IRISH Modern Dance Theatre returns to Dance Limerick this week with Begin Anywhere, a bold new work by award-winning choreographer John Scott and Tony-nominated composer Mel Mercier. Inspired by legendary American choreographer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage, this production blends contemporary dance and live music in a seamless, dynamic performance.
Scott, who has collaborated extensively with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, joins forces with Mercier, an original musician in Cage and Cunningham’s Roaratorio, to create an innovative dance event.
Audiences will also experience Four Solos by Merce Cunningham, featuring Changeling (1957), Solo (1975), and excerpts from RainForest (1968) and Travelogue (1977). Performed by Morgan Amirah Burns, François Malbranque, and Boris Charrion, these solos are accompanied by music from acclaimed composer John King and presented in collaboration with the Merce Cunningham Trust.
Following the solos, Begin Anywhere takes centre stage, featuring six international dancers from the USA, France, Poland, Brazil, and Ireland. Their movements range from athletic and sweeping to stately and refined, performed alongside four of Ireland’s finest musicians, whose styles span from Sean Nós to electronic music.
Reflecting on the production, John Scott remarked: “Following our sold-out premiere in New York, we are thrilled to bring these works home.
“This is our best production yet—knockout dancing with a joyous energy somewhere between an Irish céilí and a rock festival.”
Begin Anywhere plays at Dance Limerick this Saturday March 8 and Sunday March 9 at 8pm – dancelimerick.ie/whats-on/
