An unmissable combination of talent, raw energy and movement is gearing up to blow our minds during this year’s Dublin Dance Festival.

Back for its 11th year, and running from the 19th-30th May, the Dublin Dance Festival will see a host of Irish talent, as well as acclaimed international acts, flock to the country’s capital.

The Liz Roche Company are to present the first ever commission from an Irish choreographer for the Abbey main stage, Bastard Amber, while WillFredd Theatre will run the world premiere of Jockey, starring Emma O’Kane.

One of the world’s most celebrated dancers, living genius Israel Galván will strip flamenco to its bare essence when he brings over his award-winning show La Edad de Oro, and Canadian choreographer Sylvain Emard brings 3 dancers and a veteran 81 year old actress to Project Arts Centre in a collection of exquisite dances.

A collaboration between the Festival and the Goethe-Institut Irland, Moves From Germany, features a lineup of German performances headlined by Meg Stuart. Eva Meyer-Keller’s Death is Certain combines choreography and performance art in the ‘murder’ of 35 cherries, so we’d recommend maybe bringing some form of a raincoat to that one.

But that’s just a taster of what’s on offer. Head over to here to have a look at everything the festival has to offer, and for more information on tickets and offers.

Observing the acts will of course be fantastic, but it’d be a shame to let the festival to pass you by without partaking in some of the fun, which is why it is also offering opportunities to engage with dance via masterclasses, talks, and Fast Track to Dance, an immersive weekend programme for those new audiences. If you’d like to learn more about the art form over an intensive festival weekend, definitely check it out, It’s being curated and facilitated by Niamh McCann and Lynnette Moran of Live Collision, so it’s well worth the time.