We do our best for the environment when we can and take advantage of any fine weather to hang the washing to dry outside the stage door!
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Where is my costume?
Costumes are an essential part of the theatre shows and maintaining them day-to-day, and season to season is a demanding job. We have a seven nights a week programme so you can only imagine the preparation that goes into each show.
The costumes range from legendary to traditional clothes, distressed items, regal attire, work and ecclesiastical wear, and the all-important accessories that complete the look. These collections were created by many costume designers for a varied range of productions over many years, including Leonore McDonagh, Diego Pitarch, Conor Murphy and Joan Hickson.
Cast numbers for the various shows can range from 15 – 25 people, so the laundry room is a hive of activity every day. Repairs of props and garments are often required and the sewing box is always ready for use.
Stage manager Gemma Hurley takes it all in her stride and has everyone kitted out and on stage each night ready for the show.
We do our best for the environment when we can and take advantage of any fine weather to hang the washing to dry outside the stage door!
We do our best for the environment when we can and take advantage of any fine weather to hang the washing to dry outside the stage door!
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Turas - A Breathtaking journey of music, dance and song!
Turas is a Siamsa Tíre stage presentation featuring music from all corners of Ireland fused occasionally with an international flavour and beautifully interwoven with exciting dance and rich vocals.
From Siamsa Tíre’s earliest days music has always played (excuse the pun) a major part in the success of its productions. It was in 2010 that the idea of building a show specifically around musicians was first mooted and in May 2013 this dream became a reality.
Tom Hanafin, director of music with Siamsa Tíre was set the task of devising the production and having been a musician with the company himself for almost thirty years felt the time was right to bring Turas to fruition.
Turas, translated means Journey and this is exactly what inspired the show. We brought together an incredible group of musicians, dancers and singers with extraordinary talents stretching from Kerry all the way up to Co. Down taking in Tipperary, Galway and Mayo en-route.
The musical content of the show forms a collection of numerous tunes not only from Sliabh Luachra in Kerry but from all parts of Ireland fused at times with an international flavour which in turn brings its own uniqueness to the show.
This combination of powerful music and stunning dance routines merged with beautiful rich vocals ensures that Turas the show has something to offer everybody.
Turas runs every Saturday and Sunday night until the 21st of September.
Tom Hanafin, director of music with Siamsa Tíre was set the task of devising the production and having been a musician with the company himself for almost thirty years felt the time was right to bring Turas to fruition.
The musical content of the show forms a collection of numerous tunes not only from Sliabh Luachra in Kerry but from all parts of Ireland fused at times with an international flavour which in turn brings its own uniqueness to the show.
World championship dancers bring intricate footwork to the stage and enhance the show with their skills and at times give us glimpses of iconic moments from the Siamsa repertoire.
This combination of powerful music and stunning dance routines merged with beautiful rich vocals ensures that Turas the show has something to offer everybody.
Turas runs every Saturday and Sunday night until the 21st of September.
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Performer to Choreographer... It's Rob Heaslip
Siamsa is a place of duality – it both preserves memories and creates them. The friendships that began for me in Siamsa are everlasting, and no amount of distance will ever change that.
My first memories of Siamsa are filled with the lawn at Finuge, the smokey fire, and the concrete floor. Needless to say, you upgraded with you came to the main building in Tralee. I had been brought by my grandmother who expected the Heaslip tradition of performers to be upheld!
When I joined the company in 1997 the real memories started - my nerves at performing as a swan in Clann Lir in my very first season with the company. In my career to date, nothing has ever compared, and I doubt anything ever will! I remember trawling sets with Des, tea with Irene, choral rehearsals always trying to figure out what note I was supposed to be on, spending evenings learning steps, spending nights rubbing calf muscles, the Siamsa day out, the compulsory amusements on stage between the cast, the mistakes, the tours, the rehearsals, the costumes, the songs, the dancing – all for us to be ambassadors for our heritage.
With the company I performed San Ám Fado, Oileán, Clann Lir, Samhain, Óisín, Sean agus Nua re-Evolution and Tobar na Scéalta.
