Catherine Donnelly

Catherine Donnelly is a dance artist based in the West of Ireland.

I am interested in how the body, as well as mind and spirit, can lead the way to the next destination. As a dancer, using the body as instrument, the current pandemic offers a very interesting framework in which to create dance. The body is now under threat, travelling along a fine line between life and death. My dance practice is process focused moving towards an unknown, using available resources and along the way, seeking to take the next right step. A both exciting and terrifying process. This pandemic offers an opportunity to reflect on a desired future and navigate a pathway towards it. What power within a two square meter kinesphere?

Film and video allows me a realistic means of producing work that can be shared with a wide and varied audience on diverse platforms. For this commission I will also work with a sound artist and/or musical composer to produce a unique soundtrack for the piece.

I am very grateful to Mayo Arts Service for this, my first, commission. It is a testament to the value of the art form and at this stage of my artistic development, it will afford me an opportunity to sink my teeth into a challenging and supported creative process.

“Our biological rhythms are the symphony of the cosmos, music embedded deep within us to which we dance, even when we can’t name the tune.” Deepak Chopra.