Teaċ Daṁsa was established in 2016 when the Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre moved from the Irish midlands to the West Kerry Gaeltacht on the Southwest coast of Ireland. Teaċ Daṁsa makes dance and theatre work informed by a sense of place and nurtures a deeper more meaningful connection with the traditions, language and music of Ireland. Teaċ Daṁsa creates a place where artists can work together to make dance and theatre work that transforms both artist and audience.

While grounded in Ireland the company draws upon an international ensemble of performers, artists and collaborators and has created work that has toured and resonated internationally.

Teaċ Daṁsa was founded by Michael Keegan-Dolan (Micháel MacAodhagáin-Ó Dobhailen) in 2016. Its first production, Swan Lake / Loch na hEala, continued a tradition of ground-breaking productions for which the company is reputed. It won the Irish Times Theatre Award 2017 for Best New Production and the UK Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Best Production 2018. MÁM created in 2019, was the first show entirely conceived, rehearsed and produced in the West Kerry Gaeltacht and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Production in 2020 and two UK Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards in 2022.

The images on this page are from the ‘The Dance’ feature documentary, courtesy of South Wind Blows / Harvest Films.

The Dance is available to watch online, on Vimeo and Volta.

Michael Keegan-Dolan rose to acclaim as the artistic director of Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre (1997-2015), creating three Olivier Award-nominated productions: Giselle (2003), The Bull (2005), and The Rite of Spring (2009). In 2004, Giselle won an Irish Times Theatre Award and The Bull received a UK Critic’s Circle National Dance Award in 2008. Rian, created in 2011, won a Bessie Award (New York Dance and Performance Award) in 2013 for Best Production.

In 2012 he directed and choreographed a new production of Handel’s Julius Caesar at the London Coliseum, for English National Opera. In 2015 he created an original piece, The Big Noise, for the GoteborgOperans DansKompani working closely with celebrated Nordic Folk Musician, Ale Moller. As Guest Artistic Director of the National Youth Dance Company at Sadler’s Wells London for the 2015 – 2016 season, Michael created In-Nocentes. In March 2017, he devised a new work to Dvorak’s 8th Symphony for the Dance Company at the Gärtnerplatztheater, Munich.

He also has extensive experience teaching and has led workshops for different dance and theatre companies in Ireland and around the world. 

Michael was an associate artist at the Barbican Centre, London and is now an associate at Sadler’s Wells London.