But there came a time when I needed to move on. I travelled to Scotland to complete my contemporary dance training, and to this date I am still based there, running my dance company and performing both internationally and internationally. I wouldn’t be here if Oliver Hurley (prev. Artistic Director) hadn’t seen something in me as a shy, quiet teenager, and believed in me. It was through the ranks of the performance company that I climbed, to eventually join the professional company. Many of these memories range from high to low – hard work mixed with rewarding research into Irish Culture, preserving the steps, the customs, the language, as well as suffering injury, pain, happy times as well as sad. The well-known Siamsa mass can be sung with both a light and heavy heart.
I know that Siamsa’s reach extends far and wide, with many talented performers across the world share their origins in Siamsa Tíre, and I am very proud to count myself amongst them – tis a grand auld Siamsa indeed.
Today Rob is the artistic director of max.IMEALLdance Company based in Edinburgh, Scotland. For more information on his works check out his website http://www.robheaslip.com/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rob-Heaslip-maxIMEALLdance-Company/
Biography:
Prior to beginning his contemporary training, Rob, as a professional Irish dancer, was a member of Siamsa Tíre, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland and earned a BA in Languages and Cultural Studies as well as an MA in Contemporary Performance from The Irish World Music Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick, Ireland. He later completed 3 years of professional training at The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance and founded max.IMEALLdance in 2010.
The company is made up of artists with extensive and diverse backgrounds, with works performed in Dublin Dance Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2010 & 2012), The Merchant City Festival Glasgow, Dance Live Aberdeen (2012 & 2013) and Resolution!2010 London. Throughout his career Rob has worked and toured both nationally and internationally with companies such as Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Marc Brew Company and David Hughes Dance Productions Ltd. He has also performed in works by Flesh Collective, Oliver Hurley, Mary Nunan, Michael Scott, Charles Lenihan, Vanessa Haska, Cindy Cummings, Kylie Walters, Tanja Liedtke and Ian Spink. Collaborations he has been involved with include Marie Lidén, Keren Rosenberg, Laura Murphy, Ailish Claffey and Irene Buckley.
He was also selected to serve as an Assistant Choreographer for The Common Wealth Games Hand-Over Ceremony 2010 in Delhi, India and was a teacher on the Edinburgh Branch for Dance For People with Parkinsons during 2011 and 2012.
His performances and works can be seen throughout Ireland and Great Britain, and he is in constant search of fresh collaborations, as well as nurturing those already embraced. Heritage and cultural preservation are prominent themes in his process; owing to his time spent with Siamsa Tíre, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland.
Rob acknowledges the kind support (past and present) of his work. Many thanks to Creative Scotland, Dance Ireland, Dance Base Edinburgh, Dance House Glasgow, Dance House Dublin, The Firkin Crane Cork and The Work Room Glasgow.
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| Rob Heaslip -photo by Marie Liden |
My first memories of Siamsa are filled with the lawn at Finuge, the smokey fire, and the concrete floor. Needless to say, you upgraded with you came to the main building in Tralee. I had been brought by my grandmother who expected the Heaslip tradition of performers to be upheld!
 |
| Rob on the left with fellow performer Leonard Casey in Siamsa Tíre's 2004 production "Tobar na Scéalta" - photo by Valerie O'Sullivan |
When I joined the company in 1997 the real memories started - my nerves at performing as a swan in Clann Lir in my very first season with the company. In my career to date, nothing has ever compared, and I doubt anything ever will! I remember trawling sets with Des, tea with Irene, choral rehearsals always trying to figure out what note I was supposed to be on, spending evenings learning steps, spending nights rubbing calf muscles, the Siamsa day out, the compulsory amusements on stage between the cast, the mistakes, the tours, the rehearsals, the costumes, the songs, the dancing – all for us to be ambassadors for our heritage.
