One of the most famous songs of all time, A Long Way to Tipperary, was written back in 1912. A recent trip I made to Tipperary revealed to me that the town is home to the Iseli-Chiodi Dance Company, which has been based at the Excel Arts Centre for a decade now.
Founded by Alexandre Iseli from Switzerland and Jazmin Chiodi from Argentina, the company was busy rehearsing a new production while I was there, a piece that will be unveiled later this month.
Featuring a new dance quintet of international dancers, original music by Oscar Mascareñas and striking costumes by Pierre Canitrot, Merlin dives headlong into the world of pagan carnivals, monsters, shamanic devils and more, with one of Europe’s most prominent mythical figures and his mischievous grin at the centre of the production.
Dance, in all its forms, has grown hugely in popularity in recent years and Merlin has been some two years in the making. The hour-long performance also features dancers Ciara Protar, Sarah Ryan and Kiko López. Described as “wonderfully raw and wild”, Merlin promises to be one of the most original dance pieces to be performed this year and Irish audiences will be the first to see it.
One of the insights gained by seeing the dancers in rehearsal was to appreciate a little more the hard work that goes into such a physically demanding work such as this. All artists work hard at their craft, but dancers do go that extra mile. Watching the fluidity and the graceful movements of the cast of Merlin has certainly fired my enthusiasm for this production and it is vital that companies such as these are encouraged and supported.
Open seven days a week, The Excel Arts and Culture Centre in the centre of Tipperary town is a state-of-the-art facility, delivering a broad and diverse range of events and activities. It is even home to the local district court sittings!
In addition to hosting theatre performances, exhibitions and being home to the Iseli-Chiodi Dance Company, the Excel is the base now for the town’s library and has a daily throughput of people enjoying the delights of its popular cafe. On the day of my visit it had just said goodbye to an exhibition of paintings by Royal Hibernian Academy and Aosdána member Mick O’Dea titled Armed Men.
Do you have a family member from the catholic diocese of Cashel and Emly? If you do, for as little as €22 the Excel’s Tipperary Family History Research can generate a baptism or marriage record of a named ancestor, records stretching in cases from 1736 right up to 1900.
Tipperary town, with a population of 5,000, lies in the heart of the Golden Vale and began life as an Anglo-Norman settlement. It developed around a castle built by King John at the end of the 12th century, while in the 19th century it became a market town. Today it extols the work of peacemakers with recipients of its International Peace Award including Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and Bill Clinton.
Merlin opens for a three-night run at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin on Thursday, 28 March, its world premiere and then travels to its home in the Excel Arts Centre on 2 April, Dance Limerick on 4 April and finally to the Firkin Crane in Cork on 6 April. Tickets are available at all the venues.
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The front row: Fallen Angels
One of the most famous songs of all time, A Long Way to Tipperary, was written back in 1912. A recent trip I made to Tipperary revealed to me that the town is home to the Iseli-Chiodi Dance Company, which has been based at the Excel Arts Centre for a decade now.
Founded by Alexandre Iseli from Switzerland and Jazmin Chiodi from Argentina, the company was busy rehearsing a new production while I was there, a piece that will be unveiled later this month.
Featuring a new dance quintet of international dancers, original music by Oscar Mascareñas and striking costumes by Pierre Canitrot, Merlin dives headlong into the world of pagan carnivals, monsters, shamanic devils and more, with one of Europe’s most prominent mythical figures and his mischievous grin at the centre of the production.
Dance, in all its forms, has grown hugely in popularity in recent years and Merlin has been some two years in the making. The hour-long performance also features dancers Ciara Protar, Sarah Ryan and Kiko López. Described as “wonderfully raw and wild”, Merlin promises to be one of the most original dance pieces to be performed this year and Irish audiences will be the first to see it.
One of the insights gained by seeing the dancers in rehearsal was to appreciate a little more the hard work that goes into such a physically demanding work such as this. All artists work hard at their craft, but dancers do go that extra mile. Watching the fluidity and the graceful movements of the cast of Merlin has certainly fired my enthusiasm for this production and it is vital that companies such as these are encouraged and supported.
Open seven days a week, The Excel Arts and Culture Centre in the centre of Tipperary town is a state-of-the-art facility, delivering a broad and diverse range of events and activities. It is even home to the local district court sittings!
In addition to hosting theatre performances, exhibitions and being home to the Iseli-Chiodi Dance Company, the Excel is the base now for the town’s library and has a daily throughput of people enjoying the delights of its popular cafe. On the day of my visit it had just said goodbye to an exhibition of paintings by Royal Hibernian Academy and Aosdána member Mick O’Dea titled Armed Men.
Do you have a family member from the catholic diocese of Cashel and Emly? If you do, for as little as €22 the Excel’s Tipperary Family History Research can generate a baptism or marriage record of a named ancestor, records stretching in cases from 1736 right up to 1900.
Tipperary town, with a population of 5,000, lies in the heart of the Golden Vale and began life as an Anglo-Norman settlement. It developed around a castle built by King John at the end of the 12th century, while in the 19th century it became a market town. Today it extols the work of peacemakers with recipients of its International Peace Award including Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and Bill Clinton.
Merlin opens for a three-night run at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin on Thursday, 28 March, its world premiere and then travels to its home in the Excel Arts Centre on 2 April, Dance Limerick on 4 April and finally to the Firkin Crane in Cork on 6 April. Tickets are available at all the venues.
Read more
The front row: Fallen Angels
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