30th January 2014

Big Congratulations to Sheena Kelly & Eileen McClory who were both selected to receive the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Emerging NI Dance Artists bursary, in collaboration with Dance Resource Base, to attend British Dance Edition 2014 (BDE). This industry event will take place in Edinburgh & Glasgow from 30 January to 2 February.

Further congratulations go to Maiden Voyage who have been selected to perform at BDE 2014, the first NI based company to be selected to perform a fully staged piece in the showcase’s 20 year history.…

To support the development and promotion of dance companies in Northern Ireland, including DU Dance, Dance Resource Base have produced a DVD which will be distributed at BDE to promoters, venues and festival programmers. This project was supported by the ACNI through the Creative Industries Innovation Fund.

See a montage of the DVD here or contact DU Dance for a copy.

12th December 2013

One of the leading figures in international contemporary dance has been in Belfast, working on a ground-breaking new inter-generational piece entitled Back to the Wall.

Berlin-based choreographer Royston Maldoom is well known and highly respected for his work over the years with a vast cross section of people of all ages and backgrounds.  As one of the founder members and artistic consultant for DU Dance, Maldoom continues to visit Northern Ireland on a regular basis and has a long-standing professional partnership with the company’s artistic director Mags Byrne.

Back to the Wall brings together three generations of men and boys, aged between 7 years and 80 years.  The group comprises boys from Elmgrove Primary School in east Belfast, young men in their 20s, all of whom have dance experience, and older men from Clanmil Housing (some of whom are the grandfathers of the younger boys).

As enthusiastic and positive as ever, Maldoom is clearly relishing the way in which his current project came together.

“Every single member of the groups is incredibly willing and receptive,” he says.  “I have been working separately with the groups and together in a single entity.”

“Our theme is Walls, something I have a lot of experience of, from living in Berlin and working in so many contentious, contested and divided environments.  But this piece will be more physical than political.  It will ask what’s on the other side, how do you get from one side of a wall to another, what are the physical possibilities posed by a wall?  The young boys are extraordinary in their energy and creativity; the young men are bringing their varied experience of dance, from contemporary to hip-hop; and many of the elders have amazed themselves in how much they have been able to do.”

This piece culminated in a short film, Back to the Wall, produced and directed by film-maker Gerard Stratton, of Triple Vision, who is responsible for several award winning short films.   The film was shot in a number of locations in Belfast over ten days.

There will be a special screening of the film for participants, friends, family and invited guests on 20th February at the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast where the film will also then be screening throughout the City Dance 2014 event.

26th November 2013

DU Dance (NI) and the Crescent Arts Centre present an exciting night of youth dance performances at Unanimous

A brilliant showcase celebration of youth dance from a diverse range of groups and dancers from across Northern Ireland including Academy Dance Team – Banbridge;  Alternative Energies – Ballymena; Belfast Metropolitan College; Equinox & Pulse – Downpatrick; iD Youth Dance  Company – Derry/L’Derry; Merge Cru – Belfast; Revolution Dance Crew – Belfast; Sutemos Youth Dance Company – Dungannon. Thanks to all the youth dance leaders for their hard work & the participants.

15th October 2013

Y Dance Scotland will celebrate the best of youth dance from across the Commonwealth, taking place from 10 to 12 July 2014 bringing 30 groups from Australia, Canada, England, India, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales together – up to 400 young people and 30 youth dance leaders.

Come See – 30 of the best youth dance groups from across the Commonwealth will perform over 3 nights in the beautiful surroundings of Tramway in Glasgow

Come Dance – a jam-packed 3 day workshop programme of sessions in different styles, contemporary technique classes led by world renowned teachers and choreographic workshops led by companies like Marc Brew Company and Retina Dance

Come Learn – it’s not just about the young people there will also be number of events especially for dance leaders aimed at joining up dance across the Commonwealth and looking at how we can move forward from the CYDF

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED

If you need more specific details please call YDance on 0141 552 7712.

DU Dance are proposing to hold a Youth Dance Platform, for Northern Ireland, on the 11 April 2014, in Belfast.

This will provide an opportunity for YDance to assess applications made from groups in Northern Ireland, but this event itself is non-competitive platform and all youth dance groups in Northern Ireland are welcome to attend. If you require any further information about this platform event in Belfast please get in touch with DU Dance.

25th September 2013

DU Dance presented an exciting multi-component dance performance fusing contemporary dance with urban street forms – Breaking, Skateboarders, BMXers, Fire Dancers and a Rap Choir – in partnership with New Lodge Arts at the North Belfast Lantern Parade in the Waterworks Park on 30th October.

Thanks to all who took part.

19th September 2013

Both our youth dance groups were on the streets Friday 2oth September

In Armagh, Sutemos brought contemporary dance to different spaces – the foyer of the Market Place Theatre and the Mall Shopping Centre – performing energetic and dynamic group pieces, as well as more intimate and emotive solos, duets and trios. Visit the Culture Night Armagh website
Sutemos is an integrated youth dance group based in Dungannon.

