Dublin Dance Festival

Various venues, Dublin Starts tomorrow Until May 23 dublindancefestival.ie 01-6728815

The many bodies of contemporary dance is just one of the themes of this year’s Dublin Dance Festival, opening tomorrow.

An intriguing collection of pioneers and provocateurs will offer 24 Irish premieres from nine different countries, and the festival seems poised to gather rhythm and pace all the way to a sultry, impassioned finale with Soledad Barrio and her ensemble Noche Flamenca.

The always-original young Irish-based company Junk Ensemble jumpstart procedings in Five Ways to Drown (pictured). By contrast, they are followed by 1960s upstart Yvonne Rainer who doubles as experimental mover and historical shaper when her double bill takes us backwards and forward in her distinguished career.

This confluence of Young People, Old Voices, as German choreographer Raimond Hoghe names his festival work, will be encountered and explored in differing ways. It will surface literally and figuratively: watch out for the Sagna sisters and their companies in a particularly strong Italian showing this year, or the aptly titled Swimming with My Mother.

Beyond the challenge of age there are the issues of physicality and performance. Heidi Latsky’s Gimp takes on the boundaries of mobility and containment, while Beppie Blankert Danceconcerts upends conventional performance structure, aided and abetted by Crash Ensemble and the words of Beckett, no strangers to pushing boundaries.

The Irish are no wallflowers either. Between platforms to showcase new work and special commissions (Rex Levitates, Jean Butler), some will be in perpetual motion; David Bolger and John Scott are on stage but also on screen as both feature in Dance on the Box.

So, step out, or sit in, all are invited!