PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 20^TH JULY 2009

CROI GLAN will visit Tallaghts Civic Theatre on 26^th July with a performance of three pieces involving professional dancers and young people in Tallaght. The performances are a dance theatre style using both disabled and able-bodied dancers in ways that challenge notions of what we may think to be possible.

The first piece, Asymmetrical Tendencies, was created by internationally renowned choreographer Jess Curtis (San Francisco/ Berlin) in collaboration with dancers Tara Brandel and Rhona Coughlan of CROI GLAN. It has had a sell out run in San Francisco and received standing ovations at Cork Midsummer Festival 2008. In this collaborative duet, shards of narrative are interwoven with an exploration of the idiosyncrasies of two very different bodies those of contemporary dancers Tara Brandel and Rhona Coughlan to create dance that is insightful, humorous and beautiful.

The second piece, commissioned this year by Croi Glan, is by Irelands leading choreographer David Bolger, Artistic Director of the award winning dance company CoisCim. On the Wall is a humorous but poignant quartetand is triggered by the potential contrast between the perceptions we hold of ourselves and those the world holds of us. It investigates the potent cocktail of identity, sexuality and politics that mix to form the tension between self-image and other's image of us.

The third piece will be a performance by young people from St. Kevins Family Resource Centre in collaboration with Tara Brandel and Rhona Coughlan of CROI GLAN. Young people from the Tallaghtfornia group of Tallaght Youth Service and the Irish Wheelchair Association Youth Service (IWA Youth Service), both based within St. Kevins Family Resource Centre, are working with CROI GLAN over a one-day workshop held at Brookfield Youth and Community Centre. Via this youth-led project, a panel of young people chose to work with CROI GLAN to engage in the collaborative creation of an artwork to challenge stereotypes about young people with and without disabilities. Tara Brandel, CROI GLAN Artistic Director, has said, "Integrated Dance is an empowering experience which provides a safe environment to build up trust and confidence, through physical expression and creativity, and celebrates the uniqueness of each persons way of moving."The piece CROI GLAN and the young people create will be performed at the Civic Theatre. The workshop and performance marks the commencement of exploration into establishing a long-term collaborative, integrated arts project involving Tallaghtfornia, young members of the IWA Youth Service, and artist Aileen Lambert. With additional support from The Arts Council and the Department of Social and Family Affairs, this long-term project is aimed at creating awareness of issues that affect young people with disabilities among their peers. The project will also work towards challenging stereotypes that may exist about young people with and without disabilities.

The workshop and performances by Croi Glan are supported and funded by the partnership of St. Kevins Family Resource Centre; South Dublin County Council; the Civic Theatre, Tallaght; the Irish Wheelchair Association; and Tallaght Youth Service. The programme is also supported by the Arts Council and the Department of Social and Family Affairs. We are delighted to take a joint-agency approach to supporting collaborative youth and community arts practice.

Founded in Cork in 2006, CROI GLAN is a professional, physically integrated dance company combining the talents of national and international able-bodied and disabled dance artists. Under the guidance of Artistic Director, Tara Brandel and Outreach Director, Rhona Coughlan, CROI GLAN creates work "of considerable power and, it must be said, surprise" (Mary Leland, The Irish Times). In a relatively short time, the company has created a reputation for innovative and involving dance by constantly originating and developing performance work. Croi Glan has performed this work in front of international audiences from Glasgow to San Francisco and Cork to Dublin. An equally important aspect of the companies work is its commitment to education and the provision of integrated dance classes and workshops.

Performance: 8:00 pm, Civic Theatre, Main auditorium