Top dancing trio present sparkling new solo works

The beautiful dancing of Oona Doherty was a highlight of Enda Walsh’s Arlington, which was presented at this Summer’s Arts Festival.

And Oona will be back in Galway this Saturday in a new piece, Maria Maria Maria, which has been curated by Galway Dance Artist in Residence Ríonach Ní Neill.

Presented by Cork’s Firkin Crane, it sees Oona join forces with Emma Fitzgerald and Maria Nilsson Waller as the three dancers give three solo portraits of contemporary Ireland, its young people, and those who feel lost and disconnected.

Oona Doherty portrays the life of her native Belfast streets in Lazarus and the Birds of Paradise, a raw, vulnerable and intensely physical piece, which was hailed as ‘stand-out’ at the Dublin Dance Festival.  Oona is currently Artist in Residence at the MAC, Belfast, and was selected as a 2017 artist for the prestigious international Aerowaves network, which will see her performing her work throughout Europe,

Emma Fitzgerald’s piece, Rest is a reference to the impermanence of life, which she conveys with a twist of humour. She combines story-telling, song and dance in her poetic and provocative works, which have been performed worldwide, including in the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

The third piece, Prime is the work of choreographer Maria Nilsson Waller, who is also a designer and composer.

Prime gradually unfolds from black and white to colour, accompanied by the music of Tina Turner and Maria’s original score.

It draws inspiration from mythology, science-fiction, the early days of space travel and 1960s pop culture to create a post-traumatic space where a woman is re-building herself and her universe.

The three pieces have been curated by Ríonach Ní Néill for Firkin Crane, where she is Dance Curator. Maria Maria Maria will tour to Cork, Limerick, Belfast and Ballina as well as to Galway.

It will be performed at Galway Arts Centre’s Nun’s Island Theatre this Saturday, November 26. Tickets €15/10 from Galway Arts Centre, www.galwayartscentre.ie, 091-565886.