Dance Ireland is the trading name of the Association of Professional Dancers in Ireland Ltd (APDI). It was founded in 1989 as the representative body for professional dance in Ireland and was initially administered by Dance Council of Ireland. It was incorporated as a non-profit company limited by guarantee in 1992, and re-branded as Dance Ireland in 2006. The organisation aims to provide support and practical resources for dancers and choreographers and to enhance public awareness of and involvement in dance at all levels. Its programme includes international guest residencies, choreographic programmes, master classes and cross arts sessions. It also manages DanceHouse, Ireland’s only custom-built dance studio venue, opened in Dublin in December 2006 with the support of the Arts Council and Dublin City Council.
Maiden Voyage Dance Company was established in 2001 by dancer Nicola Curry (now the company’s Artistic Director) to bring the best of contemporary dance performance to audiences across Northern Ireland and beyond. In addition to producing touring commissions, the company offers a range of tailor-made education and outreach opportunities in the form of masterclasses, residencies, workshops, and lectures, including the Leap Forward initiative to promote positive mental health. The company is also dedicated to developing dance skills through various mentoring initiatives and professional development courses. Maiden Voyage remains Belfast’s only professional contemporary dance company.
Rex Levitates Dance Company was co-founded in 1999 by choreographer Liz Roche (b. 1975) and dancer Jenny Roche (b. 1972) to further the contemporary dance art form, forge new performance modes, and encourage and promote dance awareness. The company is known for its entertaining, innovative, and thought-provoking dance works and its distinctive contemporary non-narrative style which draws influence from visual art. Rex Levitates has performed throughout Ireland and abroad in China, France, Cyprus, and the UK, and was the winner of the Dublin Dance Festival’s Jayne Snow Award in 2002. In March 2012, Rex Levitates Dance Company changed its name to Liz Roche Company.
Dance company founded by Fiona Quilligan.
A professional ballet company established in Cork under Joan Denise Moriarty's direction and funded by the Arts Council. Originally named the Irish Ballet Company, it was renamed Irish National Ballet in 1984. In the same year, the Arts Council commissioned a report on dance in Ireland. The report was highly critical of the ballet company and the ensuing controversy resulted in Moriarty's resignation in September 1985. In 1988, the Arts Council halved the dance company's budget, forcing it to disband in 1989.