About Us
CoisCéim’s name comes from the Irish word for Footstep and is pronounced “Kush Came”. Firmly established in the Irish psyche, we have presented highly original work to audiences large and small, onstage, on film and off site throughout Ireland and overseas for thirty years.
Our style of performance is distinctive, contemporary and vibrant, with a knowing regard for the everyday. Artistic Director David Bolger embraces a selection of dance styles to articulate stories and emotions that are relevant to the landscapes in which we live.
Touring, both nationally and internationally is a key part of CoisCéim. In Ireland, the company has developed strong relationships with an informal network of venues that have a like-minded approach in actively promoting dance. Internationally, our work has been included in many prestigious series and festivals including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and Peak Performances in the United States, 14-18NOW, LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), The Place (Spring Loaded) and the Brighton Festival in the UK, Ten Days on the Island (Tasmania), the Venice Biennale, and was the first Irish contemporary dance company to perform at the Sydney Opera House. CoisCéim has received many awards including two Edinburgh Fringe Firsts, an Argus Angel Award and an Irish Times Irish Theatre Award. We featured as one of An Post’s special stamps to celebrate the contemporary arts, and are widely acclaimed for our “exhilarating…astounding performances” (The Guardian).
In parallel with the performance programme the company conducts an integrated, original and comprehensive artform awareness and participation initiative through CoisCéim Broadreach. Established in 2006, its activities are pioneering, targeting all sections of the population in an exciting and innovative manner to create a genuine curiosity in dance.
CoisCéim is proud to be strategically funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and supported by Dublin City Council and Culture Ireland.
Board, Company & Governance Information
Our Vision
Mission Statement
Our mission is to produce exceptional, inclusive, and sustainable dance theatre. We move with integrity, creating distinct and vibrant work that seeks to reflect contemporary Ireland. We are dynamic and forward-thinking in our approach towards performance, access and creative participation. We promote awareness of dance in Ireland and overseas and strive to foster future audiences.
Our Values
Integrity. Vibrancy. Connection. Joy.
INTEGRITY – our actions are rooted in honesty, kindness and respect
VIBRANCY – we celebrate creativity, originality, imagination and experimentation
CONNECTION – we believe that working with and for people from different places, cultures, and thinking makes us all better at what we do
JOY – we love our work, we are open-minded and aim to find joy in every day
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DAVID BOLGER
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/CEO BRIDGET WEBSTER
GENERAL MANAGER SARAH LATTY
PROJECT COORDINATOR INNA MAZURENKO
BOOKKEEPER SUSAN HOFFMAN
STUDIO TECHNICAL MANAGER LAURA RAINSFORD
PRODUCTION ADVISOR MICHAEL LONERGAN
Awards
| 2024 | Kmend Arts Partnership Award, Business to Arts for Waterways Ireland & CoisCéim Dance Theatre for BENCH. |
| 2022 | Best Movement, Irish Times Irish Theatre Award for David Bolger (GO TO BLAZES and ORFEO ED EURIDICE). |
| 2020 | Best Experimental Short, February 2020 Indie Short Fest, Los Angeles International Film Festival for HOW TO SINK A PAPER BOAT. |
| 2019 | Remi Winner, 52nd Annual Worldfest Houston International Film Festival for HOW TO SINK A PAPER BOAT. |
| 2017 | Irish Times Irish Theatre Award, 2017 (Audience Choice) with ANU for THESE ROOMS. |
| 2016 | Best Children’s Dance Show, BTA Awards 2016 for THE WOLF AND PETER. |
| 2012 | Argus Angel Award, Brighton Festival for SWIMMING WITH MY MOTHER. |
| 2011 | Best Production, Limerick Unfringed for SWIMMING WITH MY MOTHER. |
| 2006 | Scotsman Fringe First Award, Edinburgh Fringe Festival for KNOTS, also nominated for Total Theatre Award and Carol Tambor Award. |
| 2005 | Scotsman Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for CHAMBER MADE. Best Production Award at Dublin Fringe Festival 2006 for KNOTS. |
| 2004 | Sexiest Show, Dublin Fringe Festival for CHAMBER MADE. |
| 2003 | The Jury Prize at Dance on Camera, New York and a Platinum Award for Creative Excellence at WorldFest, Houston for HIT & RUN. |
| 2002 | The Paula Citron Award for Choreography for the Camera at the Moving Pictures Festival for Dance on Film and Video in Toronto for HIT & RUN. |
| 1998 | AIB Better Ireland Award for SEASONS. |
| 1997 | Irish Times Choreographer of the Year Award for HIT AND RUN, BACK IN TOWN and BALLADS. |
| 1996 | Irish Times Dance Show of the Year for STRAIGHT WITH CURVES. Irish Times Choreographer of the Year for DRAGONS AND TONICS. |
DEEP END DANCE, a short dance film written and choreographed by CoisCéim Artistic Director David Bolger was awarded BEST SHORT FILM at the Irish Film Festival, Boston 2011 and was nominated for an Ifta for Short Film. It is the winner of the SPECIAL JURY PRIZE at Idill 2011 and BEST SHORT FILM at both The Celtic Media Festival 2011 and the FastNet Film Festival 2011. It shared the audience award for BEST SHORT at the Capital Irish Film Festival 2011 and was shortlisted for PRIX ITALIA 2011.
