Grant has danced with Expressions Dance Theatre and the Queensland Ballet Company (Australia). After performing on London’s West End in the musical ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, a role he continued in Australia, he worked with Meryl Tankard’s Australian Dance Theatre on their North America and European tour with the Balanescu Quartet. After returning to Europe he worked with companies such as Scottish Dance Theatre, Opera Ireland, Carol Brown Dances (UK), Maiden Voyage Dance Company (Belfast), Emilyn Claid (UK) and extensively with Rex Levitates Dance Company, now Liz Roche Company (Ireland). As well as choreographing and teaching there are performances on television, in plays, opera and musicals, he has completed a practice-based MA (Ireland) and a Doctorate from the Queensland University of Technology (Australia).

Originally from New Zealand, Justine has been based in Ireland as a freelance dance artist, teacher and choreographer since 2008. Most recently working with LIZ ROCHE COMPANY, COIS CEIM DANCE THEATRE, JUSTINE DOSWELL, MARY WYCHERLY, OONA DOHERTY, UNITED FALL, MARIA NILSSON WALLER, , ANU PRODUCTIONS & JUNK ENSEMBLE. Justine was a member of Meryl Tankard Australian Dance Theatre from 1998-2000. Her own work ‘Folds of the Crane’ was presented as part of Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival 2015 ( nominated for Spirit of the Fringe & Best Lighting & Design) also presented at Dublin Dance Festival 2016 and What’s Next Festival 2018. ‘The Misfits’ by Corn Exchange ( Nominated for Best Movement Direction, IrishTheatre Awards, 2018)

Instructor, choreographer/performer, Roxy is also PhD researcher in Arts Practice at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at UL. She teaches contemporary dance on the BA Dance Programme and the MA Dance Performance Programme. Graduated in linguistic, she holds a first class honours Master in Aesthetic Sciences and Technology of Arts combining dance and theatre (France).

Previous dance training includes the Alvin Ailey American School (New-York), Goubé European Dance Center (Paris) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville-SIUE (Saint-Louis-Missouri). She worked with Joan Peters, Peny Godboldo (Dunham Technique), Zofia Kalinska (Physical Theatre), Larrio Ekson (Contemporary dance), Christopher Huggins, Hope Boykin (Modern and Jazz dance), Marie-Claude Pietragalla (Contemporary-Ballet).

Her research residency in New-York allowed her to meet and interview dance pioneers like Merce Cunningham, Gus Solomons jr. as well as her mentor Bill T. Jones. Roxy is member of Dance Examination Board, Ministry of Culture, Paris-France. www.roxyproject7.com

Lucy Dawson (Choreography for Camera & Choreographic Skills)

Lucy Dawson is a dance artist, film maker & teacher based in Limerick, Ireland. After completing the MA Contemporary Dance at Irish World Academy, she continues to teach here, with subjects including video recording and editing skills, improvisation, choreography skills and yoga. Lucy combines her movement and improvisation practice with videography and photography, specializing in performance documentation, artistic promotion, choreography for camera and improvised performance.  Previous contemporary dance training also includes, The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, Dundee and The Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds. Previous projects range from dance works to site-specific projects, plays, music videos, adverts, musicals, and films.

Rachel Sheil has a first class honours BA and MA from the Irish World Academy and has been training in Contemporary Dance and Hip-Hop for the last 10 years. She is currently the Associate Artist for Dance Limerick and is the Artist Director of Limerick Youth Dance Company. Rachel has been teaching Hip-Hop in the Irish World Academy for over 4 years and has produced a variety of performances in many Hip-Hop styles. Her classes push students to learn Hip-Hop foundations and movement qualities with a focus on musicality.

Born in Cork, Patricia Crosbie was a member of Irish National Ballet (Irl), London Ballet Theatre (UK) and Vienna Festival Ballet (UK). She toured worldwide with the renowned rock band, The Kinks, choreographing and performing in their concerts. Patricia Crosbie is Ballet Mistress with Cork City Ballet for whom she choreographs many ballets including The Playboy of the Western World. She has conducted workshops and Masterclasses for Dance Ireland, Dance Limerick, INYB and Cork Youth Ballet. Patricia was Associate Artist for Dance Ireland in 2015/2016. She was awarded her MA in Dance from UL in 2011 and has been teaching ballet at IWAMD for 8 years.

