John Scott’s Irish modern dance theatre have just marked thirty years since their very first stage performance in September 1991. This very special anniversary will be marked by the company’s brand new show EVOLUTIONS, which opens at Project Arts Centre for four nights, from October 27 – 30.
Based on Darwin’s idea that no member of the same species is alike, EVOLUTIONS takes place in a community of vastly different dancers, of backgrounds ranging from classical ballet to street dance, where they find a common way of moving, soaring and falling together while finally breaking into separate paths and spaces of growth. John Scott weaves ideas of bloodlines, migration, assimilation and adaptation in this ever-evolving landscape that he has created into this new dance production.
The wonderful cast includes Ashley Chen, one of imdt’s long-time collaborators. Chen has performed with Merce Cunningham Dance Company and Lyon Opera Ballet where he has performed works by William Forsyth, Trisha Brown, Philippe Decouflé, Christian Rizzo, and Mathilde Monnier ; Magdalena Hylak is a Clifden (Co. Galway) based dancer and choreographer. She studied cultural studies, including theatre and dance, at University of Wroclaw, Poland and is an exciting dancer to watch; Favour Odusola is a Nigerian-Irish multidisciplinary artist based in Dublin, and a professional member of Dance Ireland and Create Ireland. He has worked across several contexts from traditional dance & percussion, to commercial work and contemporary theatre for over 15 years both in Nigeria and internationally; Sarah Ryan is a dance artist based in Dublin who has worked extensively as a freelancer for the last 8 years. She particularly enjoys working in collaboration with other artforms. Sarah is delighted to be back on stage with IMDT; Chinese-Irish dancer Oran Leong who has a vast diverse dance background that includes him winning the Irish dance World Championships three times in a row and is another new dancer that needs to be seen as he enters the professional world of contemporary dance now ; and finally, Afro- Brazilian dancer, Capoeira performer and instructor Alessandra Azevedo brings a wonderful edge and energy to this dance show . The fine cast of performers with all their differing outstanding skills in this production find a common ground as the use bird-flight pathways as a choreographic map within the show.
Supported by The Arts Council of Ireland and Dublin City Council
IMDT IS ABOUT PIONEERING TRANSFORMATIVE DANCE:
Founded in 1991 by dancer and choreographer John Scott, Irish Modern Dance Theatre is one of the most original and responsive dance companies working in Ireland today. A Dublin-based ensemble, Scott and international guest choreographers create distinctive dance works with diverse casts, mixing virtuosic Irish and international dancers with African and Middle Eastern refugees and torture survivors. Their works include ‘Lear’, ‘Inventions’, Actions’ and ‘Fall and Recover’ – all recognised for their intelligence, honesty and humanity. Their work crosses disciplines, subverts expectations of dance and dancers and finds new ways to explore contemporary issues.
Dancers: Ashley Chen, Magdalena Hylak, Favour Odusola, Sarah Ryan, Oran Leong & Alessandra Azevedo.
Project Box Office – Tel: 01 881 9613 | projectartscentre.ie
FURTHER INFO at irishmoderndancetheatre.com