AND A FEW FIRSTS...
| 2022 | Shot at the Ark Children's Cultural Centre in Dublin, David Bolger's FRANCIS FOOTWORK becomes the first dance theatre work for children in Europe to be filmed up close in 180° virtual reality. |
| 2020 | BREAKIN' BROTHERS, a co-production between CoisCéim and Wildfire Films becomes the first dance film project to be awarded funding by Coimisiún na Meán (formerly the Broadcast Authority of Ireland) under Round 34 of Sound & Vision 3. |
| 2018 | The re-imagination of THESE ROOMS, the awarding co-production for ART2016, is staged as part of LIFT2018 making CoisCéim the first Irish dance company to appear at London's leading international theatre festival, and marking the return of the nation's participation at this prestigious event after 27 years. |
| 2017 | As part of its Australian tour of THE WOLF AND PETER, CoisCéim becomes the first Irish contemporary dance company to grace the stage at the iconic Sydney Opera House. The production included a ground breaking broadcast quality film of the performance being created in real time and live-streamed into 21 schools in rural New South Wales, paving the way for its run on the Opera House's Digital Stage during the pandemic where it clocked up over 75,000 views. |
| 2011 | DEEP END DANCE written by and featuring David Bolger is nominated for an IFTA. |
| 2007 | Together with Cindy Cummings, David Bolger becomes one of the first choreographers to be elected to Aosdána – an affiliation of artists that was founded in 1981 to honour those whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the creative arts in Ireland. |
| 2006 | CoisCéim becomes the first contemporary Irish dance company to be selected and perform at the Biennale di Danza in Venice, Italy. |
| 2003 | HIT AND RUN wins the Grand Jury Prize and the Dance on Camera festival at the Lincoln Centre, New York – a first for Ireland. |
| 2001 | With his production BALLADS, David Bolger and CoisCéim become the nation's first to perform at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the oldest and seminal contemporary dance festival in the United States. |
| 2000 | HIT AND RUN, a co-production between CoisCéim and Saffron Pictures (formerly Rough Magic Films) becomes the first dance film to be awarded funding by Screen Ireland (formerly Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board). |
| 1998 | In its first co-production with a dance theatre company, Ireland's national theatre, the Abbey and CoisCéim present Gina Moxley's TOUPEES AND SNARE DRUMS on the Peacock Stage. |
| 1996 | Bridget Webster becomes Ireland's first Aerowaves partner attending the inaugural selection meeting at The Place, London. A partner for 7 years, she co-programmed three platforms for the Dublin Fringe Festival bringing the work of Aerowaves artists to Irish audiences for the first time. She returned to the network in 2018 as a board director, where she was integral to the relocation of the company to Ireland to secure its future following Brexit. |
| 1996 | CoisCéim makes its first guest commission to Liz Roche for DRAGONS AND TONICS. |
| 1996 | CoisCéim becomes the first Irish contemporary dance company to be selected and perform at the SPRING LOADED festival at The Place Theatre in London. |