REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE DANCE THEATRE OF IRELAND CENTRE
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE DANCE THEATRE OF IRELAND CENTRE FOR DANCE, DUN LAOGHAIRE
Cuireann sé áthas ar mo chroí bheith anseo libh inniu agus tá mé buíoch díbh as an chuireadh agus as an fáilte fíorchaoin a chur sibh romham.
I am delighted to be here with you today on the occasion of the official opening of this exceptional venue, and I would like to thank Loretta Yurick and Robert Connor for their kind invitation.
Over the last ten years the Dance Theatre of Ireland has done much to develop and promote modern dance as a respected, dynamic force in Ireland’s vibrantarts scene. You have been powerful ambassadors for the exhilarating language of dance, a language that finds its wordless way to the hearts and the feet of young and old.
And of course your reputation for excellence is so strong that you secured the co-operation and assistance of the Arts Council, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the Ireland Funds, and Venturepoint. Their sponsorship has, I know, been vital to the success of this project and they are all to be congratulated for actively supporting it from its inception only a short three years ago.
I suppose to those who conceived the idea and then planned how they would deliver it, those years probably seem like thirty-three, for we do not get a day of celebration like this, and we do not get a place like this without a lot of hard work and heart searching. But those who first had the idea, had a profound faith in the strength of this community and its civic strength. And they were right, for this impressive Centre is another wonderful example of what can be created by a team, a partnership of very different talents and views, all pulling together in the one direction. That spirit of partnership and the surge of energy it creates is transforming communities all over Ireland, helping ideas to move from paper to reality, helping communities to grow, develop and shape the kind of future they want, rather than the kind of future that simply happens by default. Your vision and dedication has not just enhanced the artistic landscape of County Dublin and beyond, it has changed it and will be an ongoing agent of change.
These are times of extraordinary confidence and self-assertion in Ireland in the cultural sphere as well as the political and economic spheres. One of the reasons why confidence is running so high at home is because so many examples of our cultural dynamism are in demand across the world. The high profile of Irish contemporary dance at home and abroad has been nurtured by your company’s commitment to quality and innovation, expanding access to dance performances, and extending opportunities to young people to develop their truest potential through dance. You believe in the wealth of talent on our own doorstep, you help to carefully and skilfully unpack it, you show us to ourselves and then showcase our talent to the world.
That is why this project is so important. Yes we are a lucky people. We draw from cultural roots which go very deep and we are the proud possessors of a cultural treasury many others envy. We have an obligation to treat that treasury with respect, to pass on the baton of care and curiosity to a new generation. But what we have is not a sealed mausoleum. It is not a showcase only of past genius. Each generation is entitled to its space. Each generation is entitled to be fuelled and empowered by a belief in its own creative genius, its own right to develop and add to that remarkable heritage. We need people who can provoke that awareness and who can guide new talent.
The Dance Theatre’s innovative collaboration with Irish and international dance artists, composers and designers has fostered the development of contemporary dance in Ireland. You have brought a lot of fun, joy and opportunity to people whose lives would be a lot different, a lot less colourful if your work was to be taken out of the equation.
The result of your endeavours over the past three years is more than this Centre for Dance which gives modern dance a secure home at last. Through this place, through the work that has gone into its creation and the work that will go on here day in and day out, you have made a successful bid for a frontline place for modern dance in tomorrow’s Ireland. I am honoured to have this opportunity to thank all those who organised and supported this special project – particularly both directors, Loretta Yurick and Robert Connor – it is a day to take pride in your achievement.
Now all that remains is to say on with the dance and declare the Dance Theatre of Ireland Centre for Dance officially open.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.