Night Dances – Dublin Dance Festival – Review
by G. O’Byrne

Presented by Dublin Dance Festival and the Abbey Theatre – Night Dances
24 – 25 May 2024 – Created by Emma Martin

You enter the theatre to a striking visual image.  A young girl covered in a white veil sits on a white horse which stands centre of the Abbey stage! When the audience has taken their seats,  the animal departs.

This production is the debut of choreographer Emma Martin at the Abbey.  The piece was originally part of the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2021. It was performed in the National Stadium on South Circular Road.  This was a time when Covid restrictions were still in place, with limited audience numbers.  It is now deservedly being seen by a wider audience during the Dublin Dance Festival.

The production also features live music by Daniel Fox. Fox is known as the bassist of Gilla Band.  There were three musicians at the back of the stage performing electronic Dance music with pounding beats that could be felt as much as heard in the auditorium.  Thankfully, earplugs were provided for those worried about their eardrums!

The piece was broken into four parts and is said to be a celebration of dance culture,  from “clubs to competitions to ceremonies”. The opening section was an expressive and explorative solo male performer, followed by a dance troupe of young girls who bounded with energy performing a gymnastic routine.  Next was another male performer who started with a slow Tai Chi like motion before accelerating into a ferocious performance of freedom and abandonment exploring club culture. The final segment had three women who entered veiled in blue.  From a formal beginning, they rapidly shed their conventions and liberated themselves to an ecstatic display of female dance, throwing all rules aside.

The hour-long performance brimmed with energy and pulsating sound.  The shedding of formal structures brought energy and individual freedom to the fore. The production had a raw and visceral feel, with the sheer joy of the performers visible for all to see.