Hetty Gazzaniga, Esmeé O'Brien and Ailbhe Quinn
Research & Production Residencies for Young Dancers 2023 - 2024

Hetty Gazzaniga attended Alan Foley Academy of Dance from the age of 4 and Uillinn Young Dancers from her early teens working with artists such as Tara Brandel, Elaine McCague, and Inma Pavon. She has performed at Cork Opera House, Crawford Art Gallery, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre, and own solo work at Everyman Theatre, Cork in 2023 & 2024 as part of Alan Foley Academy of Dance Showcase. Hetty is currently studying contemporary dance at University of Limerick, Irish World Academy with choreographers including Grant McLay, Monica Munoz and Justine Cooper. Through college she has performed at UL Glucksman Library, Dance Limerick, The Irish World Academy, The Hunts Museum, and a site specific contemporary ballet at Kinsale Arts Festival (Choreography by Patricia Crosbie). She is currently participating in a nine month placement at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre as Dance Project Assistant, with responsibility for leading Uillinn Young Dancers, support work for Uillinn dance residency/UDS programmes, teaching with Alan Foley Academy of Dance and delivering several dance workshops (Skibbereen Arts Festival, Feelgood Festival etc..). Hetty’s studio residency at Uillinn in 2025 is focused on developing new movement, exploring new music, and taking creative risk to devise a new work for Uillinn Dance Season.

Esmeé O’Brien joined Uillinn Young Dancers in 2022 with a background in gymnastics. She has since developed her aerial practice, and choreography as part of Uillinn Young Dancers presenting work at Uillinn and Irish Museum of Modern Art. She is now adding ballet technique to her skills through Alan Foley Academy of Dance. Esmeé is using the studio to choreograph an audition for third level studies. (Esmée has since completed her 1st year study at University of Limerick, Irish World Academy)

ABOUT UILLINN YOUNG ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

This studio opportunity affords the young dance artists who attend Uillinn Dance Programmes to explore their own concepts and independent skills development. Each of the young dancers need to submit a proposal of work and a schedule for use of the studio, as practice for real world. All young people attending Uillinn perfromance or art programmes are eligable to apply. Applicants need to be over 18. Exceptions may be made for exceptional applicants with full parental assistance.

If you are a young artist attending Uillinn Young Peoples programmes, this opportunity to develop your practice is open to you. To submit, please email opportunites@westcorkartscentre.com with an expression of interest.

ARCHIVE 2023

Hetty Gazzaniga and Ailbhe Quinn
Research & Production Residency
10 days each from February to August 2023

Two young dancers who are attending sessions at Uillinn, have each been awarded studio time to develop their dance practice, Hetty Gazzaniga to devise choreography for a 3min contemporary audition peice and Ailbhe Quinn to rehearse for her first ballet solo performance, choreographed by Alan Foley.

Ailbhe Quinn attends Senior Ballet with Alan Foley Academy of Dance here at Uillinn. During her studio time she is rehearsing for her inaugural solo in the 2023 Dance Offering at the Everyman Theatre in Cork, an annual event for all students of Alan Foley Academy of Dance across all four locations.

To see Ailbhe perform her solo you can go to everymancork.com/events/dance-offering-2023/

Hetty Gazzaniga (she/her) is 19 years old and is in sixth year at Skibbereen Community School, She has been dancing with Alan Foley Academy of Dance since the age of 4, taking up to four classes a week in Ballet, Jazz and Modern Dance. Since early teens she has been exploring aerial and contemporary dance with Tara Brandel and more recently with Loosysmokes as part of Uillinn Young Dancers. She has worked with Croi Glan supporting Tanya Turner, dance artists with a disability during ‘Tilt’. Other interests include guitar and visual art.

Hetty is Dance rep with Guerrillunn’s since September 2021 and hopes to go on to study contemporary dance in the future.

If you are a young dance artist attending dance at Uillinn, this opportunity to develop your practice is open to you. To submit, please email opportunites@westcorkartscentre.com with an expression of interest.