The natural world, its rhythms and its movements, we’ve become so detached from them. Our ancestors didn’t have to think about nature as we do, as they were so engaged in it by the kinds of lives that they lived. But now we can cut ourselves off from almost all parts of nature. We have to make a conscious effort to turn and look at the natural world and think about our relationship with it.
Dance Artists
Dúisigh an Chailleach
Stephanie keane
Stephanie Keane is a professional Sean Nós dancer and choreographer living in East Clare. She has been immersed in Irish traditional dance for over 30 years, competing in World Championships in Irish Step dancing from a young age and after moving to East Clare 15 years ago, she fell in love with the Sean Nós style of Irish dancing. Through her training as a step dancer, her love for Irish Traditional Music and her passion for Sean Nós, she has developed a unique style of percussive Irish dance. Stephanie has performed with some of the most influential and talented musicians and bands in Ireland, Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Cormac Begley, Steve Cooney, John Doyle, Ruth Smith, Seamus Connolly, Bobby Gardiner, Brendan Begley, Fergal Scahill, Triona Marshall, The Tulla Ceili Band, The Kilfenora Ceili Band, Gabriel G.Diges Band, The Teetotallers and The Martin Hayes Quartet. Stephanie has been involved in creating innovative and exciting performances for festivals and TV. She was resident dancer at the Masters of Tradition festival in 2012 and 2018 and has performed at Kilkenny Arts Festival 2018, Festival interceltique de Monde, Ortigeuira, Galicia 2017 & 2018.
Recently, this year, she collaborated with Cormac and Breanndán Begley for Slí na mBeaglaoich TV series on TG4 and performed with Cormac Begley on the Other Voices Courage concert series which aired in RTE in April. Stephanie Keane's performance style combines the best elements of Sean Nos Dancing with her spark of fiery individuality built on a keen sense of tradition. Her Dancing has been described as “rhythmically robust yet seems to float with a lightness and effortless musicality. A joy to watch" Ruth Smith, Simply Folk, RTE Radio 1 “Stephanie is an outstanding dancer who connects with the tune in a beautiful way. She gets right into the tune and comes at the tune from a percussive perspective” Martin Hayes, Artistic Director, Masters of Tradition Festival. “Stephanie connects with the musician she dances with and naturally understands the musicians interpretation of the tune. Her style is free-flowing, energetic and wild” Cormac Begley, Concertina player.
Timeline 6
antoine turmine
Coming from the world of traditional and folk dancing, Montreal based artist, Antoine Turmine defines himself as a dance artist invested in a creative process where rhythm, sound and the moving body are at the forefront. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in contemporary dance and a master’s degree in dance from UQAM, his views on the “giguer’s body” reveals a complex world that questions and widen the limits of his arts practice.
Seeing it now more as a non-ending laboratory, he develops his creations around devices and
new contexts which transform his ways of dancing; always playing with a profound respect for the roots that made him love dancing.
Temporality in Movement
aneta dortová
Native of Pilsen, the Czech Republic. Aneta is a percussive dance and music teacher and a performer based in Galway city, Ireland.
She runs weekly traditional Sean-Nós classes in Galway city, is a street performer with multiple ensembles, is a member of Scotland based dance project 'Sound of Dance'. She taught workshops at the world's largest celtic music festival 'Celtic Connections' in 2018 and 2019, worked with a world renowned Irish band 'Kíla', was a resident dancer of the 'Tunes in the Church' concert series, was a dance artist of a UK based contemporary dance company 'Slanjayvah Danza', toured with various projects and bands around Europe and US.
While Aneta’s background is in Sean-Nós and Irish Step Dancing, her personal style is a blend of many percussive dance traditions. Rather than repeating fixed routines, she enjoys improvising in real time, accompanying the musician playing for her.
While experimenting with contemporary and diverse elements, her dancing is firmly grounded in the Irish dance tradition, and any improvisation is done with respect and understanding.
Home Video
Sibéal Davitt
Sibéal Davitt is a dance artist, performer and teacher from Dublin. Her style of dance is influenced by contemporary, classical and Irish traditional ‘sean-nós’ dance, having trained in all styles from an early age.
In 2014 Sibéal received her MA in Contemporary Dance Performance with first class honours at University of Limerick. Subsequently she was awarded Dance Ireland’s Mentored Residency Award under world renowned performer Colin Dunne and performed a work-in-progress alongside Kristyn Fontanella in December 2014.
As part of the 1916 commemorations, Sibéal choreographed and performed in RTÉ’s ‘Centenary’ performed ‘Fógraím / I Proclaim’ as part of ‘Embodied’, a series of 6 solos by Irish female choreographers commissioned by GPO.
She teaches regular ‘sean-nós’ dance classes in schools and studios around Dublin. She has taught workshops all over the world including Russia, Austria, UK, France and New York City as well as at many traditional Irish music festivals. Sibéal has performed at Electric Picnic for 8 years as well as many other music festivals.
Sibéal received An Chomhairle Ealaíon’s Traditional Arts Bursary in 2016 and in 2019 she received the inaugural Markievicz Award to develop her practice in 2020.
Sibéal is currently Dance Ireland’s Associate Artist in 2020. She is creating a new solo work entited ‘Minseach’ in collaboration with Caitríona Ní Mhurchú.
Rooted
Edwina Guckian
Dancer Edwina Guckian hails from outside the village of Drumsna in Co. Leitrim. She learned her dancing from her mother and the local dancers of Leitrim and Roscommon.
Having started teaching dancing at the age of 16, Edwina has now taught her steps and toured with shows and bands all over the world. In 2004 Edwina established her dance club Áirc Damhsa which now has over 400 members, 11 teachers and is based in 9 counties.
In 2015 she left her primary school teaching career to focus on her personal development in dance.
Since then, she has been awarded Leitrim County Council Arts person of the Year, Art’s Councils Next Generation Award and Business Person of the Year by the Irish Enterprise Board which led to her setting up www.irishdancecourses.com
Recent work includes a collaboration with Zogma Dance Company, The Leitrim Equation, Open Room with Vincent Woods, Danny Diamond & Mohammad Syf Khan, Jenny Put The Kettle On and The Mummers Project during lockdown 1 & 2.
She is currently Artist in Residency at the Hawk’s Well Theatre Sligo.