National Dance Residency Partnership
Artistic support is fundamental to the development of dance artists and the dance sector. It is a priority for us and our partners: Dance Limerick, Firkin Crane and Galway Dance Project.
To this end, earlier this year, we announced the National Dance Residency Partnership (NDRP), a partnership initiative between Dance Ireland, Dance Limerick, Firkin Crane and Galway Dance Project to provide a networked support to a choreographer in the production of new dance work.
Following an open call, we are delighted to announce the recipient is Yasmin Mello, who will invest the support in developing her new work MarbleFace, with collaborator Ciarán Lawless, before it premieres later this year.
I am delighted to have been awarded the National Dance Residency Partnership. Knowing that I will have not only the time and space but full support of some of the most important dance organisations in Ireland to create this piece gives me the strength and courage to continue to pursue a career in arts in Ireland. This is a pivotal moment in my career in which I am for the first time leading my own research to develop a full-length piece and I feel truly honoured to have been selected as the first recipient of this programme. - Yasmin Mello
By coming together, the partners acknowledge that our collective infrastructure and resources can go further and encourage more ambition in the dance sector. Each partner will contribute financially and/or in-kind space to develop work, which will allow for up to six weeks rehearsal time across the country; in addition to support from artistic staff and accommodation support.
We are also pleased that Tipperary Dance Platform will be joining the Partners to support Yasmin Mello's NDRP award with a Pro-Development bursary to attend the TDP’21 Spotlight Ireland two-day event at TDP’21 International Dance Festival.
ABOUT Yasmin
Yasmin Mello is a Dublin based choreographer, director, performer, researcher and a dance and pilates instructor. She started her training from a young age and has always been interested in learning movement from a wide range of perspectives and dance artists having trained with important national and international names including Nora Esteves, Yelle Bittencourt, Alex Neoral, Esther Weitzman, Maria Alice Pope, Tadej Bdrnik, Deborah Colker, among others. Since arriving in Ireland Yasmin has continued to train and improve her skills by engaging with artists like Steve Batts, Sarah Jane Scaife, John Scott, Mihaela Griveva, Amanda Coogan, Loretta Yurick and Robert Connor.
I believe dance and movement can be a primary channel of communication among people. The fusion of storytelling and movement can open a new dimension in which we can read between the lines and be able to find ways of understanding what isn't said. This is a chance for me to allow my practice to reach as many people as possible and be able to share universal emotions through the media of an universal language. And that for me is what dancing is all about.
