Step Up Dance Project is a programme of professional development for recent dance graduates or equivalent early-career dance professionals in partnership between the Arts Council of Ireland, Dance Limerick, the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick and Dance Ireland.
Step Up is looking for five dancers who are Irish citizens or resident in Ireland who graduated in 2024 or since then and who are interested in being part of a paid professional development programme. You are also eligible if your professional dancing career has started since 2024 but you have come through other training routes that didn’t involve graduation. If you are only starting your career or graduating in 2026 you are not eligible. Previous Step Up participants who match the criteria above are eligible to apply again.
Curated by Director of Dance Limerick Mary Wycherley and delivered under the guidance of Rehearsal Director, Lucia Kickham, the programme is focused on developing artists as performers while recognising the creativity necessary in the performer’s work. The Step Up dancers will participate in a performance project with choreographer Amir Sabra, which will give them the opportunity to perform in different locations nationally, including Limerick and Dublin.
The five selected dancers will receive a weekly fee of €650, along with accommodation for the duration of the programme. Participants must be available on an exclusive basis to take advantage of Step Up.
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 4 December at 12 pm IST. Please send your CV and a personal statement outlining your motivation to be involved in Step Up along with a weblink to a 1-minute improvisation to stepupdanceproject@gmail.com
Read the full terms and conditions here