Kate Hilder is a Feldenkrais teacher and a physical theatre practitioner who has been teaching and performing across Europe since 2004. She moved to Ireland from the UK three years ago and teaches on the MA and BA dance programmes at the University of Limerick. She also has a private Feldenkrais practice where she works with a wide range of people – from performers to people with injuries and chronic pain.  Kate is a certified Action Theater™ teacher, a form of body-based theatre improvisation.  She currently teaches at London Contemporary Dance School and performs solo, duets with Seke Chimutengwende and ensemble with EAT (European Action Theater). www.katehilder.com

Monica Muñoz Marín is a dance artist originally from Barcelona and based in Dublin since 2014. She graduated at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen/Germany and completed her MA in Contemporary Dance Education at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. She has worked extensively as a dancer for over 20 years throughout Europe with Rui Horta, Cie Toula Limnaios, Konstantinos Rigos, Tabea Martin, Cie Drift, Joachim Schloemer, Helgue Musial, Irina Pauls among others; she was a long standing member of the Tanztheater Freiburg and was voted best upcoming dancer from the magazine TanzInternational in 2002. In Ireland Mónica has collaborated frequently with CoisCéim Dance Theatre as performer, assistant and teacher. For the past years she has developed her own choreographic work, for adult and young audiences. Her work has been supported by the Arts Council, Dance Ireland, Culture Ireland, Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council and the Dublin Dance Festival. Her piece Princesses Can Be Pirates received the Touring and Dissemination Award from the Arts Council in 2019 and has toured nationally to 12 venues. Alongside her choreographic practice, Mónica teaches dance in education and community settings in Ireland and abroad.

Sophia trained with Dorothy Stevens MBE in the UK and then at The Victorian College of Arts, University of Melbourne, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. It was there she got to work with choreographers such as Jonathan Taylor and Gideon Obarzanek. She toured regional Victoria with Vic Arts Dance Company, and performed with various projects and companies in Melbourne’s vibrant independent dance scene including George Fairfax Productions and Red Shift Dance. She did her teacher training at the prestigious Australian Ballet School, graduating with the Advanced Diploma of Teaching. She taught ballet to gymnasts on the Elite Program of the Victorian Institute of Sport, several of whom went on to compete at Commonwealth and Olympic Games. She also ran her own school in Melbourne. She was a regular teacher at Shawbrook as well as at Shawbrook Summer School, and choreographed “The Red Shoes” for Shawbrook Youth Dance. She currently teaches at The Inchicore College of Further Education as well as her own ballet school in Killaloe. She is a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance.

Sara Granda is a performance artist from Malaga, Spain and has been based in Ireland since 2017. She has a degree in Drama from Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático de Málaga with a specialisation in physical theatre and  floor acrobatics. Sara was part of the El Espeto Feliz Company and performed with them for several years. She is now the head teacher at the  Irish Aerial Creation Centre and also works with Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Theatre.

 

Aoife graduated with a BA and MA in Dance performance from the University of Limerick. It was during her time there that Aoife grew her passion for Pilates and yoga. After graduating her MA she went on to get her mat & reformer certification in Pilates. Aoife went on to teach in the University of Limerick on the dance programs where she teaches regular dance and Pilates classes to the dance students in the BA and MA programs.
Aoife is also a certified yoga and barre instructor and in 2020 she got her pink ribbon Pilates certification, for breast cancer rehabilitation post op. She also completed Pilates comprehensive training with Basi Pilates.
Aoife teaches regular Pilates, yoga and barre classes and The Pilates Room Limerick. Aoife also teaches the over 50s and kids dance classes at Dance Limerick. As well as teaching regular school workshops and doing corporate wellness classes with her company Eala Dance & Fitness.

Movement disciplines such as Contemporary and Ballet Techniques, Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Pilates will focus on technical expertise that will create a foundation for artistry to flourish. Classes focus on developing safe dance practice, posture and alignment, technical clarity, freedom and flow, dynamics, musicality, and dance communication within the studio process.

This module will introduce you to choreographic elements, principles, and performance skills that will be central to your development as a dance artist. Through a creative process of using structured improvisation, compositional tools, open and closed scores and task based movement explorations, this module will help cultivate your choreographic voice.

Issues addressed in this module will be taken from current research engagements with the native Irish music and dance traditions. These will critically engage historical narratives, conceptual structuring and evolving identities of the traditions in question. Students will be introduced to concepts of research as a creative, scholarly practice.

