DanceBase Presents...Irish Cream

For the uninitiated, contemporary dance can appear a frustratingly inaccessible art form – at times almost intentionally "high-art". However, such preconceptions ignore the innately sensual appeal of dance which, at its best, has the potential to stir the emotions of almost any culture consumer. One such example of crossover dance comes in the form Irish Cream, a triple bill of disparate but individually brilliant pieces that examine such unlikely contemporary topics as office politics, peace negotiations and Gaelic football.

In the first piece, 'Beatbox Bingo', New York beatboxer Adam Matta blends an eerie vocal sample with a selection of distinctly avant-garde organ beats to provide the soundtrack to a clever meditation on the bizarre world of corporate team-building. Taking their cue from an oversized office sketchpad, three aloof office workers perform a number of inane team-building tasks, expertly using their bodies to demonstrate the tedium and absurdity inherent in many such contrived management techniques.

Shifting tone completely, act two by Legitimate Bodies Dance Company is a brilliantly innovative piece of physical dance examining the empty discourse of political negotiations. Lifting real passages from The Good Friday Agreement, creator/performers Nick Bryson and Damian Punch talk their way through a wonderfully theatrical and interactive piece, wrestling, wriggling and balancing on one another to demonstrate the ambiguity and vacancy of much political speak.

Finally, Feargus O’Conchuir’s 'Match' provides an equally affecting yet completely distinct vision of contemporary dance. Set against the backdrop of Ireland’s iconic stadium, Croke Park, two Gaelic footballers face each other in the All-Ireland Final. Launching their muscular frames towards one another in a brutal yet oddly poetic fashion, this piece captures wonderfully the grace, passion and intensity of one of the world’s oldest sports.

Although hardly a coherent trio of works, Irish Cream nevertheless triumphs in demonstrating the talent and innovation radiating from contemporary Irish choreography. Shunning the abstract in favour of immediate and relevant subject matter, this is a shining example of eclectic, original and most importantly, accessible, contemporary dance.