Artists & Collaborators

2003 - Present
  • Alex Leonhartsberger
  • Brooke Smiley
  • Conor Lovett
  • Esther Balfe
  • Cliodhna Hoey
  • Ino Riga
  • Antonia Grove
  • Philip Feeney
  • Louise Tanoto
  • Mathis Kleinschnittger
  • Milos Galko
  • Nathan Attard
  • Philippe Mesia
  • Robert Bell
  • Saju Koistinen
  • Valentina Formenti
  • Zen Jefferson
  • Tyler Carney
  • William Lengfelder
  • David Six
  • Imogen Alvares
  • Carys Staton
  • Kim Ceysens
  • Agnieszka Opiola
  • Awen Blanford
  • Róisín Byrne
  • Tom Weinberger
  • Peter Jordan
  • Johnny O'Reilly
  • Felicity O'Brien
  • John Meagher
  • Merle Hensel
  • Keith Synnott
  • Denis Clohessey
  • Susan Goodwillie
  • Angelo Smimmo
  • Bernadette Iglich
  • Johannes Langolf
  • Eithne Ní Chatháin
  • Francesco Mangiacasale
  • Jarkko Lehmus
  • Laura Dannequin
  • Lorena Randi
  • Mikee Lonergan
  • Tom Ward
  • Moritz Ostruschnjak
  • Niall Paris
  • Rachel Poirier
  • Peter Mills
  • Marina Dunford
  • Lisa de Boos
  • Romain Bly
  • Maaike van der Linde
  • Marlies Van Gangelen
  • Dawn Prentice
  • James Southward
  • James O Hara
  • Molly Walker
  • Kevin Murphy
  • Erik Nevin
  • Sandra Ní Mathúna
  • Mikel Murfi
  • Andrew Lieberman
  • Adam Silverman
  • Catherine Finn
  • Philip Dawson
  • Johanna Connor
  • Christopher Robson
  • Rob Furey
  • J.J Formento
  • Colin Dunne
  • Daniel Riley
  • Cormac Ó Beaglaoich
  • Danny Hones
  • Keir Patrick
  • Liam O Maonlaí
  • Louise Mochia
  • Maitiú O Casaide
  • Mick Dolan
  • Peter O'Toole
  • Olwen Fouéré
  • Raquel Gualtero Soriano
  • Stephen Dodd
  • Sanja Bizjak
  • Doey Luthi
  • Rae Smith
  • Karolina Kraczkowska
  • Timon Koomen
  • Ellie Poirier-Dolan
  • Christopher Robson
  • Áine Ní Ealaí
  • Rachel Lopez de la Nieta
  • Aki
  • Rosaleen Linehan
  • Sinéad Cormack
  • Caimin Glimore
  • Sabine Dargent
  • Hyemi Shin
  • Finola Cronin
  • Declan Kiberd
  • Tina MacHugh
  • Alex Nealon
  • Mick Kelly
  • Anna Kaszuba
  • InnPang Ooi
  • Daphne Strothmann
  • Emmanuel Obeya
  • Gianluca Pezzino
  • Ljiljana Vukelja
  • Lidija Bizjak
  • Martin Brunsden
  • Martin Dvořák
  • Mihajlo Zurkovic
  • Aart Strootman
  • Beatriz Calzado
  • Robbie Harris
  • Saju Hari
  • Seke Chimutengwende
  • Vladislav Soltys
  • Aki Iwamoto
  • Mayah Kadish
  • Michael Keegan-Dolan
  • Latisha Sparks
  • Connor Scott
  • Amit Not
  • Danny Diamond
  • Helen Atkinson
  • Mary Barnecutt
  • Dr. Elizabeth Cameron Dalman
  • Amanda Donovan
  • Jenny Roche
  • Colm Seery
  • Eithne Hand
  • Juman Malouf
  • Denis Roche
  • Gareth Fry
  • André de Ridder
  • Alex Leonhartsberger
  • J.J Formento
  • Brooke Smiley
  • Colin Dunne
  • Conor Lovett
  • Daniel Riley
  • Esther Balfe
  • Cormac Ó Beaglaoich
  • Cliodhna Hoey
  • Danny Hones
  • Ino Riga
  • Keir Patrick
  • Antonia Grove
  • Liam O Maonlaí
  • Philip Feeney
  • Louise Mochia
  • Louise Tanoto
  • Maitiú O Casaide
  • Mathis Kleinschnittger
  • Mick Dolan
  • Milos Galko
  • Peter O'Toole
  • Nathan Attard
  • Olwen Fouéré
  • Philippe Mesia
  • Raquel Gualtero Soriano
  • Robert Bell
  • Stephen Dodd
  • Saju Koistinen
  • Sanja Bizjak
  • Valentina Formenti
  • Doey Luthi
  • Zen Jefferson
  • Rae Smith
  • Tyler Carney
  • Karolina Kraczkowska
  • William Lengfelder
  • Timon Koomen
  • David Six
  • Ellie Poirier-Dolan
  • Imogen Alvares
  • Christopher Robson
  • Carys Staton
  • Áine Ní Ealaí
  • Kim Ceysens
  • Rachel Lopez de la Nieta
  • Agnieszka Opiola
  • Aki
  • Awen Blanford
  • Rosaleen Linehan
  • Róisín Byrne
  • Sinéad Cormack
  • Tom Weinberger
  • Caimin Glimore
  • Peter Jordan
  • Sabine Dargent
  • Johnny O'Reilly
  • Hyemi Shin
  • Felicity O'Brien
  • Finola Cronin
  • John Meagher
  • Declan Kiberd
  • Merle Hensel
  • Tina MacHugh
  • Keith Synnott
  • Alex Nealon
  • Denis Clohessey
  • Mick Kelly
  • Susan Goodwillie
  • Angelo Smimmo
  • Anna Kaszuba
  • Bernadette Iglich
  • InnPang Ooi
  • Johannes Langolf
  • Daphne Strothmann
  • Eithne Ní Chatháin
  • Emmanuel Obeya
  • Francesco Mangiacasale
  • Gianluca Pezzino
  • Jarkko Lehmus
  • Ljiljana Vukelja
  • Laura Dannequin
  • Lidija Bizjak
  • Lorena Randi
  • Martin Brunsden
  • Mikee Lonergan
  • Martin Dvořák
  • Tom Ward
  • Mihajlo Zurkovic
  • Moritz Ostruschnjak
  • Aart Strootman
  • Niall Paris
  • Beatriz Calzado
  • Rachel Poirier
  • Robbie Harris
  • Peter Mills
  • Saju Hari
  • Marina Dunford
  • Seke Chimutengwende
  • Lisa de Boos
  • Vladislav Soltys
  • Romain Bly
  • Aki Iwamoto
  • Maaike van der Linde
  • Mayah Kadish
  • Marlies Van Gangelen
  • Michael Keegan-Dolan
  • Dawn Prentice
  • Latisha Sparks
  • James Southward
  • Connor Scott
  • James O Hara
  • Amit Not
  • Molly Walker
  • Danny Diamond
  • Kevin Murphy
  • Helen Atkinson
  • Erik Nevin
  • Mary Barnecutt
  • Sandra Ní Mathúna
  • Dr. Elizabeth Cameron Dalman
  • Mikel Murfi
  • Amanda Donovan
  • Andrew Lieberman
  • Jenny Roche
  • Adam Silverman
  • Colm Seery
  • Catherine Finn
  • Eithne Hand
  • Philip Dawson
  • Juman Malouf
  • Johanna Connor
  • Denis Roche
  • Christopher Robson
  • Gareth Fry
  • Rob Furey
  • André de Ridder

