Grab your tickets! What Next Dance Festival returns to Dance Limerick this February

Dance lovers, listen up! What Next Dance Festival is back and better than ever. 

Running from Monday, February 10 to Saturday, February 15, and hosted by the renowned Dance Limerick, this year’s festival gathers performers from across Ireland and internationally for over six days of discovery and celebration for both audiences and dance artists alike.

This year’s programme sheds light on dance artists and choreographers bringing their unique voices, experiences and rich questions to their dance-making.

Their work offers perspectives on relationships, resistance, liberation, society and how we want to be together in our communities.

Image by Patricio Cassinoni

Make sure to join Dance Limerick for this incredible and fun-filled event!

What Next curators Catherine Young and Mary Wycherley are delighted to welcome audiences to Limerick so they can dive in and discover dance.

Something that is central to the festival, since its inception in 2018, is the Artists’ Creative Exchange.

This year, the festival artists will spend two days together at Dance Limerick, sharing their practice with each other. This allows them to connect and be inspired, have fruitful discussions and interactions and gain invaluable insights into each other's work.

Dance Limerick’s performance space at St John’s Church will be the stage of three mixed-bill nights featuring a total of seven performances by exceptional national and international dance artists who are shaping the world of dance today.

 Image by Luca Truffarelli

Opening the festival will be Aerowaves Twenty24 artist, Charlie Khalil Prince, with ‘the body symphonic’, a solo performance-concert created in response to the multiple geo/political crises in Lebanon, followed by Luca Truffarelli’s immersive new dance work ‘The Weight’, set against a soaring orchestral backdrop composed by Greg Haines and recorded by the RTÉ Orchestra.

On Friday, February 14, they will have the pleasure to accompany artist Rocío Domínguez as she explores transit, loss and rebirth in 'MANY MEs'.

Aerowaves artist Tú Hoàng will also be preforming a duet, ‘False Memories’, created through the perspective of two individuals that have an unspeakable connection with each other.

Saturday night will pay homage to the many Irish-based dance artists who are making new work today.

 Image by Luca Truffarelli

Audiences will enjoy the work of The Parsley Collective, composed of five dancers who share a curiosity for improvisation and exploration.

Jessie Thompson will then present her newest piece, commissioned by Dance Limerick for What Next festival ‘missing you, missing me’, a look at unique familiar settings, grief, guilt and the consequences of these.

Choreographer, Amir Sabra, in collaboration with students from the MA in Contemporary Dance Performance at the Irish World Academy, with composer Rossa Ó Snodaigh, and fellow members of the award-winning Irish band Kíla, closes the last performance night with an invitation to experience an intercultural dialogue.

Image by Maurice Gunning

This spirit is continued by the closing event, returning for a second year at What Next, Catherine Young and The Welcoming Project’s Ceílí Afro Dabke Ukraine, an upbeat world music ceílí dance with live music where all are welcome to dance the night away!

In addition to the performances, this year’s festival includes a workshop with festival artist Charlie K. Prince, as well as a gathering morning for the community to meet, enjoy some food together, and hear about diverse career experiences in panel discussions, featuring festival and visiting artists.

The events take place at Dance Limerick's performance space in John’s Square, and feature a range of affordable prices.

Mixed performance bills ensure there is a show to suit everyone’s taste. Why not discover dance in 2025, at What Next dance festival from February 10-15.

Get ready to be inspired, challenged and involved in What Next 2025!

To purchase your tickets today, go here. 

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