Open Niche
01 Apr 2010 -
08.00 pm
Tickets: €12/8
Choroeographer Fearghus Ó Conchúir made Niche, at the tail-end of Ireland’s economic boom, when cranes still dominated Dublin’s skyline. This exciting dance piece was made possible by the support all those optimists who donated €100, then was conceived, rehearsed and performed on the building sites of the Dublin Docklands during Ó Conchúir’s residency with Dublin City Council.
Now Fearghus is bringing Niche around Ireland, opening the piece up to the challenges the country faces in the wake of economic collapse. In the face of such gloom, Niche celebrates resilience, resourcefulness and the satisfaction of building connections with others.
Niche features a cast of four experienced performers, who between them, have danced with renowned companies such as DV8, Pina Bausch, and Sasha Walz. What distinguishes Open Niche is that for each performance the cast will be joined by local performers who bring a new flavour to the work giving each audience a unique experience. Those performers include the Siamsa Tíre professional company, Dublin Youth Dance Company, students of University of Limerick’s MA in Dance, participants in Daghdha Dance Company’s Mentoring Programme and participants in the Chance to Dance programme at the Firkin Crane, Shandon, Cork
Ó Conchúir has made a reputation for himself bringing dance to unusual locations. His RTÉ Dance on the Box film, Match, directed by Dearbhla Walsh, provoked radio talk-show interest for its use of Croke Park for the muscular male duet. He has danced on the building site of the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, made a public art commission for Fingal County Council set in the area’s Martello Towers and organised a day of dance in an empty Woolworths in East London.
Open Niche is produced by Richard Wakely in association with the Project Arts Centre with project funding from the Arts Council of Ireland. Niche was originally produced by Fearghus Ó Conchúir in association with Project Arts Centre and with the support of the optimists who each donated 100 euro.
Choreographer Fearghus O'Conchuir, in association with the Firkin Crane's Chance to Dance programme, is offering young people in Cork the chance to be part of his contemporary dance performance.
The piece, called Niche, is about finding your own place in a group or in a city that's changing around you all the time. The piece was performed in Dublin and Liverpool last year.
In March/April 2010, Fearghus is bringing the piece to the Firkin Crane in Cork and he's looking for a group of talented and committed young people to join the professional dancers on stage for part of the performance. Imagination and commitment is more important than previous dance experience.
Fearghus visited Cork in December to start the process of finding this group of young people. In early Spring 2010, he will work intensively with the group to prepare them for the performance that will take place in the Firkin Crane on 1 April 2010.
Fearghus Ó Conchúir
Ó Conchúir has made a reputation for himself bringing dance to unusual locations. His RTÉ Dance on the Box film, Match, directed by Dearbhla Walsh, provoked radio talk-show interest for its use of Croke Park for the muscular male duet. He has danced on the building site of the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, made a public art commission for Fingal County Council set in the area’s Martello Towers and organised a day of dance in an empty Woolworths in East London.
View full profile for Fearghus Ó Conchúir
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