North American Premiere of Jean Butler's WHAT WE HOLD is Coming to Irish Arts Center

Irish Arts Center will present the North American premiere of choreographer, director, and performer Jean Butler's contemporary exploration of traditional Irish dance, What We Hold. An “astonishing dance work, a visual, aural, almost poetic performative archive of Irish step dance” (The Irish Times, in a five-star review), What We Hold breaks down the barriers of audience and stage and illuminates the personal and cultural histories contained within the Irish dancing body. Performances take place February 14–March 3. (A full calendar is here. Critics are welcome as of Thursday, February 15, at 9pm.)

Butler has re-staged and re-designed this site-specific work for Irish Arts Center after its acclaimed 2022 Dublin Theatre Festival premiere at City Assembly House. What We Hold takes the audience on a physical journey through the performance space, encountering an intergenerational cast of renowned dancers, and experiencing what the body holds and what happens when we collectively let go. The “joyous journey...push[es] at limits of form, convention, history and memory” (The Arts Review, in another five-star review) as it invites audiences to engage with traditional and contemporary expressions of Irish step side-by-side and up close.

Sound design plays a key role in the work. A sound sculpture specially designed by composer Ryan C Seaton and Andrew Rumpler traverses the space. The original score, mixed live by Seaton throughout the work, interweaves oral history recordings of Irish dancers from around the world, uniting the performers with older generations of Irish dancers from Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada, and the United States .

What We Hold marks a return for Butler to working with traditional Irish dancers. Says Butler, “In many ways, What We Hold closes a circle of my past as a traditional Irish dancer and my present as a contemporary dance artist. I knew I wanted to work with traditional Irish dancers again — I hadn't worked with them in 25 years. What We Hold opens a conversation between traditional Irish dance and the contemporary expression of traditional Irish dance.”

As well as Butler, the New York Cast includes performers Tom Cashin, Marion Cronin, Colin Dunne, Kristyn Fontanella, James Greenan, Kaitlyn Sardin, Maren Shanks and Ryan C Seaton. What We Hold is created, choreographed, and directed by Butler. Its creative team includes Ryan C Seaton (composer and sound designer), Katie Davenport (set designer), Harriet Jung & Reid Bartelme (costume designers), Stephen Dodd (lighting designer), Ryan C Seaton & Andrew Rumpler (sound sculpture designers), Laura Murphy (Associate Director), Levi Gonzalez (Performance and Rehearsal Consultant), Shane O'Reilly (Dramaturge), Louise Lowe (Consultant), Pádraig Heneghan/Lovano (Producer), Ois O'Donoghue (Associate Producer), and Ste Murray (Photographer).

Butler's performance embodies the type of expansive, exploratory, and boundary-breaking work IAC's New Irish Arts Center—the 21,700 square foot hub for the arts completed in December, 2021—enables the organization to present. What We Hold and other major upcoming works this season—including celebrated musician Lisa Hannigan's residency (March 21–23), Lyric Theatre, Belfast's production of Owen McCafferty's “searing new play” (The Irish Times) Agreement (April 11–May 12), If These Wigs Could Talk from “Ireland's undisputed queen of drag” (The New York Times) Panti Bliss (June 13–23)—continue to move IAC into a new era. What We Hold further establishes IAC as a home for groundbreaking contemporary dance, following Oona Doherty's Hard to Be Soft, Mufutau Yusuf's Òwe, and Darrah Carr and Seán Curran's Céilí.

 

About Jean Butler

 

Dancer, choreographer, and Our Steps artistic director Jean Butler is a leading figure in the world of contemporary Irish dance performance. Her most recent production, a site-specific promenade piece entitled What We Hold premiered at the Dublin Theatre Festival in October 2022 to critical acclaim. Past works have been supported and presented by the Arts Council (Ireland), Abbey Theatre (Dublin), Baryshnikov Arts Center (NY), Danspace Project (NY), Dublin Dance Festival, Dublin Theatre Festival, Irish Arts Center (NY), Jacobs Pillow (MA), The Joyce (NY), Kennedy Center (D.C.), Project Arts Centre (Dublin), and Seamus Heaney Homeplace (Northern Ireland).

