Dance Limerick announces the five participants taking part in the fifteenth edition of Step Up Dance Project, including Trinity Laban graduate Catriona O’Connor.
Step Up is a yearly programme for emerging dance artists that bridges the gap between dance education and professional contemporary dance practice. It is a partnership between the Arts Council, Dance Limerick, the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, and Dance Ireland. This year’s edition is curated by Fearghus Ó Conchúir with Dance Limerick Director Mary Wycherley. The five dancers will get the chance to participate in a Performance in Context project with choreographer Philip Connaughton to develop a new work to be premiered at Dance Limerick in early August. Delivered under the guidance of Rehearsal Director, Lucia Kickham, the programme is focused on developing artists as performers while recognising the creativity necessary in the performer’s work.
This year’s extended eight-week programme allows participants to benefit from a two-week placement on Luail’s Moving in Collaboration International Intensive at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. For the two weeks that the dancers will be at UL, they will have the chance to delve deeper into the company’s approaches to composition and choreography. This opportunity is possible thanks to a new partnership with Luail – Ireland’s National Dance Company.
About Catriona O’Connor
Catriona is a queer Scottish dance artist based in Glasgow. They graduated with a first class BA (Hons) in 2022 and has since emerged into the Scottish dance scene. She choreographed work for Resolution Festival (The Place, London 2023) and was a participant of the DEBS Programme at Dance Base where she received mentoring from Solene Weinachter. They have worked with choreographers such as Theo Clinkard, Joel Brown (Candoco) and are currently collaborating with choreographer Jack Webb. Her practice focuses on themes of identity, queerness and memory and enjoys making work that is bold, daring and intimate.