Dance Ireland Residency: Jean-Baptiste Baele

Date:

Mon 9 Jun 2025 - Fri 13 Jun 2025

Time:

10:00 - 18:00

Venue:

DanceHouse

Jean-Baptiste Beale is a receipient of a Dance Ireland Residency in 2025. 

About Jean-Baptiste Beale's Residency Plans

During my Dance Ireland residency, I will focus on early-stage research for Fera, a solo project that explores how physical differences shape movement identity and creativity. Inspired by my left hand’s unique dynamics, which have deeply influenced my dance practice, this work delves into themes of adaptation, primal instincts, and transformation. 

The residency will emphasize experimentation and discovery, with a structured approach: 

1. Movement Research: I will investigate how asymmetry and physical limitations can be reimagined as creative opportunities, exploring grounded floorwork, improvisation, and imagery-based exercises. 
2. Collaborative Exchanges: Each day, I’ll invite a local artist into the studio to share their creative process, enriching my research and fostering meaningful dialogue with the Dublin dance community. 
3. Sound Collaboration: I plan to work with a local sound designer to create a dynamic soundscape that complements the themes of instinct and transformation. 
4. Studio and Outdoor Exploration: Alongside studio work, I’ll incorporate nature-based research to bring fresh perspectives to the movement vocabulary. 
5. Informal Sharing: At the end of the residency, I’ll host a sharing of my findings, inviting feedback and engaging the Dance Ireland community in dialogue. 

This residency offers a valuable opportunity to deepen my artistic practice, connect with local artists, and lay the foundation for Fera, a project that celebrates resilience, difference, and the transformative power of movement. 

About Jean-Baptiste Beale

Jean-Baptiste Baele is a freelance choreographer originally from Madagascar, now based in Kristiansand, Norway. Raised in Belgium, he began dancing at 19 under the mentorship of Valérie Matthieu and Talina Jager. After three years of training in Belgium, he pursued a Bachelor’s degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. 

In 2021, Jean-Baptiste premiered his autobiographical solo piece, Nabinam, which was selected for Aerowaves Spring Forward 2023. He founded Nabinam Dance Company in 2022, where he serves as artistic director. 

Currently, Jean-Baptiste is working on two new projects: Good Morning, Sindre, a deeply personal piece exploring memory, technology, and grief, and Fera, which delves into how physical differences shape movement identity and creativity. 

Jean-Baptiste’s choreographic work investigates the complexity of social behaviours, the historical narratives embedded in the body, and the evolution of physicality through space, creating thought-provoking and evocative works that resonate across audiences. 

Headshot : Malaika
Movement Image : Yaniv Cohen

Find out about other Dance Ireland Residency Recipients here.