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said. “It’s not just accompaniment; it’s part of
the choreography itself.” Young also acknowledged the challenges facing dance artists in Ireland today. “Funding, access to rehearsal space, and housing are big hurdles. If you can’t afford to live or rehearse, it’s really hard to make work.” Despite this, she emphasizes perseverance: “I’ve been doing this full-time for 25 years. If you need to do it, you find a way.” Young’s hope is that audiences walk away feeling empowered to act. “It’s easy to feel small against the climate crisis. But when you embody ideas, when you move and feel together, it reminds you that humans can act collectively. Art can spark that awareness.” The national tour of CISEACH: An Embodied Manifesto runs from April 18 to May 9, 2026, opening at Backstage Theatre in Longford and concluding at Glór in Ennis. Other stops include An Grianán Theatre in Donegal, Dance Limerick, Siamsa Tíre in Tralee, Dance Cork Firkin Crane, Town Hall Theatre in Galway, and Pavilion Theatre in Dublin. “Art is about connection. It reminds us of what humans can do together, not what divides us,” Young said. CISEACH is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, underscoring the importance of public support for contemporary dance in Ireland. Young explained that “without this funding, the tour and scale of production would not have been possible. This kind of support allows us to take risks, innovate, and reach audiences who might never have seen a contemporary dance performance before,” she said. Tickets for the tour are available at each venue and online. Young encourages audiences to experience the piece with an open mind. “Come curious, come willing to move, come ready to reflect on our relationship with the planet. That’s the journey we hope to take you on.” CISEACH seeks not only to reflect the crises facing society and the environment but to offer a vision of hope. Through dance, music, and embodied performance, Young encourages audiences to reconnect with the land, recognize collective responsibility, and imagine positive change. CISEACH: An Embodied Manifesto - Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, May 7th. Puff, photo; Alice Ripoll In STORM 1.0 from award-winning dance innovators Junk Ensemble, two dancers and a tuba player navigate a shifting, unsteady world from inside a building that can no longer protect them. STORM 1.0 is an uncompromising meditation on what it means to continue together in a world that refuses to be repaired. Samuel Beckett Theatre, Weds 6th - Fri May 8th. Mufutau Yusuf presents the world premiere of The Fifth Sun, a new collaboration with Luail – Ireland’s National Dance Company in which he responds to the grief and dismay stirred by our planetary crisis. Inspired by the tradition of Irish keening, The Fifth Sun unfolds as both a eulogy and a renewal. Samuel Beckett Theatre, Thurs May 14th - Sat May 16th. Puff is a magnetic solo exploring the idea of disguise as a way of carrying silenced cultures, traditions and ancestral knowledge of the African diaspora. Alone on stage, the extraordinary Hiltinho Fantástico channels the rich inheritance of Afro-Brazilian dance. Project Arts Centre, Fri May 15th - Sat May 16th. My Fierce Ignorant Step, photo: Panos Kefalos For tickets and Dublin Dance Festival line ups visit www.dublindancefestival.ie More Festival Highlights Irish choreographer Emma Martin presents the world premiere of Soft God, commissioned by DDF and the Abbey Theatre – a jagged ceremony that swerves between the mythic and the ridiculous, the carnivalesque and the everyday, between virtuosity and failure. Soft God mines the collective imagination of this brutal moment, where to dream together and share oneself is an act of defiance. Abbey Theatre, Thurs May 14th - Sat May 16th. Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos presents his latest creation, My Fierce Ignorant Step, connecting intricate movement with a vibrant soundscape to illuminate the sheer euphoria of being alive. Created after Papadopoulos received the inaugural Rose International Dance Prize, My Fierce Ignorant Step invites audiences to rediscover our courage and the radical power of hope, reclaiming a youthful lust for life and the sense that everything still lies ahead. Abbey Theatre, Thurs May 7th - Sat May 9th. 40