In 2018 Butler founded Our Steps, a not-for-profit organization committed to expanding the way we think about history, practice, and performance of Irish dance. Partnering with the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library, Our Steps initiated the first living Irish dance archive, entitled Our Steps, Our Story: An Irish Dance Legacy Archive. To date, this ever-expanding archive has created over 200 hours of video and audio resource materials never previously documented.

Butler has taught at Princeton University, University College Dublin, University of Notre Dame Global Center, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, and Glucksman Ireland House, NYU. She choreographed and starred in the original Irish dance productions, Riverdance and Dancing on Dangerous Ground and is the recipient of many prestigious awards and honors.

About the Performers

Tom Cashin is a first-generation Irish American who was born and raised in Brooklyn. He was ten years old when he took his first Irish step dancing class. He danced under the instruction of Jimmy Erwin and won the North American senior men's championship before retiring from competition. When he was nineteen, he became an international fashion model for several years. Upon returning to New York, Tommy Tune cast him as the principal dancer in the original productions of the off-Broadway and Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Tom went on to choreograph Ron Hutchinson's play Says I, Says He in New York and Los Angeles. He received an Art History degree from Hunter College while working in various departments at Sotheby's. He then joined the board of the non-profit organization Friend In Deed and is currently a board member at The Irish Repertory Theater in New York. Tom is now a partner in Jed Johnson Home, a textile company for the design community. Jean Butler brought Tom on as chair of the board of Our Steps, and to his surprise, she got him dancing again for this production of What We Hold.  Tom was also in its original production in Dublin in October 2022. He has tremendous admiration for Jean for creating Our Steps and for providing him with this opportunity.

Marion Cronin is a contemporary dancer and new choreographer based in Dublin. Since graduating in 2014 from The Scottish School Of Contemporary Dance she has toured extensively across Ireland and internationally. Most recently she has worked with choreographers and companies including; Liz Roche (Dublin Dance Festival), Jean Butler (Dublin Theatre Festival), Lucia Kickham (Schwere Reiter, Munich), Laura Murphy (Fira Tárrega), Philip Connaughton (Carlow Arts Festival), Siobhán Ní Dhuinnín (Cork Midsummer Festival), and Theatre Lovett. Alongside her performance career, she has begun to develop a strong choreographic practice. Her work is guided by her experience as a performer and her interest in creating highly physical and cathartic dance work. She is drawn to making art that is grounded in personal experiences and reflects the world around us. Some of her most recent pieces include; Rope (2023) a duet with dance artist Sarah Ryan, shared at Dance Limerick; Shapes of Grief (2022) collaboration with musician, Branwen Kavanagh performed at the Whales Theatre in Greystones; Shawbrook Music and Dance (2021) a residency at Shawbrook Dance in collaboration with Sarah Ryan and musicians Sistir; Mary-Land (2020) a dance film made in collaboration with writer/artist Rachel Burke and D.O.P Steve O'Connor, broadcasted on St Patrick's Festival TV.

Colin Dunne is a leading figure in the world of traditional Irish dance. He collaborates across dance, music and theatre performance platforms in Ireland and internationally. His first solo show Out of Time (2008), was nominated for a 2010 Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in dance, and toured internationally until 2016 including performances at Biennale de Lyon, Barbican, London and Baryshnikov Arts Centre, NY. His most recent solo show CONCERT, based on the music of Irish fiddle player Tommie Potts, received the 2018 TG4 Gradam Ceoil Award for Music Collaboration in 2018, and a Bessie Award Nomination in 2020. Other notable collaborations include: Session (2019) with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Whitby (2017) with Joan Sheehy, Edges of Light (2016 commissioned by Music Network), 20 Dancers for the XX Century (2015 Boris Charmatz, at the Tate Museum London), The Turn (2013) composed by Linda Buckley, and The Bull (2005) by Michael Keegan Dolan. As movement director, his work includes In The Middle of the Fields by Mary Lavin (2021) directed by Joan Sheehy, The Risen People (Abbey Theatre 2013) directed by Jimmy Fay, and Christ Deliver Us (Abbey Theatre 2010) directed by Wayne Jordan.

