A series of candid film portraits of eight iconic women in dance in Ireland, directed and choreographed by dance artist Laura Murphy.

Traditionally, the worth of a dancer’s career has been measured by time spent in the limelight. Yet a dancer’s experience of their career extends beyond the stage – influencing the personal, the mundane and the philosophical. Collaborating with filmmaker Pato Cassinoni, animator Alan Early and composer Irene Buckley, Murphy presents an innovative and multifaceted exploration of eight women in dance in Ireland: Jean Butler, Alicia Christofi Walshe, Lisa Cliffe, Finola Cronin, Joan Davis, Katherine O’Malley, Mary Nunan and Angie Smalis.

Challenging conventional views on dance and success, the portraits reveal the unspoken values that are often difficult to articulate and easy to forget, creating a unique living archive of untold stories of dance. This collection of multimedia portraits expand our understanding of dance beyond traditional structures into the personal realm.

Director and Choreographer Laura Murphy
Filmmaker Pato Cassinoni
Animator Alan Early
Music and Sound Irene Buckley
Text Editor Laura Murphy with Niamh Prior and Stephen Collins
Dancers Marion Cronin, Siobhán Ní Dhuinnín, Sarah Ryan

Co-presented by Cork Midsummer Festival and Cork Dance Firkin Crane, Funded by The Arts Council | An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Created in association with Dance Ireland, Dance Cork Firkin

Crane, Galway Dance, Mermaid Arts Centre, Coiscéim Dance Theatre, Dance Limerick and Joan Davis | Gorse Hill.