The Dublin Dance Festival kicked off last Saturday evening with the first performance of Five Ways to Drown followed by the Bumper 2 Bumper headphone disco in conjunction with Phantom 105.2fm.
Five Ways To Drown in the Project Arts Centre was choreographed and performed by Junk Ensemble. Junk Ensemble was established in 2004 by twin sisters Megan and Jessica Kennedy who were also joined in this performance by three other dancers. Five Ways To Drown is listed as something which:
“looks into the interior of people’s lives and exposes the sadness, the absurdity and the banality through vignettes of dance and installation”
The set in the Project was amazing, with the upstairs area having been transformed to have a central stage with a specially built staircase and the stage even had real grass! Alas, I had never been to see contemporary dance in this kind of format and I didn’t know what to expect or how to interpret what I was watching. I must admit to being truly lost. The dance opened with five to ten minutes of Megan and Jessica dancing and signing together and it was all lost to me there and then. Five Ways To Drown has, however, received some great reviews in the Herald, Irish Times and the Irish Independent. Sadly it just wasn’t for me.
Not one to be beaten though, there is lots of variety at the Dublin Dance Festival and other types of dance to see, enjoy and even to participate in over the next week.
I am most looking forward to the Jean Butler and Tere O’Connor collaboration DAY on the Peacock stage at the Abbey Theatre next Wednesday - this will be a world premiere - and the Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca evening of flamenco in Vicar Street for the closing night next week.
You can see the full listing of what else is on at the Dublin Dance Festival at www.dublindancefestival.ie.
