The Department of Theatre and Dance presents “CIRCUS,” an MFA project, created and performed by graduate student by Tara Brandel.  

The work will be performed April 26 at 7 p.m. in the Arena Theatre in Wright Hall. Admission is by donation, suggested $5. 

Who gets to dance? What does Irish look like? What kind of bodies get to be on stage? The aging pole dancer. The street dancer as new migrant. The non-normative body. In a rapidly changing society, “CIRCUS” looks at diverse experiences in contemporary Irish culture, through the lens of dance. Warning: Adult themes and content. 

Playful, intense, poignant, irreverent, in “CIRCUS,” Tara Brandel mixes street dance and contemporary dance, with aerial pole, and video projection. One performer live, one virtual, “CIRCUS” weaves very diverse stories about masculinity, queerness, MeToo and gender in collaboration with Nigerian street dancer Nicholas Nwosu who is currently a new immigrant in Ireland. 

“CIRCUS” is funded by Culture Ireland, Cork County Council, Mondavi Foundation, Feminist Research Institute and supported by the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance, Dance Ireland, Firkin Crane and Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre.