“Dancing is like dreaming with your feet.  
Colonel Headbanger doesn’t like dreams as they can give people ideas.  
People with ideas can be dangerous.”

Once upon a dance floor…
… in a kingdom not so far away, lived Francis Footwork.

Now Francis Footwork is no ordinary girl – she is an extraordinary dancer. When kind-hearted King Two Lefties ascends to the throne, he is tricked by trusted adviser Colonel Headbanger to rule the land with an iron fist. He wants to end all dancing. So Francis teaches him a dance lesson he will never forget! 

From the company that brought you the international, award-winning hit THE WOLF AND PETER comes a magical, empowering tale from David Bolger that celebrates individuality and encourages everyone to dance their own dance.

NOW IN 180° VR | CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT ABOUT UPCOMING SCREENINGS OF IRELAND’S FIRST VIRTUAL REALITY DANCE THEATRE PRODUCTION

FOR EVERYONE AGED 6+

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Gallery

DEDICATED TO EMMA O’KANE

Emma O‘Kane was a core member and part of the fabric of CoisCéim for over 20 years. The premiere of production of Francis Footwork was her last collaboration with the company before her untimely death in early 2021. CoisCéim is a founding partner of the Emma O‘Kane Bursary. Find out more here.

INTERVIEWS WITH THE TEAM

“Can you imagine a world without dancing? What would be stolen from us?” – An interview with Director and Choreographer David Bolger on RTÉ Culture Blog

“To me, dance means everything. Dance is freedom, dance is expression. It is passion, creativity. Dance is powerful…” An interview with cast member with Cristian Enmanuel Dirocie for the Pavilion Theatre Blog

“With Francis Footwork I wanted to create a story that had dance as its central character…it was the dance that drove me to make this piece…” An interview with David Bolger in the Galway Advertiser

Pre Production

2019 | STILL LOADING: The Ark Children’s Council present a mini showcase of new performances-in-progress. 

On 16 June 2019, David Bolger and the cast participated in this mini showcase and performed work-in-progress excerpts of FRANCIS FOOTWORK as part of Right Here Right Now! The Ark’s Festival of Children.  Find out more about The Ark’s Children’s Council and the event at ark.ie 

2018 | A residency of ideas…BABORÓ INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN

In a special creative development residency, David Bolger and CoisCéim Dance Theatre were onsite throughout Baboró 2018 working on his new work for people of all ages, FRANCIS FOOTWORK.  Set in the future, FRANCIS FOOTWORK is an upbeat tale exploring freedom of expression and individuality. A cast of colourful characters led by the fantastically rhythmic Francis Footwork in a fast paced dance adventure.

2018 Events at Baboró

MASTERCLASS
with David Bolger and dancers Ivonne Kalter and Matthew Williamson
Wednesday 17 October 2018

PANEL DISCUSSION
Approaches to Creating Dance for Children
Thursday 18 October 2018

WRITER, DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER David Bolger
MUSIC & SOUND Denis Clohessy
SCENIC, LIGHTING & PROJECTION DESIGN Christopher Ash
COSTUME Maree Kearns
HAIR & MAKEUP Val Sherlock
ISL INTERPRETER Caoimhe Coburn Gray

CAST Cristian Enmanuel Dirocie, Stephanie Dufresne, Ivonne Kalter, Jonathan Mitchell

PRODUCTION MANAGER Eamon Fox
STAGE MANAGER Stephanie Ryan
CHIEF LX Eoin Winning
SOUND ENGINEER Michael Stapleton
AV ENGINEER Laura Rainsford
 
PROPS Dylan Farrell
COSTUME SUPERVISOR Nicola Burke
COSTUME DESIGN ASSISTANT Pai Treeratt 
PROP MAKER Craig Starkie 
PHOTOGRAPHER Hugo Glendinning, Ros Kavanagh 
GRAPHIC DESIGN Alphabet Soup 

David Bolger

Denis Clohessy

Christopher Ash

Maree Kearns

Val Sherlock

Caoimhe Coburn Gray

Cristian Enmanuel Dirocie

Stephanie Dufresne

Ivonne Kalter

Jonathan Mitchell