Compared with the rest of Europe, dance is still underdeveloped in Ireland, so it is much to the credit of John Scott and his Irish Modern Dance Theatre that they are becoming known in more than one EU country. After their success in 1996 in Dieppe and Paris during l'Imaginaire irlandaise with Slam, they return to Paris next June with French choreographer Fabrice Dugied's Nous, The Loss Of The Winds (seen in Dublin last October at the SFX Theatre), and with Scott's own all-male piece Just Bodies.
The latter (premiered at the RHA Gallagher Gallery last February) was hailed by Stockholm dance critic Dayens Nytheter as "filled with inspiration" after its performance at the Dance Across Borders International Festival last August, resulting in an invitation to bring IMDT's new piece, Real Pearls, to the Gothenburg Irish Festival on 28th February for two days. Meanwhile, we can see it in Dublin at Project @ the Mint from February 16th to 21st (previewing 13th and 14th), at the Drogheda Arts Centre on 24th, Siamsa Tire, Tralee, on 25th and Firkin Crane, Cork, on 12th and 13th March.
Real Pearls was commissioned by Project artistic director, Fiach MacConghail, who has done much for dance in Ireland. It is inspired by the backstage scandals of the old Variety Theatre of the 1930s, as seen from the questioning standpoint of the late 1990s. IMDT regulars such as Daryn Crosbie and Justine Doswell are joined by Jonathan Mitchell and Lucy Dundon in a series of solos and duets expressing yearning, aggression, anger, desire and humour while, following its policy of encouraging dance students, Jade Travers from Shankill in Dublin will be apprentice/understudy.
Andrew Synnott has composed the original music, the lighting will be by Mark Gallione and costumes by Helen McCusker. But before Real Pearls opens in Project @ the Mint, IMDT will be celebrating the end of the old Project Arts Centre building in East Essex Street, where much of its repertoire was created. Tomorrow they will perform in that old premises with 14 dancers who have worked with the company during its lifetime, with excerpts from such pieces as Rough Notes, Ruby Red, Slam and Perfect State. While Macalla, which could never have been done in the Project (seen at the RHA Gallery in January 1995) is to be revived next year at the Gothenburg Museum. Let us hope we may then be able to see this exciting piece again in Ireland.