In this class students are introduced to diverse music traditions from around the world, including, popular musics of West Africa, the court music of Indonesia, classical musics of India, folk and Celtic musics of Europe, classical music of the Arab Middle East, and traditional musics of Canada and America. Students deepen their knowledge of diverse repertoires and performance practices, develop their scholarly engagement with music and dance, gain a more global view of music and dance, and contextualise their own music and dance practices within the wider world of music and dance.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

By increasing the level of movement complexity and physical ability acquired in the previous module (1A), you will continue developing further performance skills and more understanding of your individuality as a creative artist and dance practitioner.

Building and expanding on knowledge acquired in Choreography and Improvisation (Practicum 1C) you will start to explore in more detail choreographic thinking by working with different creative structures.

This module explores Western Art music and dance practices in an academic and performative context, providing them with an insight into some of the diversity of music and dance practices within these traditions.

In this class students study various genres of popular music and dance. Students deepen their knowledge of diverse popular repertoires and performance practices, and deepen their knowledge of the role of popular culture in social, political, economic, cultural and artistic life. Students develop a critical view of popular music and dance, and contextualize their own music and dance practices within the wider, commercially mediated world of music and dance.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

This module is a development of the semester first year Performance 1A and 2A modules and as such divided into two parts. Firstly, the development of the student’s performance practice and will occur in the stylistic context most common to the performance practice of the student. The second part of this module associated to performance skills pertinent to the specific music, song or dance practices of the student. Students will also be encouraged to engage in a dynamic self-critical process conducive to development and related to the principle of ‘reflective practice’.

This module consists of two elements. Firstly, the student will engage other students in a laboratory space within their own discipline, mentored by faculty and tutors, to develop creative, collaborative work within and extending from their own disciplines and genre practices. The second half of this module is to facilitate ‘cross-arts’ exploration of creative practice as a core dimension of every Academy undergraduate’s educational experience. Each student will chose a performance course, from a genre or approach outside of their disciplinary and genre focused stream, selecting from a pool of courses covering instrumental / dance tuition, music/dance ensemble, dance/music ensemble, dance/music composition and other available performing arts practices. Students will have the option to build on cross-genre skills acquired in Practicum C1 and/or C2 within certain contexts.

This module aims to introduce awareness of the social, historical, political, and economic construction of dance knowledge through dance practices. By developing knowledge of social and historical influences in the development of modern dance over the past 300 years, the student will acquire a greater understanding of the field of Dance Studies in relation to the evolution of the dancing body. Exploring these elements will encourage a greater understanding of the multiplicity of the performer, choreography and the writing. In this module, the student will take a rigorous and critical approach to sourcing documented material that will allow an academic dialogue into dance practices.

This module will introduce students to professional audio and visual technologies relevant to professional field. Students will learn practical technological applications relevant to their professional world around performance practice, performance education, media and other career paths open to students on this programme. Students will learn to use and manipulate PAs and lighting rigs, led by professionals in the field and applied in real-world situations. Students will be introduced and engage with media generating software such as Final-Cut Pro and Logic to produce high-level audio and video outputs.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

This module is a development of the previous ‘Performance A’ modules and as such divided into two parts. Firstly, the students will continue to develop their performance practice through studio work and will occur in the stylistic context most common to the performance practice of the student. The second part of this module will be engaged in developing the student’s body awareness through movement practices such as Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Pilates.

This module will continue to focus on students developing their artistic practice in a collaborative context while gaining embodied experience of other arts practices outside of their own genre and disciplinary specialties. The rationale for including a defined space for the engagement with performance practices unfamiliar to the student is to show the student different creativities structured by unfamiliar aesthetics, cultural context and modes of embodiment. Students will have the option to build on cross-genre skills acquired in Practicum C1 in certain contexts. The title of the module reflects the Irish World Academy tradition of presenting modules with a wide performance skills focus as ‘practicum’. Such an approach enables an embodied methodology that will critically engaged within a dancer’s professional practice. The ‘C’ of the title is a reflection of the cross-genre content of the module.

The Experiential Anatomy and Movement Analysis module introduce an understanding of the fundamental principles of anatomy and introduce students to the principles of movement analysis to develop an understanding of the functions and structure of the human body and movement through space. The module aims to develop the dancer’s awareness of the relationships between the human body, when engaging with areas such as dance training, fitness, health and injury prevention.

