In 2017, Catherine Young took her dance company to Palestine. Floating on a Dead Sea is inspired by this experience; the feeling of being lifted and held by the generosity and kindness of a people, in a place where nothing is normal. A place where everyday life, dreams and aspirations are stifled, basic rights denied, and lives lived unfulfilled. This is Young’s immersive and visceral reflection on life in the West Bank Palestine prior to the 2023/24 war, interweaving dance, film, live music & text.

With a cast of international dancers and musicians and stunning visuals by filmmaker Luca Truffarelli, this moving performance places us in the footsteps of ordinary Palestinians, allowing us to feel their enduring sense of injustice, urgency and need for action.

A chance to look and listen more deeply, especially to those whose voices are often unheard.

Prior to the performance, there will be a screening of Floating on a Dead Sea (the documentary), an intensely powerful film offering a glimpse into life under occupation in Palestine in 2019. The film was created in 2020, when lockdown threatened the development of the live performance.

 

Floating on a Dead Sea is presented in association with the Backstage Theatre and funded by the Arts Council  with the support of Backstage Theatre & Town Hall Theatre Galway.

Originally commissioned by the Dublin Dance Festival and funded by the Arts Council, Backstage Theatre, Dublin Dance Festival and Kerry County Council in 2021.

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