May 2023

Our 2023 Primary School Dance Festival is taking place on Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th May at Belvoir Players Theatre, Castlereagh.

One of our flagship – and noisiest! – events of the year, this two day celebration of dance is a fun, exciting and non competitive event where children from P1 – P6 can share the dance work taking place in their schools.

Feedback from the children who took part in last year’s event was great. Their teachers said:

“(They) loved being on a stage for the first time.  Lots said it was the “best day ever”.”

“They absolutely loved every minute of it. Developing not only the dance skills but their confidence and self esteem.”

“Fabulous event. Thank you so much for having us and we can’t wait until next year!!”

“Many of the boys comments that dancing is actually really fun.”

Joining the festival this year on our Key Stage 1 day are 121 children from Penrhyn Prep, Belmont, Glenwood and Finaghy Primary Schools.  We are expecting to see a range of dance and movement with eco warriors, creatures from under the sea and music from Encanto for starters.

On our Key Stage 2 day, 50 children from Glenwood, Finaghy and Holy Rosary Primary Schools will join us.  We can’t wait to see their dances with a range of themes from Ancient Egypt to Charlie & The Chocolate Factory!

In the run up to the festival, workshops have been happening with Sheena Kelly, our Community Engagement Artist, at the schools to support them in creating their piece for this year’s festival.

During the event there will be a special guest performance by dancer/choreographers Sean O’Neill and Emily McDonagh.  Their piece ‘Solas’ was created specially for the festival and is about friends exploring together using light to guide the way.

The schools – and the DU Dance (NI) team – are very excited to be back in Belvoir Theatre.

Thank you to funders Community Foundation NI and Halifax Foundation.

2nd May 2023

For the past thirty years, DU Dance (NI) have been committed to working with the Northern Ireland dance community to provide exciting opportunities for personal growth, support with developing creative solutions to artistic challenges and, perhaps most importantly, collaboration with fellow practitioners in community dance.

So earlier this year we were excited to announce that the first of our community dance training events would take place on 14th and 15th April 2023 with no other than the Yorkshire-based Gary Clarke Dance Company!

Sheena Kelly, DU Dance (NI) Community Engagement Artist, shares her motivation for creating this training opportunity:

“Community dance artists often feel isolated as they travel across the country to bring dance to diverse communities. With limited opportunities for them to connect with one another and develop their practise, DU Dance NI felt it was important to start those conversations and give community dance artists the opportunity to have time to be selfish and nurture themselves. We were delighted to invite Gary Clarke Dance Company to the first of our training programmes especially tailored for those working in the community. His philosophy of how he connects the community to his work is inspiring and left us all with much food for thought moving forward. We hope this is just the start.”

In April a small group of 13 community dance artists, each at different stages of their careers and working with a wide range of communities in Northern Ireland, joined Artistic Director Gary Clarke himself and GCC dancer Shelley Eva Haden in a short residency at The MAC. Over the two days, Gary and Shelley generously shared the company’s particular way of engaging with communities through their professional productions, explored issues artists may face and gave practical examples of how to bring real communities onto professional stages.

Community Dance artists are constantly giving to the communities they work with so this training was important for them to feed their practise, nurture themselves and connect with other dance artists working in the field. Feedback from the participants was really positive:

“I left the weekend feeling refreshed and energised, I gained lovely new energy to keep going, that I am on the right path and that there is a community of Artists working in NI, so I am not alone. I felt supported and encouraged.”

“I was able to reflect on my purpose, rethink what it means to interact and be a part of a community, and carry that with me even after the workshop.”

The legacy of these incredibly enriching few days will be felt widely as the training not only impacts the artist but each community they work with. Keep an eye on our website and social media for other opportunities for professional development coming up later this year.

Images: Jim Corr Photography

After more than 10 years in post as DU Dance’s Company Manager, Louise Dempster O’Neil has moved on to a new opportunity.  The team and Board wish Louise well in her new role and will miss her tales of life by the shores of Strangford Lough and love of the outdoors.

