Writing on the wall for dance show
ALL roads lead to the Rebel County as far as the dance world is concerned over the next few weeks as Liz Roche Company present a major new dance work, I/Thou, in the Cork Opera House.
I/Thou will premiere on September 7 as part of the Sirius Arts Centre’s year-long programme celebrating the work of iconic visual artist Brian O’Doherty and his remarkable career, drawing mainly from O’Doherty’s landmark One, Here, Now — the Ogham Cycle murals, first painted in 1996 at the Sirius Gallery in Ireland’s iconic harbour town of Cobh.
Of course, after years of being hidden beneath plaster and paper, these beautiful murals have been recently excavated, restored and unveiled to the public. Initially covered so that other artists could have the chance to use the space, the murals are now on display after 20 years .
They are made up of abstract paintings inspired by Ogham writing, an early Celtic Christian alphabet, in striking primary colours, with repetition of pattern and form. They were initially part of a programme that highlighted emmigration and connections to home.
And it is these murals which formed the starting point for choreographer Liz Roche to create a heart-stopping new dance piece.
‘The creation of I/Thou has proven to be artistically enriching from day one,’ Liz says of the new work.
‘Emerging from the rich and layered textures and emotions of One Here Now is a surprisingly physical and rigorous movement quality that touches into heightened and dynamic energies that I had not originally expected to find. The heart of the work feels intensely human and complex, and yet, there is a serene logic emerging at every turn.’
It would be a hard station for many, but Roche has found the connection between the rhythm with which the body moves and the complex repetitions and flows of the Ogham alphabet.
‘Finding connections in our increasingly disconnected world has become the driving force for this new work,’ she says. ‘Creating spaces where touch, sensation, emotion and empathy can be present at every moment within the performers and through the music has become the challenge.’
For this production there will be a newly commissioned score from renowned Cork composer Linda Buckley which will be performed live by three singers and a cellist at the Opera House.
I/Thou will be at Cork Opera House on September 7 and 8, see corkoperahouse.ie