Seven dance artists announced for Dance in Motion at The MAC

SDC presents a Scratch Night of new works from seven choreographers and ensembles at the MAC, Belfast on 19th April 2024.

Dance artists and ensembles Phoebe Brown, Sarah Flavelle, Mariela Mira, Sean O'Neill, duo Mira Rendilheiro and Emily McDonagh, Mayte Segura and Creative People Ensemble who will each present a work-in-progress in the intimate evening at the Upstairs Theatre at the MAC.

Following a call for submissions, Six Dance Collective is pleased to share the seven dance artists and ensembles who will present new dance works in the Dance in Motion programme on 19th April 2024 at The MAC Belfast.

The seven artists are Phoebe Brown, Sarah Flavelle, Mariela Mira, Sean O'Neill, duo Mira Rendilheiro and Emily McDonagh, Mayte Segura and Creative People Ensemble who will each present a work-in-progress in the intimate evening at the Upstairs Theatre at the MAC.

Each of the artists and ensembles is at a different stage in their career and brings a unique connection to the island of Ireland. Providing a platform for these artists to share their newest creation, the evening acts as an opportunity for audiences to experience brand new dance works-in-progress, with the opportunity to ask questions and hear from the creators in a post-performance Q&A. Tickets are on sale here.

For this first rendition of Dance in Motion, the programme is curated by SDC Artistic Director Ruaidhrí Maguire. He said, "We are so excited to bring together this vibrant and diverse selection of choreographers and dancers for our inaugural Dance in Motion. I'm especially delighted to have such a diverse range of individuals and ensembles, bringing personal influences from across the world and collaborative elements, including live music. It's a great chance for our Belfast audiences to experience our local dance scene firsthand."

About the Artists

A portrait of dance artist Phoebe Brown — Phoebe Brown

Originally from England, Phoebe Brown is an emerging choreographer and maths enthusiast who works between Limerick and Belfast. After graduating from the University of Lincoln, Phoebe completed an MA in Philosophy at University of London before moving to Ireland to undertake an Arts Practice PhD in Dance at University of Limerick, funded by the IRC. Phoebe has worked as Choreographer in Residence at Ponderosa, Germany and performed as a dancer across Europe for artists in Germany, Latvia, Sweden, Spain, Ireland and the UK.

A portrait of dance artist Sarah Flavelle — Sarah Flavelle (Image by Graham Chrichton)

Currently based between Belfast and Berlin, Irish dance artist Sarah Flavelle graduated from The Institute of the Arts Barcelona in 2023 before continuing her training at DART Studios Professional Training Intensive in Berlin, recently performing in the premiere of After a while in the Exile by Nossetssik Dance Company. As a performer, Sarah has worked with Nossetssik Dance Company, Maiden Voyage Dance and Róisín Whelan Dance. Sarah has taught contemporary dance in Berlin and across Northern Ireland.

A portrait of dance artist Mariela Mira — Mariela Mira

Mariela Mira has over 15 years of experience as a dance artist and was a solo dancer at Cia Estável de Dança de Bauru for seven years. She has created several works including Inquietude and the choreography for musical Expresso Polar, both for the Hollywood film academy in Brazil and Fire Flames for Community Restore. As a facilitator and teacher, Mariela works with Dublin Youth Dance Company, Gaiel Scoil, Stage School and The Five Lamps.

A portrait of dance artist and performer Sean O'Neill — Sean O'Neill (Image by Nathan Magee)

Sean O'Neill is a dance artist and theatre maker from Dungannon. He is Lead Director of Belfast Boys with DU Dance NI, Movement Director for Northern Ireland Opera's world premiere of 'Nobody/Somebody', and directs and choreographs local shows around NI, most frequently for his home theatre CRAIC. Sean is a current INVEST artist with Theatre and Dance NI. As a performer, Sean has appeared in Peter Corry Productions' Showman (Netherlands tour) and Thank You For The Musicals (NI) and with Green Light Dance Company. Sean received UK Pantomime Association Best Comic for his role in Sleeping Beauty (Millennium Forum).

Portraits of dance artist collaborators Mira Rendilheiro and Emily MacDonagh — Mira Rendilheiro and Emily McDonagh

Belfast-based dance artists Mira Rendilheiro and Emily McDonagh will present a joint work. South African-born Mira has worked internationally as a choreographer and Dance Captain and is the Associate Creative Director of Belfast's Cabaret Supper Club and owner of MC Entertainment. She specialises in Jazz & the Horton Technique, of which she studied through the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre alongside her BA Hons in Dance from the University of Cape Town. Emily is an experienced performer specialising in dance, circus and cabaret. She has worked with the Movement Collective, Curragh Circus, and Think circus and is a rolling member of award-winning Western Australian company YUCK CIRCUS, a resident dancer at Cabaret Supper Club and is member of the Vault Artist Studios which is a major contributor to the cultural identity of Belfast.

A portrait of dance artist Mayte Segura — Mayte Segura (Image by Lauren Guyer)

Mayte Segura is a Belfast-based dancer and choreographer from Mexico who combines contemporary dance with the folk dances from her native country to tell stories of life, love and hope. Mayte has performed across Mexico, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Ireland and France. She was Artist in Residence at The Lyric Theatre in 2021. As a dancer and facilitator Mayte has worked for The Crescent Arts Centre, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast Metropolitan college, Artsekta, Terranova Productions, and East Side Arts Belfast. Mayte is the founer of Mexican Dance Belfast, through the Mexican Institute of Culture, supported by QUB.

An image of Creative People Ensemble performing — Creative People Ensemble

Founded in 2023, Limerick-based Creative People Ensemble is a dynamic collaboration of four visionary international artists at the forefront of exploring the intersection of dance and music. Led by artistic leader and contemporary dancer Itzel Limón from México, the ensembles is made up by David Cadena, a violinist from Colombia, Carlos Rabadán, a violist from Mallorca, and Molly Kelly, a contemporary dancer from Ireland. Through their performances and creative endeavors, they seek to uncover the symbiotic exchange that exists between dancers and musicians, transcending the limitations of individual art forms.