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.
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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.
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 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 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 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 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 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
Teaċ Daṁsa continues to practice compliance with the Code of Governance and the Principles of Good Fundraising.
We are committed to complying with the recommended guidelines for financial reporting.
Registered Charity Number: 20206697