We will be recruiting for a new Company Manager within the next few months but in the meantime we are delighted to welcome Gina Donnelly as our interim Company Manager.

Gina is a freelance Theatre Maker and graduate of Queens University Belfast. Her practice includes work as a playwright, director, producer, stage manager and production manager. She is one half of the artistic partnership SkelpieLimmer with Seón Simpson, the multi-award winning team behind ‘Two Fingers Up’ and ‘Scaredy Fat’. She has worked internationally in many different roles including as a Stage Manager on Oona Doherty’s Award Winning ‘Hard To Be Soft.’

27th April 2023

We are thrilled to share how well Unanimous – and our weekend of dance – went in April 2023.  114 young performers from ten youth dance groups joined us in Belfast, travelling from across the island of Ireland.

This year, for the first time, some of the young people arrived a day in advance for a workshop with the Gary Clarke Company who shared aspects of their work from ‘Wasteland’ which is currently on tour.  Gary and Shelley encouraged the groups to work together and really gel in advance of their social Ceili that evening.

On the Sunday evening, as with previous Unanimous showcase events, audiences enjoyed powerful performances from a range of enthusiastic young contemporary dance talent.  Their feedback says it all:

Amazing – so professional and inspiring, beautifully staged and such energy on stage from the dancers.

It was so well organised and such a fantastic display of the talent and creativity of youth.

Show was brilliant, enjoyed the whole evening from start to finish. Very well organised event, with amazing talent.

Alongside groups from our Youth Engagement Programmes Sutemos Youth Dance and Belfast Boys, Unanimous welcomed the following groups: Dublin Youth Dance Company, FYI Dance Club (Wicklow), Connect Youth Dance (Fermanagh), Laois Youth Dance Ensemble, Rachael Kealey Dance Company (Derry/L’Derry), Limerick Youth Dance Company, Youth Action’s Rainbow Factory (Belfast) and Ohr Dance Company (Laois).

Watch this space for more photos and film from the event.

Photo credit: Jim Corr Photography

30th March 2023

On Tuesday 28 March, our Intergenerational Dance Project, Alternative Energies, gave a short performance at Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart to a lively audience of friends and family.

This project is part of DU Dance (NI)’s focus on intergenerational work celebrating how age is no barrier to dance and reflecting how historically dance has been a social gatherer of people of different ages and genders.

Alternative Energies seeks to address the lack of connection between the generations. The work is physical, impacting on participants’ general health and also very sociable which helps with feelings of isolation and bolsters mental well-being.

The piece called ‘Teranga’ has developed out of work which the group has been engaged in over the past seven weeks.  Material for the performance began as movement ideas for the class that were then further expanded for the stage. As always members of the group have brought themselves wholeheartedly to the process of making and creating work.  The weekly classes at the Ramoan Centre in Ballycastle are filled with great energy.  Dr Philip Johnson, who has been leading the group since it started in September 2021, says of the importance of the project: “There is great richness to be gained in an intergenerational dance class. It is a place of sharing between the generations that rarely happens outside the immediate family environment.”

Let’s hear from some of the audience at ‘Teranga’:

“Inspirational, Warm, Truly special for Ballycastle, Encouraging, Uplifting.”
“It was good. My grandparents were in it.”
“I thought it was pretty neat and Rita was very good.”
“The performance was very enjoyable and really relaxing as well as entertaining. Thank you.”
“Well coordinated and choreographed.”
“I thought it was lovely to see all the different generations dancing and enjoying themselves.”
“The whole performance was filled with joy, I loved it!”
“Tonight was very good I enjoyed it.”
“What a wonderful performance. It was fun, a joy to listen to! Congratulations Philip, you make a real difference to Ballycastle and area.”
“A great experience seeing so many faces that I knew from Ballycastle, the performers have enjoyed their dancing immensely.  Impressive!”

This is the second of three performances the group will deliver in 2023 and they are working alongside a filmmaker to record the process and performances as the group develops.