Board of Directors

  • Anne Connolly (Chair)

    Anne Connolly is the founder of SAVI – Smart Ageing Ventures International – www.smartageingventuresinternational.com.  This follows on from her role as Founder and CEO of ISAX (Ireland Smart Ageing Exchange) (2006-2013) as the Executive Director of the Ageing Well Network, an independent think-tank and catalyst for change, exploring and engaging with members to create ‘A New Agenda on Ageing’. Prior to that, and following her role as strategic planner in Kingspan Buildings Products, she established her own strategic management consultancy practice with clients such as Siemens, Aviva, Waterford Crystal, ICS, Arts Council. She is a director of Redesdale Group (comprising the VC Redesdale Food Fund and Corporate Finance and Wealth Management Services) and previous board positions include SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland), An Post, Fabulous Beast Dance Company, Chair Simon Community Ireland, ICC Bank, Agency for Personal Service Overseas. She is a governor of the Royal Hospital Donnybrook.

    Appointed to the Teaċ Daṁsa board of directors: December 2017

  • Catherine Dolan

    Catherine Dolan has a background in law. She has over 20 years experience in legal publishing and is a former director of Thomson Reuters Ireland Ltd which provides legal information to the Irish market. She is currently a freelance legal editor for the Law Society of Ireland’s online legal news site: Gazette.ie

    Appointed to the Teaċ Daṁsa board of directors: December 2016

  • Allen Flynn

    Allen hails from Ennis Co Clare and is co- managing director of the Flynn Hotel collection with hotels in Cork Waterford Kilkenny and Ennis. Graduating from NIHE limerick with a degree in finance he moved to New York where he spent 7 years with PriceWaterHouse Coopers. He returned to Ireland in 1995 and has been actively involved in the tourism and hospitality sector since. He is a past board member of the Drama League of Ireland, Glór Theatre Ennis and the Ennis Arts Festival Ltd and is actively involved arts sector in Co. Clare.

    Appointed to the Teaċ Daṁsa board of directors: 2021

  • Angie Gough

    Angie is CEO and Co-Founder of Helping Irish Hosts, a vital initiative launched in response to the Ukraine invasion. The organisation has matched over 2,700 displaced Ukrainians with 1,300+ Irish homes, providing practical resources for hosts and guests and pioneering a new model of refugee welcome.

    A serial social entrepreneur, Angie has led Business Development, Communications, and Event Management for Special Olympics, BBC Children in Need, and Self Help Africa. She serves on the board of Dublin Youth Theatre and founded The #Artskickers Awards.

    Passionate about community resilience and positive change, Angie is dedicated to harnessing the power of people and communities for the greater good. She enjoys the sea, having the craic and being inspired by courageous people who do creative things.

    Appointed to the Teaċ Daṁsa board of directors: 2024

  • Yvonne Mc Guinness

    Yvonne Mc Guinness is an Irish artist known for her socially engaged practise, her work often develops through close engagement with communities in place and the particular conditions that arise within these contexts. Her research interests explore art as a social and relational practice and the critical and contextual debates that evolve from this area of study. With an emphasis on collaboration and ethnographic approaches she is particularly interested in our sense of belonging and embodied experience of place and with spectator as participant. Her work involves a variety of media: film, performance, collage, sculptural and textile elements, sound and writing. Recent commissions include Fingal Public Art Infrastructure programme, Park project commission Lough Key, Co Roscommon and South County Dublin Public Art Programme ‘In Context 4’. She is a graduate of The Royal College of Art London and Crawford Art College Cork. Her work is represented in the Arts Council of Ireland Collection.

    Appointed to the Teaċ Daṁsa board of directors: 2021

  • Michael O’Reilly

    Michael O’Reilly is a lawyer with a background in legal practice, business, politics and cultural affairs.  He is a former director and chairperson of the National Gallery of Ireland.  He also served two three-year terms as chair of the Irish Hospice Foundation.

    He worked extensively on the 1916 Centenary project and subsequently on the Creative Ireland Programme, an all-of-government creativity and wellbeing project.

    Appointed to the Teaċ Daṁsa board of directors: 2024

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