Countdown to Tipperary Dance Festival
This October, Tipperary Dance Festival welcomes internationally renowned choreographers, leading Irish artists, and local communities for a unique programme of performances, workshops and encounters.
From The Source Arts Centre in Thurles to STAC Chapel in Clonmel and Nenagh Arts Centre, audiences across the county will experience world-class dance in an intimate and welcoming setting.
Artistic Director Alexandre Iseli curates a vibrant and socially meaningful programme where international creation meets Irish artistry, and where audiences are invited not only to watch dance but also to take part in it.
Festival Highlights
Opening with Satiri by renowned Italian choreographer Virgilio Sieni, performed with live cello at The Source Arts Centre, Thurles. Later in the week, Nigeria-born Irish choreographer Mufutau Yusuf brings Impasse, a critically acclaimed exploration of race, identity and belonging.
Double Bill Evening: In Clonmel, audiences can experience Dances Like a Bomb by award-winning company Junk Ensemble, a fearless and tender duet celebrating the ageing body, in a double bill with Replicas, a new work by Alexandre Iseli.
Residency Showings: Works-in-progress developed through Tipperary Dance’s international residency exchange programme will be shared with the public, including pieces from artists based in Munich and the Canary Islands.
Families: A Triple Bill featuring a dance film and two performances will delight young audiences and families at Nenagh Arts Centre.
Masterclasses: Professional and trainee dancers will have the opportunity to practice and learn from the experience and unique artistic visions of world-class choreographers.
Workshops & Participation: From a beginner-friendly Argentine Tango workshop to classes for older movers and workshops for school children, the festival offers opportunities for everyone to step into dance.
Professional Development: International curators, programmers and artists will gather in Thurles for an afternoon of roundtable discussions, networking, and a reflection on the environmental impact of the arts.
Dance in Schools: The much-loved Dance in Schools programme will travel across County Tipperary, introducing children to the joy of live performance. This year’s featured piece, ROLLING! by choreographer Mónica Muñoz, combines dance, rhythm, and play in an energetic performance for young audiences.
This is a festival rooted in Tipperary but connected to the world. Each autumn, Tipperary Dance Festival transforms the county into a hub for contemporary dance, connecting local communities with international voices. Previous editions have welcomed artists such as Oona Doherty, Liz Roche, Tânia Carvalho, and Lost Dog.
Artistic Director Alexandre Iseli says: “TDF'25 sticks to one value like a mantra: dance can help us cultivate ways to live together. This starts with seeing differences, embracing them, living with them, and maintaining our ability for curiosity and dialogue. It is our opinion that we fail as a group when people are left out or mis-represented.”
Funders & Partners
Main funders: Tipperary Dance is proudly funded by the Arts Council under the Festivals Investment Scheme and Arts Grant Funding, and by Tipperary County Council with the support of: Dance Ireland, Culture Ireland, The Source Arts Centre, South Tipperary Arts Centre, Nenagh Arts Centre. International Residency Partners: Tanztendenz, Munich, Germany, and Teatro Victoria, Santa Cruz, Tenerife.
Tipperary Dance
Co-founded by Jazmin Chiodi and Alexandre Iseli in 2008, Tipperary Dance is an artist-led, non-profit organisation led by Alexandre Iseli, a dance artist and choreographer whose artistic vision has been haped by over three decades of creative practice across Europe and beyond. Tipperary Dance’s year-round programme supports artists and offers creative dance spaces for our communities. Tipperary Dance and Tipperary Dance Festival have become one of the beating hearts of contemporary dance in Ireland.
Tipperary Dance encapsulates the prolific range of activities undertaken by Alexandre Iseli and Jazmín Chiodi since 2008, when they founded Tipperary Dance Platform. The rebranding in 2022, under the new direction of Alexandre Iseli, enfolded their decades-long experience as artists, managers and curators, while staying true to the core values that drove Tipperary Dance Platform since its inception: care, understanding, integrity, tenacity and generosity of spirit.
Tipperary Dance acts as an international creative space that engages with artists and citizens while building and providing infrastructure for the art form of dance. This is made possible thanks to a collaborative approach that involves a network of local, stakeholders and national and international partners that includes dance companies, independent artists, public authorities, venues, festivals and other dance organisations. And, of course, our audiences and participants, and all the communities we have formed throughout the years and that have made this journey possible, helping us to deliver our highest ambition: artistic excellence and social meaningfulness.