Dance Performance - MA

The programme is beneficial for students wishing to pursue careers in dance performance, artistic directorship, and arts development.

Siobhán Ní Dhuinnín, former MA Student, Independent Dance Artist “The level of personal feedback and discussion was hugely beneficial. I think this facet of the course meant that I engaged with dance in a deeper way and was able to analyse my own work more objectively.  It also gave me a language with which to write about my work.”

Nicole McKeever “The MA in Irish Traditional Dance Performance programme at UL, under the directorship of Dr Catherine Foley, changed me as dancer both physically and mentally. It allowed me to become the professional dancer and choreographer I knew I was destined to be. Through my experiences in the program and the people I met I was able to launch my professional career and take my life in a direction I never could have imagined. Since successfully completing the MA in Irish Traditional dance, I have toured consistently for five years with Riverdance the show, dancing on four continents. I have recently earned my TCRG as a certified Irish dance teacher. I have also taught workshops in Brazil and dance classes in New York City”.

Kathleen Spanos “The MA programme in Irish Traditional Dance Performance completely changed the course of my career path: Irish dance for me became something that was not only done at feiseanna, but could also be studied critically in academia. The combination of master classes and workshops along with coursework in dance history and ethnochoreology opened my mind to new ways of thinking about dance. I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone of competitive Irish step dance to explore unfamiliar styles of dance, such as Brazilian capoeira and West African dance. I learned that I could combine my love of dance and movement with my academic research goals and desire to teach in a university setting.
I am currently a PhD candidate at the University of Maryland, College Park in Performance Studies, and my doctoral research addresses the development of Irish dance as a percussive dance in the United States. My plan after completing my doctorate is to find a position as a professor of dance or performance studies. I credit the MA programme and my wonderful mentors at the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy of Music & Dance with giving me the means and the courage to allow my passion for Irish dance to guide my academic career goals.”

Andrew Vickers “The MA in Traditional Dance Performance is a must for Irish dancers who like to think outside the box. The Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick is a safe, nurturing, creative space for emerging dance makers from an Irish traditional dance background. During my time on the course I was encouraged to find my own identity as a dancer whilst applying the fundamental techniques of ethnographic research and dance making to my choreographic process. This program also provided beneficial resources to collaborate and network with people from different areas of the performing arts. Dr Catherine Foley has developed a great way to bring traditional dance forward into an academic setting using her vast experience and expertise in the field of dance and ethnochoreology. I would strongly recommend this course to any person looking to further their career in dance.
Since completing the MA I have gone on to work with Dance Theatre of Ireland and Soul Steps NYC on the creation and performances of Every Little Step, The Rhythm of Hope. This production premiered in New York City at the Joyce SOHO in 2011 as part of Imagine Ireland, a year of Irish Arts and Culture abroad. I have also collaborated on a new production Pulses of Tradition with fellow allumni Brian Morrissey, who completed his MA in Traditional Music Performance at the Irish World Academy. This stage show showcases Irish music, song and dance in both traditional and contemporary capacities and is now a part of the summer concert series at Triskel Arts Centre, Cork City.”