Irish Film Institute -International Film Directory – Film Listing

Dance Master

    • Director

      Richard Howard

    • Credits

      Producers:
      Seán Ó Baoill,
      Anne Stirling

    • Principal Cast

      Breandán de Gallaí

  • Category

    Documentary
    Irish Language
    LGBTQIA+
    Music

Is clár faisnéise é Dance Master a thugann léargas cruinn ar an damhsóir Gaelach agus ar an chóiréagrafaí Breandán de Gallaí, fear a bhfuil a shaothar sáite sa traidisiún agus sa nuálaíocht araon. 

In imeacht bliana a taifeadadh an clár faisnéise agus leantar cur chuige ealaíne de Gallaí agus é i mbun cleachtaidh agus léiriú agus bímid ina chuideachta agus é ag machnamh ar thús a ghairme a bhí dílis do thraidisiún an damhsa Ghaelaigh agus é ag machnamh fosta ar an athrú ollmhór atá tagtha ar ghnásanna an damhsa ó shin. Ó shaol struchtúrtha na gcomórtas damhsa go feiniméan domhanda Riverdance agus é anois ina ealaíontóir agus ina scoláire damhsa a bhíonn ag fiosrú na bhféidearthachtaí a bhaineann leis an damhsa Gaelach, bíonn macántacht annamh le sonrú i saothar de Gallaí ar an stáitse agus ar an scáileán araon. 

Agus staid chultúrtha na hÉireann ag síorathrú ar na saolta seo, fiosraíonn Dance Master an bealach a mbíonn an chuimhne, an fhéiniúlacht agus an chiall don saol féin fite fuaite sa ghluaiseacht agus fiosraíonn sé chomh maith an méid a bhíonn i ndán don ealaíontóir a thosaíonn ag ceistiú na rialacha ar chloígh sé féin chomh docht sin leo lá den saol. 

Dance Master is a documentary that provides an in-depth look at Irish dancer and choreographer Breandán de Gallaí, a man whose work is steeped in both tradition and innovation.

Filmed over the course of a year, the documentary follows Gallaí’s artistic approach as he practices and performs, and we join him as he reflects on the beginnings of his career, which was faithful to the tradition of Irish dance, while also reflecting on the vast changes that have occurred in the conventions of dance since then. From the structured world of dance competitions to the global phenomenon of Riverdance and now as an artist and dance scholar exploring the possibilities of Irish dance, Gallaí’s work on both stage and screen shows a rare honesty.

As Ireland's cultural landscape changes in these times, Dance Master explores the way in which memory, identity and meaning are woven into movement, and also explores what happens to an artist who begins to question the rules he has so rigidly adhered to throughout his life.

World premiere: Galway Film Fleadh 2025

70 minutes, Ireland, 2025, Colour

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