Ballet Ireland

Following various previous ventures, ballet in Ireland had a "home" in the Irish National Ballet, founded in 1973 and overseen by Joan Denise Moriarty.{{cite book | editor-first = Ruth | editor-last = Fleischmann | chapter = The Arts Council and Irish National Ballet 1985–89 | first = David | last = Wallace | title = Joan Denise Moriarty: Ireland's First Lady of Dance | pages = 34–56 | date = 2012 }} However, following a series of funding cuts, the company was disbanded in 1989 and doubt was expressed whether classical ballet could survive in Ireland.{{Cite web|title=Leap into the unknown|author=|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/leap-into-the-unknown-1.232280|access-date=2021-01-17|date=1999-09-28|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin}} In 1998, Ballet Ireland was founded in Dublin by choreographer and dancer Günther Falusy (1946–2017), and the professional ballet dancer Anne Maher, to re-establish performance of classical ballet in the capital.{{Cite book|last=Craine, Debra.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/620092525|title=The Oxford dictionary of dance|date=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|others=Mackrell, Judith.|isbn=978-0-19-956344-9|edition=2nd|location=Oxford|pages=232|oclc=620092525}} The opening production was at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin.{{Cite news|title=Austrian dancer and choreographer co-founded Ballet Ireland |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/austrian-dancer-and-choreographer-co-founded-ballet-ireland-1.3352220|work=The Irish Times|access-date=2021-01-17|date=2018-01-06|location=Dublin|author=}} The Arts Council of Ireland provided substantial grants from 1999 to 2003, allowing the new company to become established.{{Cite web|title=Do we need Ballet Ireland?|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/do-we-need-ballet-ireland-1.1085237|date=2002-04-16|last=Seaver|first=Michael|access-date=2021-01-17|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin}}

This funding has continued, allowing annual performances and tours throughout Ireland and to a lesser extent in the UK.{{Cite book|last=Wulff, Helena.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/437030529|title=Dancing at the crossroads : memory and mobility in Ireland|date=2009|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-1-84545-590-3|edition=1st pbk.|location=New York|pages=78–80|oclc=437030529}}

Since then, the company has presented over 30 seasons of work and is also involved in educational programmes such as professional workshops and summer schools.{{Cite web|title=Ballet Ireland presents Bold Moves|url=https://www.nationaloperahouse.ie/whats-on/show/ballet-ireland-presents-a-triple-bill-of-contemporary-work|author=|access-date=2021-01-17|website=Nationaloperahouse.ie|archive-date=27 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027201539/https://www.nationaloperahouse.ie/whats-on/show/ballet-ireland-presents-a-triple-bill-of-contemporary-work|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|title=Strictly ballet|first=Sylvia|last=Thompson|date=2010-08-10|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/strictly-ballet-1.636102|access-date=2021-01-17|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin}}{{Cite web|date=2003-06-23|title=Ballet Ireland do summer workshops|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2003/0623/399510-ballet/|website=RTE|access-date=2021-01-17}} In 2013, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, a former Arts Minister, became the patron of the company.{{cite web|url=https://www.balletireland.ie/support-us/patron/|title=Patron|date=2013|website=BalletIreland|access-date=2021-01-17|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725033715/https://www.balletireland.ie/support-us/patron/|url-status=dead}}

Ballet Ireland began with a conventional repertoire of well-known ballets such as The Nutcracker,{{Cite news|title=Behind the scenes at the ballet|last=Battersby|first=Eileen|date=2004-11-11|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/behind-the-scenes-at-the-ballet-1.1165946|work=The Irish Times|access-date=2021-01-17|location=Dublin}}{{Cite news|last=Seaver|first=Christie|date=2013-11-21|title=A tough nut to crack|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/a-tough-nut-to-crack-1.1602875|access-date=2021-01-18|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin}} Swan Lake{{Cite news|last=Seaver|first=Christie|title=Review: Swan Lake|date=2014-11-21|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/review-swan-lake-1.2010354|access-date=2021-01-18|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin}} and The Sleeping Beauty. Once fully established, it started to take works on tour, for example, a production of Giselle from 2017,{{Cite news|title=Giselle review: streets fights and cryptic connections in a frantic production|first=Christie|last=Seaver|date=2017-04-24|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/giselle-review-streets-fights-and-cryptic-connections-in-a-frantic-production-1.3059204|access-date=2021-01-17|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin}} performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018 which The Guardian called "part modern murder mystery, part romantic ballet classic"{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/aug/06/giselle-review-ballet-ireland-dance-base-edinburgh|title=Giselle review – Ballet Ireland bring out the Hammer horror in a romantic classic|work=The Guardian|location=UK|date=2018-08-06|last=Bain|first=Alice}} and Anna Winter in The Stage described as a "full-blooded re-imagining staged with zeal".{{Cite news|title=Giselle|first=Anna|last=Winter|date=2018-08-07|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/giselle-review-at-dance-base-edinburgh--full-blooded-re-imagining-staged-with-zeal|access-date=2021-01-17|work=The Stage|location=London}} The company has also extended its range of works to include contemporary dance and reinterpretations of classic ballets.{{Cite news|title=‘We cannot have an endless diet of Swan Lakes’|first=Christie|last=Seaver |date=2017-04-18|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/we-cannot-have-an-endless-diet-of-swan-lakes-1.3048865|access-date=2021-01-17|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin}}

{{Cite news|title=Bold Moves: Ballet Ireland scores a coup with heart-pounding performance of Minus 16|first=Christie|last=Seaver|date=2019-03-26|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/bold-moves-ballet-ireland-scores-a-coup-with-heart-pounding-performance-of-minus-16-1.3838904|access-date=2021-01-17|work=The Irish Times|location=Dublin}}

The company collaborated with the Irish Chamber Orchestra on a 2014 production of Rodion Shchedrin's Carmen Suite (ballet){{Cite web|last=Rushe|first=Rose|date=2014-04-25|title=The Big Top to host Carmen ballet|url=https://www.limerickpost.ie/2014/04/25/the-big-top-to-host-carmen-ballet/|access-date=2021-01-18|website=Limerick Post Newspaper}} and with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra on a number of productions.{{Cite web|title=Ballet Ireland's Carmen goes on tour|date=2013-10-29|access-date=2021-01-18|website=RTE |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2013/1029/483299-ballet-irelands-carmen-goes-on-tour/}}

• Cork City Ballet

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.balletireland.ie/ Official website]

{{Ballet companies}}

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Category:Ballet companies in Ireland

Category:1998 establishments in Ireland

Category:Performing groups established in 1998