Step up to step out in Nenagh
Former head judge Len Goodman may have quit Strictly
Come Dancing at the age of 72, but when it comes to discovering the joys of contemporary dance, a showstopping troupe of seventy-something women from Tipperary are just getting started.
While the freeform movement of the genre may be new to them, word from rehearsals is that these dancers are just loving it. Audiences can judge for themselves when they premiere their new show next Tuesday, October 9th, at 6pm in Nenagh Arts Centre. Staged as part of the Tipperary Dance Festival, Las Muchas (The Many) is a stunning piece of work that’s set to challenge stereotypes about age, movement and physical expression.
“It’s about the many women we all are,” says Jazmin Chiodi, director of Tipperary Dance Platform, which engages local communities with contemporary dance throughout the Premier County. “The women are important members of society with a lot to give.”
The babies of the bunch are Nenagh twins Helen Herriott and Toni Brophy, aged 68.
“When we heard about Las Muchas at a coffee morning in a friend’s house, we asked, ‘Can we come’,” says Helen. “There are about 15 of us in the group, and we have great fun at the weekly classes, but there’s more to it than that. At a certain age, it’s easy to get into a habit of not speaking up or stepping out. Dancing gets us out of ourselves; we feel energised. We become more visible to ourselves and each other.”
“Helen and I didn’t strictly qualify, but we got in by the skin of our teeth,” says Toni. “It’s one of those things you do in life that makes you come away with a smile on your face. It beats sitting at home watching TV.”
The project is supported as part of the Creative Communities initiative of Tipperary County Council’s Creative Ireland Programme, in conjunction with Accion Cultural Espanola. Nenagh Arts Centre provides the space for classes and performance. Las Muchas was devised by Spanish choreographer Mariantonia Oliver, with classes led by Argentinian Jazmin Chiodi.
“The show opens with a solo performance by Mariantonia, with a video on a large screen in the background showing a group of eight older women dancing,” says Jazmin. “Then the curtain lifts, just a little, and we see eight pairs of legs, moving to the music, before the curtain is raised fully and the women, who earlier appeared in the video, start to dance.”
The public performance may showcase the dancers’ talents and achievements, but the lasting legacy is the impact the programme has on the health and wellbeing of those involved.
“Projects like this help to build communities,” says Jazmin. “Contemporary dance is a new experience for many Irish women, particularly this generation who are not used to expressing themselves in such a physical way. This is empowering, and it strengthens their selfesteem enormously. They learn that we all have something to give, and exchange, at every stage of life.”
At a certain age, it’s easy to get into the habit of not speaking up Helen Herriott