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Hard to Be Soft

A Belfast Prayer

Biennale de la danse 2018 - Director : Plasson, Fabien

Choreographer(s) : Doherty, Oona (Ireland)

Present in collection(s): Biennale de la danse , Biennale de la danse - 2018

Integral video available at Maison de la danse de Lyon

en fr

Hard to Be Soft

A Belfast Prayer

Biennale de la danse 2018 - Director : Plasson, Fabien

Choreographer(s) : Doherty, Oona (Ireland)

Present in collection(s): Biennale de la danse , Biennale de la danse - 2018

Integral video available at Maison de la danse de Lyon

en fr

Hard to Be Soft

Belfast-based Oona Doherty takes a clear-eyed look at  her city, where religion is central and social norms weigh heavy. The  opening solo explores how men hide their emotions. Female hip-hoppers  then offer an inspired tableau of Doherty’s years at a local girls’  school, before a duet pulls down the barriers around male affection. A “physical prayer for Belfast” powered by gritty dance. “Understanding oneself can be a catalyst for social change.”


Source: Biennale de la danse 2018

Doherty, Oona

Oona Doherty is an Irish Choreographer based in Belfast. Oona studied  at London School Of Contemporary Dance, University of Ulster and LABAN  London (BA Honors and Post Graduate in Contemporary Dance Studies).

Since 2010 she has created and toured internationally dance and  theatre works with Companies such as TRASH (NL), Abbattoir Ferme (BE),  Veronika Riz (IT), Emma Martin /United Fall (IE)

Oona’s work has been recently performed at festivals around Europe  including Ravnedans Festival Norway, and the Dublin Dance Festival. Her  creations include 'Docnite', the first full length programme of her  original work consisting of three episodes exploring metaphysical  states; 'Hard to be Soft – Episode One: Lazarus and The Birds of  Paradise' (Belfast Children’s Festival and Dublin Dance Festival); 'Hope  Hunt' (Galway Dance Days, Tiger Dublin Fringe), 'Leather Jacket  Deluxe', 'Lady Magma' and 'Echo Hunt'.

Oona has been teaching dance theatre workshops in Europe since 2012. She is an ISSAC  Associate Artist.

In 2016 Oona became The MAC Belfast HATCH Artist and Prime Cut Productions REVEAL Artist.

 ''My work attempts to play with the barrier between the flesh and  the soul, the audience and the stage; to share a kinetic experience. I’m  motivated to explore states of pure metaphysical honesty. To bring the  sex, the punk, the romance and the chi back into the body, the black  box, the white cube, and Ireland.’'


Source: Aerowaves, dance across Europe

More information: https://www.oonadohertyweb.com/

Plasson, Fabien

Born in 1977, Fabien Plasson is a video director specialized in the field of performing arts (dance , music, etc).

During his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (joined in 1995) Fabien discovered video art. He was trained by various video artists (Joel Bartoloméo Pascal Nottoli , Eric Duyckaerts , etc).
He first experimented with the creation of installations and cinematic objects.

From 2001 to 2011, he was in charge of Ginger & Fred video Bar’s programming at La Maison de la Danse in Lyon. He discovered the choreographic field and the importance of this medium in the dissemination, mediation and pedagogical approach to dance alongside Charles Picq, who was a brilliant video director and the director of the video department at that time.

Today, Fabien Plasson is the video director at La Maison de la Danse and in charge of the video section of Numeridanse.tv, an online international  video library, and continues his creative activities, making videos of concerts, performances and also creating video sets for live performances.

Sources: Maison de la Danse ; Fabien Plasson website

More information: fabione.fr

Hard to Be Soft

Choreography : Oona Doherty

Interpretation : Oona Doherty, John Scott, Bryan Quinn

Set design : Ciaran Bagnall

Original music : David Holmes (Sound design, composition)

Lights : Ciaran Bagnall

Production / Coproduction of the choreographic work : Spectacle accompagné par le Pôle européen de création / Lyon // En coréalisation avec Pôle en Scènes – Espace Albert Camus

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