Kristyn Fontanella, choreographer/dance artist, focuses her past knowledge of Irish step dancing and presents it in a contemporary context. Having toured for many years with Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and as lead soloist in Gaelforce Dance, her current mission is to show another side of the complex world of Irish step dancing to future generations. Kristyn's duet with Sibéal Davitt, As We Know It was an early success, showing in DRFI in NYC, Dublin Dance Festival, Echo Echo Dance Platform, Marseille New Danse Festival, and Tanzmesse Germany. Her large ensemble work IN LiMBO, completed a seven venue Irish National Tour in February 2020, and has future international touring opportunities. The Competition, a comedic interactive dance performance, premiered in 2021 to great success online and will continue to be performed as a hybrid format. All of Kristyn's work has been supported through various grants from the Irish Arts Council. Kristyn's creative focus now is on a new outdoor solo work tracing her dance/family tree, with support from Town Hall Theatre Patrons Donation Award, Galway International Arts Festival Elevate Bursary, and a Bursary Award from the Irish Arts Council. Kristyn resides in Co. Galway where she has recently been appointed executive director of Galway Dance.

James Greenan, originally from Co. Cavan, is a passionate Irish dancer and sports massage therapist. As a child, James discovered his love for the art of Irish Dance in Dundalk where he was taught by the acclaimed Mona Rodaigh. He was fortunate enough to enjoy a successful competitive career, having won every major title in the coveted World championships. This sparked James' love for the stage and steered his progression as a dancer into the professional arena. James spent his professional career expanding his artistry by working on various productions and alongside admired choreographers. The most prestigious of these being Riverdance where he danced as the principal dancer for 12 years in venues such as Radio City Music Hall, New York and The 3 Arena, Dublin. Others include Heartbeat of Home (The West End, London), Eiru dance company (with Breandan de Gallai) and Prodijig's Footstorm (with Alan Kenefic). In recent years, James has explored his own creative ideologies through various platforms. These include Celtic Gold in 2019 which he choreographed and directed, his own corporate dance company KLIX, and Rhythm of the Dance which he currently choreographs and directs. In addition to dance, James' passion for movement has expanded into other disciplines as he is also a fully qualified and experienced sports and myoskeletal massage therapist. He works primarily with dancers in helping them move pain free, recover from injury and live long, happy and healthy careers. His practice is called Corrective Manual Therapy which is based in Swords, Dublin.

Kaitlyn Sardin, born and raised in Florida, is an Irish dancer with a twist. Since 2015, she has been curating a unique fusion of Irish dancing with hip hop, jazz, and dancehall. Since her start as a competitive dancer, Kaitlyn has championed numerous international dance competitions. She continues to push boundaries and inspire others across the world as one of the few black women in the Irish dancing community. From dancing in Ireland to performing in LA, Kaitlyn has always been one to dance no matter where.

Ryan C Seaton is a Bessie-nominated, New York-based composer and multi-instrumentalist. Seaton has created compositions for many acclaimed recording and performing artists, including Joanna Kotze, Lingua Ignota, Jean Butler, Grey Reverend, Zsuzsa Rozsavolgyi, Lance Gries, Liz Gerring, Dark Sky, Ictus, Beth Gill, Vision Control, Rachel Comey, and Mara Hoffman. His work has been featured at BAM, New York Live Arts, Dublin Theater Festival, Baryshnikov Arts Center, the Kitchen, and Danspace, among many other venues. Seaton also composes for film, podcasts and TV.

Maren Shanks is a fifteen-year-old Irish dancer from Dublin. She has been dancing for 10 years, competing in feiseanna across Ireland and performing at charity events. She made her professional debut in the premiere run of What We Hold as part of the 2022 Dublin Theatre Festival.

 

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