Dublin Dance Festival 2009

Things are about to get pretty lively on the dancefloor as the annual dancefest hits town, running from Fri 8 (see Bumper 2 Bumper below) to Sat 23 May. This year's programme has an interesting cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary vibe, with headline shows from Belgium's Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Brooklyn-based Evidence, A Dance Company, both at the Abbey. In Cherkaoui's Apocrifu the tradition of the written word is explored against the soaring polyphony of Corsican choral ensemble A Filetta. Ronald K Brown's company Evidence celebrates African-American culture in a seductive blend of African, modern, ballet and social dance styles. Their show One Shot is inspired by famous African-American photographer Charles Harris and features some of his iconic images. 

Other shows to watch out for include Rachid Ouramdane's Loin... (Far), dealing with the aftermath of violence, and based on his father's journals from Algeria and Indochina; and Irish Modern Dance Theatre's Fall and Recover, an inspirational piece created in collaboration with survivors of torture. The naked bodies of Daniel Leveille's Amour, acide et noix reveal both our solitude and need for interaction; fellow Quebecois Jose Navas dances to Bach, Bellini and Gershwin in Miniatures; and the music of James Brown and Aretha Franklin informs David Zambrano's Soul Project. 

On a lighter note, Iona Mona Popovici's Work in Regress explores what happens to Mr Jones of 'Animal Farm' after the animals kick him out, and Wendy Houstoun's Happy Hour explores what happens in a bar. You can revisit some Irish choreographic talent in a couple of Mixed Bills, take part in workshops and masterclasses, and view Dance on Film at the gorgeous Lighthouse Cinema. More info at www.dublindancefestival.ie