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Embodied is a series of “physical proclamations”, in association with An Post and Dublin Dance Festival, and based in the GPO. The project is described as “a trail of six female dance solos”, depicting a female-oriented response to the 1916 Rising. It was created by choreographers Jazmín Chiodi, Sibéal Davitt, Junk Ensemble (Jessica Kennedy & Megan Kennedy), Liv O’Donoghue, Jessie Keenan and Emma O’Kane, and directed by the Irish choreographer Liz Roche.

Focusing on a specifically female Irish journey from the time of the Rising to present day, it leads the audience through different spaces both inside and outside the historic building. All six interpretations of the same theme are striking in their own way, the performers spanning across a range of ages and sizes. While the methods of representation vary, passion and poignancy are palpable in each piece. The use of dance and physical movement is significant, enabling them to express the female effort towards liberation while transcending the limitations of language. The setting alone establishes a sense of engagement with history in a truly exciting way. The audience spends most of the time standing, at times even invited to interact with performances that are simultaneously raw and powerful. The first and last are solitary performances while the use of lighting, screens and reflective surfaces are used in the rest to convey a sense of unity in every movement. Whites, blues and browns feature heavily but the colour red, in particular, is found in each piece. From costume to hair to makeup, the colour captures a sense of violence and anger in some parts, in others highlighting the female ability to end their oppression. Embodied is an engaging way to bring the Rising into modernity through dance and a great indication for what the rest of the festival has to offer.

 

The Dublin Dance Festival runs from the 17th to the 28th May.