With the company I performed San Ám Fado, Oileán, Clann Lir, Samhain, Óisín, Sean agus Nua re-Evolution and Tobar na Scéalta.
 |
| Performing in MEITHEAL, which was made with the support of Dance Base, Edinburgh, Dance House, Glasgow and The Space, Dundee. - photo Istvan Magyar |
But there came a time when I needed to move on. I travelled to Scotland to complete my contemporary dance training, and to this date I am still based there, running my dance company and performing both internationally and internationally. I wouldn’t be here if Oliver Hurley (prev. Artistic Director) hadn’t seen something in me as a shy, quiet teenager, and believed in me. It was through the ranks of the performance company that I climbed, to eventually join the professional company. Many of these memories range from high to low – hard work mixed with rewarding research into Irish Culture, preserving the steps, the customs, the language, as well as suffering injury, pain, happy times as well as sad. The well-known Siamsa mass can be sung with both a light and heavy heart.
I know that Siamsa’s reach extends far and wide, with many talented performers across the world share their origins in Siamsa Tíre, and I am very proud to count myself amongst them – tis a grand auld Siamsa indeed.
 |
| "Wunderbar" - image by Clare Keogh http://www.clarekeogh.ie/. |
Today Rob is the artistic director of max.IMEALLdance Company based in Edinburgh, Scotland. For more information on his works check out his website http://www.robheaslip.com/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rob-Heaslip-maxIMEALLdance-Company/
Biography:
Prior to beginning his contemporary training, Rob, as a professional Irish dancer, was a member of Siamsa Tíre, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland and earned a BA in Languages and Cultural Studies as well as an MA in Contemporary Performance from The Irish World Music Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick, Ireland. He later completed 3 years of professional training at The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance and founded max.IMEALLdance in 2010.
The company is made up of artists with extensive and diverse backgrounds, with works performed in Dublin Dance Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2010 & 2012), The Merchant City Festival Glasgow, Dance Live Aberdeen (2012 & 2013) and Resolution!2010 London. Throughout his career Rob has worked and toured both nationally and internationally with companies such as Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Marc Brew Company and David Hughes Dance Productions Ltd. He has also performed in works by Flesh Collective, Oliver Hurley, Mary Nunan, Michael Scott, Charles Lenihan, Vanessa Haska, Cindy Cummings, Kylie Walters, Tanja Liedtke and Ian Spink. Collaborations he has been involved with include Marie Lidén, Keren Rosenberg, Laura Murphy, Ailish Claffey and Irene Buckley.
He was also selected to serve as an Assistant Choreographer for The Common Wealth Games Hand-Over Ceremony 2010 in Delhi, India and was a teacher on the Edinburgh Branch for Dance For People with Parkinsons during 2011 and 2012.
His performances and works can be seen throughout Ireland and Great Britain, and he is in constant search of fresh collaborations, as well as nurturing those already embraced. Heritage and cultural preservation are prominent themes in his process; owing to his time spent with Siamsa Tíre, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland.
Rob acknowledges the kind support (past and present) of his work. Many thanks to Creative Scotland, Dance Ireland, Dance Base Edinburgh, Dance House Glasgow, Dance House Dublin, The Firkin Crane Cork and The Work Room Glasgow.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Auditions... from the beginning
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| Passing on the traditions... Finuge in the early days |
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| Learning the Tin-Whistle |
This Friday in Teach Siamsa na Carraige, West Kerry, and on Saturday in Siamsa Tíre, Tralee the traditional auditions continue. It is advisable for the young people auditioning to have a song and an Irish dance prepared for the audition. Our training and development officer, Anne O’Donnell has been visiting local schools to encourage young people (aged 7 to 12) to try out their skills this weekend. Auditions are by appointment only – please contact the box office at 066 7123055 to book an appointment. Good Luck!
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
It's a great auld Siamsa... Our 40th Anniversary exhibition is OPEN!
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| Putting the finishing touches to the exhibition! |
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| Jimmy McDonnell with Siamsa Tíre General Manager Catriona Fallon |
Shows that we have staged, places we have toured to, and the buildings that have been home to the company over the years, all feature in our exhibition, It’s A Great Auld Siamsa…. Most important are the people that have been part of this wonderful journey over the past 40 years.
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| The exhibition - It's A Great Auld Siamsa... |
We hope you make a trip to the gallery and experience this unique collection that is central to our celebrations this summer. The exhibition runs until September 20th – put it in your diary!
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