Inaugurated in 2002, the Dublin Dance Festival (formerly International Dance Festival Ireland) has become the premier dance event on the Irish arts calendar. 2010 will see the 6th edition of the festival, and the third as an annual event.
In 2002, the Festival was established under the guidance of Founder and Artistic Director Catherine Nunes to pioneer the presentation in Dublin of the best contemporary dance and to establish a dedicated audience for the art form. The first festival quickly set out to make a statement by presenting the hugely influential Merce Cunningham Dance Company as the festival's flagship performance.
Following the success of the first festival, the 2004 and 2006 festivals provided equally exciting programmes, featuring a range of international work from such notable artists as Mark Morris, Alain Platel, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and Jerome Bel, among many others.