This module aims to help competent musicians and dancers to come to an understanding of what it means to be involved in music and dance education contexts. Students will engage in three main components: Music and Dance Curriculum studies, Professional Studies and School Based Work.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

In their 3rd year, Irish World Academy performing arts students go on ‘co-op’, a university-wide module specifically designed for undergraduates to engage in real-world, professional environments. The Cooperative Education division, in consultation with the Academy, helps students to identify working opportunities in a variety of contexts, including arts management, education, performance, media and related fields. Students are encouraged to set up their own six-month placements or to engage in split placements (ideally no more than two placements) in order to explore if their expectations for future careers match the experiences they have during the co-op period. Faculty visits, pre- and post- co-op assessment skills, and final report help students to reflect upon the process, enabling them to critically evaluate their time off campus.

This module is a further development of the first year semester modules Performance 1A and 2A and as such is divided into two parts. The first is the development of the student’s performance practice and will occur in the stylistic context most common to the performance practice of the student. The second part of this module will be related to performance skills pertinent to the specific music, song or dance practices of the student.

This module will continue to focus on students developing their artistic practice in a collaborative context, through a choreographic process, while gaining embodied experience of other arts practices outside of their own genre and disciplinary specialties. The rationale for including a defined space for the engagement with performance practices unfamiliar to the student is to show the student different creativities structured by unfamiliar aesthetics, cultural context and modes of embodiment. Students will have the option to build on cross-genre skills acquired in Practicum C1 in certain contexts.

This module is designed to enable music and dance students to develop awareness and understanding of the impact of the arts on health and well-being. Students will discuss, describe and critically reflect on the ways theorists and researchers have considered social, psychological, physical and behavioural aspects of the arts and the value within health practices.

This module will introduce students to the important contextualising disciplines of ethnomusicology and ethno-choreology and their main principles and orientations as well as the practical application of fieldwork and the production of ethnographic representations. This will introduce students to work primarily in an analytical writing mode to explore conditions, concepts, and practices of performing arts in the 21st century.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

This module is designed to further development of the student’s primary performance interest, whether instrumental, vocal or dance. Students will be encouraged to engage in a dynamic self-critical process conducive to development and related to the principle of ‘reflective practice’. Students will continue to specifically focus on the technique and performance elements of their programme.

This module will continue to focus on students developing their artistic practice in a collaborative context. While gaining embodied experience through choreographic practices the students are encourage to explore other arts practices outside of their own genre and disciplinary specialties. The rationale for including a defined space for the engagement with performance practices unfamiliar to the student is to show the student different creativities structured by unfamiliar aesthetics, cultural context and modes of embodiment.

This module is intended for students in the first semester of their fourth year, preparing to embark on an extended research project, which will be presented in a 10,000-word thesis or equivalent. The student will agree on the subject of the project with the course director and will be introduced to a number of sample research projects and methodologies. The purpose of the module is to provide the student with an introduction to research and provided with details of best practice for performing arts research.

This module will focus on the development of knowledge and skills necessary for professional engagement with the modern world of performance and related vocational fields. Students will examine issues pertinent to the lives of professional musicians and dancers. Issues such as promotion, effective communication, industry structures, touring, dealing with statutory arts bodies and funding structures will be practically engaged.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

This module is designed to further development of the student’s primary performance interest, whether instrumental, vocal or dance. Students will be encouraged to engage in a dynamic self-critical process conducive to development and related to the principle of ‘reflective practice’. Students will continue to specifically focus on the technique and performance elements of their programme.

This module will continue to focus on students developing their artistic practice in a collaborative context. While gaining embodied experience through choreographic practices the students are encourage to explore other arts practices outside of their own genre and disciplinary specialties. The rationale for including a defined space for the engagement with performance practices unfamiliar to the student is to show the student different creativities structured by unfamiliar aesthetics, cultural context and modes of embodiment.

This is the second of the two modules for the FYP and provides the student with a further opportunity to develop best practice for performing arts research. The student works in a one on one context with their research supervisor in this module to enable them to fill out the structure of the FYP developed in the previous semester. The purpose of the module is to provide a framework in which the supervisor can offer encouragement and feedback to the student, as well as continuous guidance with the writing process.

This module will provide a conceptual basis for dance as an education tool. It will be interrogating and extending students’ knowledge and understanding of the content, methodologies and assessment procedures relevant to the teaching and learning in a variety of dance contexts. Students will develop their knowledge and competency of best practice in Dance education including dance aesthetics, creativity and child/student centered pedagogy.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.