Michael Keegan-Dolan (born 1969)[1] is an Irish choreographer and dancer. He is the founder of Teaċ Daṁsa and the Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre company.
Michael Keegan-Dolan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Dolan 1969 Dublin |
| Education | Central School of Ballet |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, choreographer |
| Style | Contemporary dance |
| Spouse | Rachel Poirier |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | https://teacdamsa.com/ |
Career
editKeegan-Dolan trained as a dancer at the Central School of Ballet in London.[2] He became an associate artist at Sadler's Wells, the UK's primary contemporary dance theatre.[3]
A limited dancer,[4] he moved into choreography, working on productions at Royal Opera House, the English National Opera, and the National Theatre.[5]
Returning to Longford in Ireland, he founded the Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre in 1997. Among its productions, Giselle,[6] The Bull[7] and The Rite of Spring[8] were nominated for Olivier Awards.
In 2014, he dissolved the company and re-emerged[tone] with Teaċ Daṁsa (teach damhsa, Irish for "house of dance", stylised with an overdot used in traditional Irish orthography) in 2016.[3] Based in the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht area of County Kerry in the south-west of the country,[9] its first work was Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, a reimagining of the Tchaikovsky standard that disregards the original score.[10]
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Mám, with music by west Kerry concertina maestro Cormac Begley and Berlin orchestral collective Stargaze, debuted in Dublin in 2019.[11] Described as a "mysterious, mythic" work,[12] it moves on from previous retellings of classic ballets and tales to build a work responding to the original music, with dancers' individual, stylised solos continually giving way to ensemble pieces.[13] It was performed at and part-produced by Sadler's Wells in London. It has also been performed in the United States, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, in addition to a tour of regional arts venues in Ireland.[14]
"How To Be A Dancer in Seventy-Two Thousand Easy Lessons", a biographical work in collaboration with Keegan-Dolan's partner and longtime collaborator Rachel Poirier, followed in 2023. Unusually,[according to whom?] he danced in the production.[15]
Nobodaddy debuted in September 2024 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, followed by runs at the Dublin Theatre Festival and Sadler's Wells in London. It is named after a figure from the poetry of William Blake. US folk musician Sam Amidon supplied much of the music and performed in the show.[16]
Biography
editKeegan-Dolan was raised in Clontarf, a suburb on Dublin's northside.[2] His father is from Longford and Keegan-Dolan describes the county as home.[17][9] His first dance lessons came late, at the age of 17 at Billie Barry School in Dublin.[3] He moved to London to train in ballet at the Central School of Ballet.
He is married to Rachel Poirier, a dancer and longtime collaborator.[5] They have two children.[3] Their daughter has also performed in his work.[18]
He was born Michael Dolan. His great-uncle, Edward Keegan, fought with the Irish Volunteers in 1916 and acted at the Abbey Theatre. Keegan-Dolan added his great-uncle's name to his own.[5]
In addition to dance influences, he cites American musician David Byrne, Irish singer Liam Ó Maonlaí and Irish playwright Enda Walsh as having had an impact on his development.[2]
Work
editTeac Damsa
edit- Nobodaddy (2024)
- How To Be A Dancer in Seventy-Two Thousand Easy Lessons (2023)
- Mám (2019)
- Swan Lake/Loch na hEala (2016)
Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre
edit- The Rite of Spring/Petruska (2014)
- Julius Caesar (2012)
- Rian (2011)
- Helen + Hell (2010)
- The Rite of Spring (2009)
- James Son of James (2007)
- The Bull (2005)
- Giselle (2003)
- The Christmas Show (2001)
- The Flowerbed (2000)
- Fragile (1999)
References
edit- ^ "Associate Artists - Michael Keegan-Dolan - Sadler's Wells". 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Fitzpatrick, Richard (9 July 2023). "Culture That Made Me: Michael Keegan-Dolan on dance heroes and great music". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Michael Keegan-Dolan: Back on the boards". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ Harss, Marina (20 October 2023). "Movement and Memory: Dance Love and Dance Rejection in Ireland". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "Michael Keegan-Dolan: Back on the boards". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Olivier Winners 2006". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Olivier Winners 2008". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Olivier Awards Winners 2010 -Official London Theatre". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ a b O'Connor, Derek (7 June 2023). "Michael Keegan-Dolan on MÁM's return: "It's about connection"". rte.ie.
- ^ Mackrell, Judith (28 November 2016). "Swan Lake/Loch na hEala five-star review – a bleak and beautiful dream". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Mám review: Stirring, sensuous showcase of the physical form". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "A Tradition Carried Forward". The Journal of Music | News, Reviews and Opinion. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Michael Keegan-Dolan's MÁM — a dazzling dance marathon at Sadler's Wells". www.ft.com. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "MÁM – 2023/24 Tour". Teac Damsa. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Meany, Helen (19 July 2023). "How to Be a Dancer in 72,000 Easy Lessons review – the evolution of expression". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Motion and emotion: Watching as Michael Keegan-Dolan's Nobodaddy takes shape at Teach Damhsa". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ Finnan, Sarah (15 June 2023). "Olivier award nominee Michael Keegan-Dolan on his new show and why you 'can't fool' an Irish audience". IMAGE.ie. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Winship, Lyndsey (6 February 2020). "Mám review – spellbinding gathering of music and memories". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 March 2024.