Dance Position Paper

Dance Position Paper
Louise Costelloe, Dancer in Residence
South Dublin County Council


Context
Dance is a developing art-form in Ireland. Interest in classes and performances has grown considerably over the last 10 years and many different styles and types of dance activity can be seen at a local and national level. There is an emerging awareness of the benefits of participation in dance from a creative, physical and social perspective.

Investment – Dance Residency
South Dublin County Council’s Dance Residency followed a model for contemporary dance development created by the Arts Offices and Sports Partnerships of Westmeath and Roscommon. This three year dance residency, which began in March 2008 has so far supported a growth in dance activity through:

•Piloting a transition year module in dance which has taken place in three secondary schools, Firhouse Community School, Palmerstown Community School and Collinstown Park Community College
•Setting up and developing a youth dance company, ANIMOTION, which is supported by the Arts Office, to provide training and performance opportunities within and outside the county for young dancers
•Providing classes in the community in schools, youth services and sports centres
•Establishing NOISEmoves Youth Dance Festival as a platform for young dancers in the county and as audience development initiative, a link to footage from the 2010 festival can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E077cwkIeaY
•Consultancy and support for venues, VEC Sports Officers and the Sports Partnership in programming dance
•Access to professional dance artists for participants in programmes
•Promoting dance education for teachers through the Laban Foundation Course in Dance and inclusion in the Creative Approaches Arts Education strand in the Arts Office
•Developing links to other organisations who can support dance as an art-form/activity such as RUA RED, Tallaght Community Arts, South Dublin Libraries, An Cosan and the Sports Partnership. This has been actively nurtured through performance projects and continued consultation.

Investment - Infrastructure
The Civic Theatre includes contemporary dance and ballet in its yearly programming and also hosts the NOISEmoves Youth Dance Festival. It is the performance space most suited to dance in the County owing to its size and facilities. The South Dublin Arts Centre, RUA RED has a purpose built dance studio designed to the highest standard. The centre hosts private dance classes as well as the Youth Dance Company. Several community centres have purpose built dance studios and spaces which include St. Marks Community Centre, Fettercairn and Brookfield Youth and Community Centre, Brookfield. Four VEC schools have a dance studio in the adjoining Sports Centre which was part funded by South Dublin County Council, these are Killinarden Community School, Palmerstown Community School, Collinstown Park Community College and Tallaght Community School. They are also used for evening and private classes.

Bursary Award
South Dublin County has a yearly Artist’s Bursary award that has recently included dancers and choreographers as recipients.

Dance Education
Dance is a recent arrival on the primary and Junior Cycle curricula and is not an exam subject as yet. A dance module has been developed through the residency that meets the requirements of the current curriculum and has been delivered to Transition Year and second year students. This year the Dancer in Residence and Sports Partnership has funded a Laban Guild Foundation Course in Dance in order to provide an opportunity for PE Teachers and youth leaders involved in dance a chance to expand their dance skills and gather ideas for delivering this aspect of the curriculum.

Creative Approaches – dance has been included in this art-in-education strand that explores curriculum links and the arts. This has been an initiative of the Arts Office.

The Youth Dance Company aims to provide a space for young dancers to continue training and to provide connections to professional dance experiences.

Dance in the Community
The dancer in residence has worked with an Active Retired Group in Firhouse and the educational centre An Cosan to provide classes in community dance focusing on physical and emotional wellbeing and social connections. In 2010 the Sports Officer for Clondalkin ran a very successful inter-generational project bringing together an Active Retired Group from Clondalkin with Transition Years from Colaiste Bride and Moyle Park Schools to learn and perform ballroom dances. While the main focus on the residency has been in developing youth dance, access for older people is being supported though consultancy with RUA RED, the Council’s Sports Officers and the Sports Partnership.

Cultural Access
Throughout the dance residency opportunities have been developed to provide access to high quality dance performances and experiences. This included workshops and dance talks from Coisceim Dance Theatre as part of their performances in the Civic Theatre, participation in the “Open House” events sponsored by Dance Ireland and Dublin Youth Dance Company for ANIMOTION students which bring together dancers from youth dance companies around Dublin to share their work, guest workshops from professional dance artists and the Gallery Project in RUA RED in which participants worked with a visual artist and choreographer exploring and developing performances from an installation the gallery. Dance workshops and courses were also provided with a particular focus on integrated dance and arts in health in Scoil Mochua, Clondalkin (Part of the Central Remedial Clinic) and ABACUS Kilnamanagh. (A dedicated school for children on the autistic spectrum).

Dance Policy Proposition
With regard to the continuing development of dance as an art-form in the county, South Dublin Arts Office aims to:

•Support the sustainability of youth dance in the county

•Establish and continue to support opportunities for young dancers to showcase their work, develop their skills and engage with different styles and forms of dance.

•Support the sustainability of dance as part of school programmes, ensuring high quality provision

•Maximise access to dance performances and experiences that reflect diversity of interests, activity and ability

•Encourage and support the programming of dance in venues throughout the county

•Foster professional development opportunities for dance artists and companies within the county