Waterford
Corporation in partnership with Waterford Youth Drama received
grant approval from The Arts Council in 2000 for a Dance Artist
in Residence for the period Oct 2000-April 2001. The project was
to employ Libby Seward to initiate a number of 'taster'
dance workshops for a wide variety of dance groups throughout
the area. The second part of the residency was for preliminary
work to start on creating a youth dance company for the city.
As a result
of this grant the following work took place:
Workshops
for young people
Outreach
Workshops in the Community
Outreach
Workshops in Schools
Project
with Spraoi Young Drummers
Ezimotion
Project
CoisCeims Dance Theatre Company under the sponsorship of ESB has
initiated a three-year project with selected groups around Ireland.
WYD Dance is the South East Regional Partners in the project.
Under this pilot project 25 young people from Waterford are experiencing
the inputs from selected professional dance teachers. On a local
level Garter Lane Arts Centre is providing the space for all workshops.
Dawns-y-Bawb,
Welsh-Irish Exchange Project
This was a meeting of cultures, two groups of dancers, one from
Waterford and the other from Wales, coming together to dance,
laugh and get to know each other. The project ended with a wonderful
performance in May 2001, in the theatre in Harlach, in North Wales.
The exchange project took place over three cycles. 
The young people from Waterford who participated were: Elaine
Raher, Patricia Murphy, Lia Nevin, Patrick Butler, John McNamara,
Charmaine Walsh, Elaine O'Neill, Sarah Blanc, Joanne Freyne and
Gillian Storan.
And from Wales: Angharad Hewitson, Jemma Gannon, Sioned Pierce,
Delyth Mahoney, Lleucu Evans, Sarah Owen, Alaw Jones, Jessica
Jones and Lowri Cunnington.
Hullabaloo
Dance
In May 2001, as part of 'Hullabaloo - Waterford's first Festival
for Children', Libby agreed to provide one dance piece from the
'Moving Image' show for the launch of the event at William Vincent
Wallace Plaza. She also ran two very successful dance workshops
as part of the event.
Choreography
for other shows
Libby also did the choreography for 'Requiem'
and 'Our Day Out' for Waterford Youth
Drama and for 'Calamity Jane' for the Presentation secondary School.
Moving
Image, April 2001
At the end of the residency a very ambitious dance show was seen
for two nights in Garter Lane Arts Centre. The show was called
'Moving Image' and included a dance piece from all the workshop
groups but also included four local secondary schools that Libby
had worked with as part of the residency. The show was a great
success and played to packed houses. There was also a matinee
performance for the younger children on the Saturday and again
it played to a packed house and a great reception.
WYD
DANCE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