In Belfast country came to town and old met new in this fun dance piece that popped up at various locations around the Cathedral Quarter. Country music and walking sticks provided an alternative flavour inviting people to move to a different rhythm.

Merge Cru is a young dance group that combines urban street culture with contemporary dance theatre, making something new and exciting.

Visit the Culture Night Belfast website

6th September 2013

More boys are dreaming of becoming dancers than firefighters or policeman as reality shows such as Britain’s Got Talent and Strictly Come Dancing trigger a cultural shift.

16th July 2013

The World Police and Fire Games (WPFG), the third largest international multi-sport event in the world, was officially opened on 1st  August at a spectacular ceremony at the King’s Hall, Belfast. Organisers estimated around 7,000 competitors are taking part from 67 countries. Running until 10th August it will be the largest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland.

Belfast aims to deliver the friendliest and most successful Games ever, both on and off the field of play. The event represents an amazing opportunity to raise the profile of Northern Ireland internationally and leave a lasting legacy.

DU Dance Artistic Director, Mags Byrne, was engaged to deliver the opening ceremony with the theme of “Dare to Dream”.  Drumming, ribbon poise and dance groups led out the participating country flags and athletes who all interacted with the spectators .  This was followed by “Exodus” – a performance piece about traveling and looking out -a lively carnival parade featuring floats representing travel by land, air and sea which created a visual feast with a giant whale, a bath tub on stilts and a multitude of volunteers all in big bright, fun costumes. BMX’ers, skaters and free runners excited the crowd with their daring skills bringing an element of street culture to the ceremony.

The second performance element of the ceremony, “Melting Pot”, was a fusion of music and dance cultures from around the world.  Japanese Taiko Drums blended with Fan Dancers and Chinese Dragons, Irish and Scottish Dancers performed to the beats of Indian Dhol Drummers, contemporary dancers, aerialists, cheer leaders and breakers worked alongside the pulsating beats of samba drums. The overall ceremony displayed Northern Ireland as a truly modern and inclusive society.

28th June 2013

DU Dance are delighted to be working with Dungannon Youth Resource Centre to deliver ‘Inte-gr8’, a project that engages with local young people from 7-25 years of age to explore cultural identity and heritage through a programme of visual arts, dance and music.

The young people involved in the Inte-gr8 project all live in the greater Dungannon area with many of the individuals originally from Africa, East Timor, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. The aim of the project is to support inter-cultural dialogue between these different cultural groups and, through enjoying activities and sharing experiences together, to promote greater tolerance and understanding. DU Dance facilitator Sheena Kelly, from Dungannon, is leading 12 weeks of dance workshops, alongside drumming and music sessions which will form part of a final showcase event taking place later in the year involving 40-50 young people.

This project is funded through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Intercultural Arts Programme which supports minority ethnic communities in accessing and participating in arts activities.

17th May 2013

In March, DU Dance commenced a pilot peer leadership training programme for 5 young dancers from different community and cultural backgrounds working towards a new performance piece and workshop for a school & community tour in April/May. Led by Mags, the group worked together intensively, for five full days a week, at the Crescent Arts Centre. Using text from children’s novels about their experiences of World War II the group devised a new performance piece Escape and accompanying workshop.

The tour visited eight schools and two youth groups across Belfast and it is hoped to develop this piece further in the year and to extend the tour beyond Belfast. Feedback from schools and the participants was fantastic.

“I enjoyed the part when they were trying to get on the wall. I enjoyed the part in the workshop when you were trying to hide from the lights because you could sense their fear. I enjoyed the other part because you could tell the fear of the children all those years ago.”

“I enjoyed when they were expressing their feelings when they were dancing. I also enjoyed when we are danced. They were all expressing emotions and feeling. There was no part that I enjoyed least because they were all dancing with passion.”

“I just wanted to thank you for the performance that Du Dance recently brought to Finaghy Primary School. I thought it was outstanding. The pupils, and indeed the staff, were quite mesmerised by the dancing, the soundtrack, the interpretation, and the atmosphere your dancers created.You have some exceptionally talented students, and the choreography was so evocative of moods, thoughts and emotion. Every move had a meaning. A piece like that does not need examination – it is strongly felt, and therefore understood. I don’t think I have seen such an effective blend of contemporary/street/classical dance in a performance before – it was remarkable”.

The young dancers involved in this project also found this to be a rewarding experience:

“I have found that taking part in the project has been greatly beneficial. It has given me the experience of taking on certain responsibilities and working with other people who I will now always consider close friends” (Victoria, Merge Cru)

“This has been very beneficial for me as a dancer and as a person. I have become more consistent at what I do. I have learned a lot about dance and people, creating and expanding my mind and the possibilities I have in life” ( Anton, Merge Cru)