Longford's Backstage to host 'A Call to You' this Saturday

Time marches inexorably forward. The past we left behind is a ruin, a fragment of who we were, a skeleton of a previous self. This is as true for humanity as it is for the individual.

Today the people we see with masked faces are exceptions. A remnant of a recent past, a past where our future was less certain. Though only a short memory journey away, that past is already fading.
Preserving the emotion of those moments falls to art. At the end of this month Backstage Theatre presents an artistic creation that endeavours to curate a repository of those feelings.

'A Call To You' is a dance performance fabricated by Catherine Young. It captures the moment when we emerged from the urgency of those incomprehensible times.The show had a run at the Dublin Dance Festival in 2022. As part of her role as lead artist in residence with Backstage Theatre Catherine Young developed the performance with two new additions to the ensemble.

Among them is Longford dancer Orla McCarthy. Orla began her dance training in the Shawbrook School of Dance before pursuing a BA in contemporary dance in Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.
In 2015, Orla began working as a freelance dance artist based between Germany and the Netherlands. During this time she worked with choreographers of renown including: Iván Pérez, Jianhui Wang, Mor Shani, Connor Schumacher, Gal Fefferman, Adam Weinert and Luke Murphy.

She also performed in interdisciplinary works by theatre directors Michiel de Regt, Grzegorz Bral and Liliane Brakema.
Orla co-created the multidisciplinary dance project “PERSON A”, with Max Makowski; “performing me” a solo for Axier Iriate; two dance films “MIND[e]SCAPE” and “Orla & Sam'' created in collaboration with Blitzkickers; and as part of a Backstage Theatre Activate Residency she created the film “that's my sister.” with her sister and collaborator SISTIR.

Orla is now sitting in an office adjacent to the Canal Studio rehearsal space in Backstage: “Catherine approached me with the idea of adding two dancers to the second part of A Call To You,” she tells the Leader, “today is my third day working on it.”
The dance show explores the fragility and friction of community. It features a cast of outstanding international performers, live music and is inspired by Ukrainian folk dance traditions. It's a passionate celebration of life, togetherness and dance.
Describing 'A Call To You' the dancer implies the importance of the audience: “It's about the urgency for joy after the prolonged period of separation and isolation. That's the overarching theme of the piece. It's about community, celebration. That's what the audience will feel. It starts out with individuals, then moves toward the collective.”

Orla's return costs a work security she enjoyed on the continent: “I left Longford when I was 19. I am freelancing now. It's project based work. I move around a lot. So far it has been a big transition.
“I have been gone for so long, and for work you rely on connections. I am just building that up, but I have friends working as freelancers and they have work all the time. It is important to try different things.”

The name check of the dance collaborators in 'A Call To You' alludes to the international flavour of the show. Adrien Delépine, Axel Hampusson, Anna Kaszuba, Valentin Lemaitre, Simone O’Toole, and Carmen Palacios Sáenz are the fellow dancers, while the music is performed by Martin Schäerer (music director / percussion) in collaboration with Seanán Brennan (guitar/mandola), Brian Hogan (bass), Ilse de Ziah (cello) and Jess Kavanagh in collaboration with Jade O'Connor (voice).

“It's very friendly. I feel very welcome,” Orla says of joining the group, “From the very first conversation Catherine has made us feel like she wants us to be part of the group. She really values taking care of each other, and I think that can be seen in the work.”

This month's return to her place of origin is a source of pride for Orla: “It's really special. I feel very lucky. I didn't expect it. It feels like I have come full circle. The last time I dance in Backstage I was 18, here I am now as a professional dancer, it's a special moment.”

In recent week's Orla's film “that's my sister.” created with her sister Aisling (who performs as SISTIR) had a festival showing in Wexford. Utilising a different platform to conventional live performance is essential for any professional dancer.
“I like to make my own work, I like to choreograph. I'm particularly interested where dance and film come together.

“I have made a few films now, it's something I really enjoy. A lot of dancers in Ireland make their own work. What I like about film is that you can reach so many people. It's readily accessible, it can be screened in multiple locations.
“Having said that, I really do love live performance. The live performance is influenced by the moment; the here and the now. To be a good performer you have to be very present.

“If you are present you are affected by what is happening in the room. There is a feedback happening all the time between an audience and the performers. The performer guides the audience's attention, guides it to where they want them to go.”
Orla's enticement to prospective audience members to the single night of performance is simple: “I think they will feel really good after watching it, they really should go.”

'A Call To You' is funded by Arts Council’s Touring Award with the support of the NASC network and will be staged at Backstage Theatre, Longford on Saturday April 22 as the first performance of their national tour.