Helga Deasy

Helga Deasy

3 & 4 September 2025, 29 & 30 January, 3 & 4 April 2026

Uillinn Dance Season: Spring

Native Trees – Work-in-process performance sharing I UCC and Bollinger Family Space at Uillinn I Sat 4 Apr, 3:00pm I 40mins including discussion I free entry I Booking HERE

Through deep, active and engaged reciprocity between the human body and the natural world, Helga investigates native Irish trees and the Ogham Calendar. In this sharing of work developed over several months in residency at Uillinn, Helga has been exploring the interrelationship between sensory perceptions, somatic experiences and imagination arising from the natural landscape in a co-creative process with nature. In the face of the climate emergency, the artist investigates how a practice of dance and embodied awareness can create new ways of knowing and bring about perceptual transformation in how we relate to and connect with nature.

The sharing will include the presentation of film footage and a short live performance developed in collaboration with dancer Kanako Haru, film maker Eoin Ó hAnnracháin and composer/musician Justin Grounds.

Through deep, active and engaged reciprocity between the human body and the natural world, in her research Helga Deasy investigates native Irish trees and the Ogham Calendar. Through embodied engagement with trees, she seeks to explore the interrelationship between sensory perceptions, somatic experiences and imagination arising from the natural landscape in a co-creative process with nature. In the face of the climate emergency, her aim is to investigate how a practice of dance and embodied awareness can create new ways of knowing and bring about perceptual transformation in how we relate to and connect with nature.

During her residency Helga Deasy investigates native Irish trees and the Ogham calendar in an embodied, co-creative process with nature. Her research includes field trips, studio practice, literature research and cross-disciplinary collaboration. She seeks to explore the development of choreography for film installation in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary, creative team including dancers Sara Hernandez, Kanako Nakajima and Kevin Hayes, film maker Eoin O hAnnrachain, composer Justin Grounds and visual artist Claire Hurley. Through this research, Helga will develop her choreographic practice with a focus on site-specific work and the natural world under the mentorship of renowned choreographer Rosemary Lee.

Helga Deasy (Ireland/Germany) is a dance artist and choreographer. Exploring themes of identity, belonging, migration and care through the immediate expressive potential of the moving body, her practice encompasses performance making, cross-disciplinary collaboration and socially engaged dance. It is grounded in choreological studies and her research into somatic practices and empowerment. A recipient of multiple awards, Helga has created a body of work for stage and film presented nationally and internationally. She feels passionate about the transformative potential of dance and works in arts and health settings, is a lead-facilitator on the Teacher Artist Partnership Programme and an early-years arts practitioner with Graffiti Theatre Company.

Helga will present the results of her research in a free sharing of work-in-progress on April 4th. This will include the screening of some of the video footage created to date as well as a short live performance.

Image Credit: Helga Deasy, Tree 1, Credit Enrique Carnicero

@helgadeasydance
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This research is supported by an Arts Council Dance Bursary Award.

WCAC acknowledges the financial support of Cork County Council and The Arts Council in making these residencies possible.