Emma Martin’s dance show with music by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band is back for an Irish tour.
I went to see Night Dances in October 2021 at Dublin Theatre Festival, while the country was still under COVID restrictions that meant standing events were not allowed by the government. At thr time there was a huge sense of frustration that the creative industries were being forgotten and the mere possibility of dancing was increasingly feeling like a political act, loaded with significance and defiance.
Night Dances debuted in that atmosphere of oppression and rules, some necessary, some overbearing, and it was a bit of a lifeline for me in that time of despair.
Night Dances is a series of dance poems where the performers ranging from ravers to young girls to a trinity of witches to a lost boy, illuminated from above move to crunching visceral low-end metallic music by Daniel Fox.
Right now in Ireland, dancing is a political act, moving to music is headline news. Night Dances reclaimed the act of expressing the body for me, when I don’t know when I can partake in the same act next week or next month.
There was rare joy in that feeling. There was hope in their movement.
Night Dances will return for an Irish national tour later this month and into March.
Night Dances is a bold series of four dance vignettes created choreographer Emma Martin, with a cast of talented dancers Robyn Byrne, Aoife McAtamney, Ryan O’Neill, Jessie Thomson, and Jonas Krämer with music by Daniel Fox (Gilla Band) performing live alongside Jamie Hyland (Mhaol), and Brian Dillon (Meltybrains).
Night Dances Irish National Tour
February 28 & March 1 – Visual, Carlow
March 5 – Backstage Theatre, Longford
March 8 – Blackbox Theatre, Galway
March 12 – Glór, Ennis
March 14 – Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick
March 19 – Siamsa Tíre, Tralee:
March 24 – An Grianán, Letterkenny
March 27 – 29 – Pavilion, Dun Laoghaire
Watch the trailer:
Tickets are on sale now directly from each venue, or visit: https://www.unitedfall.com/night-dances
Night Dances is love letter to dance in 4 parts:
LOST BOY:
A solo for a male dancer. Inspired by the story where Lucifer is God’s lover thrown down from heaven with only God’s voice echoing “go to hell.” The echo was all he had left to sustain him. Heroic. Mythical. Pitiful. Monstrous. Humble. Soft. Majestic. A swan in an oil slick.
GOD IS A GIRL:
Five young girls with bright eyes, blood pumping together, dancing their hearts out. They whip their limbs and ponytails out into the world like it’s their last breath. The most potent of life stages distilled into powerful physicality—all fury, might, and faith. They’re the future and they’re fearless.
THE RAVER:
“When the soul of a man is born in this country, there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight… I shall try to fly by those nets.” (James Joyce)
RED:
A trio of women. For all the birds, ma’s, bitches, hags, wans, slags, babes, frumps. For our mams and grannies. Messy, loud, animal, reckless, violent, beautiful, filthy. Like seeing the virgin Mary swagger by on a white stallion smoking a vape.
