January 2010 - Dance Ireland

esearch and practice? Is improvisation asubjective experience; a creative tool; a mode ofperformance - or all or none of the above? Howis improvisation transmitted? Whatmethodologies or techniques are used or arebeing developed; and how is improvisationdocumented? What or who are the primary andsecondary sources?Broadly defined as ‘spontaneous composition’,improvisation has always been an integral partof dance practice. The aim of this conference isto identify and document how and whereimprovisation has been, and is being, used indance practice; and its relevance andimportance in dance research and dancepractice as research.DRFI invites proposals for the conference in theform of academic-based paper presentations,practice-based research presentations, lecturedemonstrations, dance workshops, a studentposter exhibition, and dance performancecontributions. Abstracts of presentationsaddressing the above or any other topicrelevant to the theme of the conferenceshould be forwarded electronically in RichText Format to Ms. Carmel McKenna,Secretary DRFI, at carmel.mckenna@lit.ie ormckennadance@gmail.com.Forum Ireland said following years of effort, theNational Dance Archive of Ireland is nowbecoming a reality; it is a historic moment for alldance in Ireland. Dance Research Forum Irelandowes an enormous debt of gratitude to the ArtsCouncil for the awarding of this seed funding.The report, written by dance historianDr Victoria O’Brien, established the existence ofa wealth of dance archival material, which todate has been difficult to access. Since thecompletion of the feasibility report, DanceResearch Forum Ireland together with the IrishWorld Academy of Music and Dance, theGlucksman Library at the University of Limerick,and the Arts Council have worked togethertowards the establishment of an accessibledance archive.Commenting on the announcement, Mícheál ÓSúilleabháin, Professor of Music and Director ofthe Irish World Academy of Music and Dance atthe University said: The establishment of theDance Archive of Ireland at the University ofLimerick, is a direct follow on from the inspiredand inclusive vision of Dance Research ForumIreland, across ballet, contemporary, traditional,popular and world dance genres.UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICKDance Archive of IrelandThe University of Limerick recently announcedthe establishment of Ireland’s first nationaldance archive to be based at the GlucksmanLibrary. The Dance Archive of Ireland will beestablished through seed funding of €140,000from the Arts Council and came about throughinitiatives by Dance Research Forum Ireland, abody set up in 2003 by Dr Catherine Foley,Director of the MA Ethnochoreology and MAIrish Traditional Dance Performance at the IrishWorld Academy of Music and Dance atUniversity of Limerick. Dance Research ForumIreland received an award from the Arts Councilin 2008 to carry out this feasibility report inconnection with the establishment of anational dance archive in Ireland.Dr Catherine Foley, Chair of the Dance Research15Dance Archive of Ireland Launch, LimerickSource: Catherine E Foley