ABOUT
Based in Dublin since 1997, Justine trained at Central and Legat in the UK. Her work as a dance artist has included collaboration and performance with John Scott's Irish Modern Dance Theatre / Fabrice Dugied (France) / Sean Curran (USA) / Sara Rudner (USA); Liz Roche Company formerly Rex Levitates / Jodi Melnick (USA); George Piper Dances – Channel 4's Ballet Boyz (UK) / Charles Linehan (UK); CoisCéim Dance Theatre; Dance Theatre of Ireland / Les Carnet Bagouet (FR); Charleroi Danses (BE) repertoire: Merce Cunningham (USA) / Lucinda Childs (USA), / Karole Armitage (US) / Paul Taylor Dance Company (USA) / Joachim Schloemer (DE); The Abbey Theatre, Tarry Flynn (incl Royal National Theatre, London), The Tempest; Landmark Productions The Secret Garden; Opera Ireland, Macbeth, Aida, The Silver Tassie; Gavin Friday Tomorrow Belongs to Me, St Patrick's Festival, BBC, RTÉ & TV3 amongst others.
In 2016 Justine choreographed Elvis is My Daddy (Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Everyman Theatre, Cork and the Olympia Theatre) by John Murphy, directed by Mark Lambert, choreographed/performed in Dusk by Eamon Carr, directed by Denis Conway (The New Theatre) and choreographed elements of Heresy, an opera by Roger Doyle, directed by Eric Fraad (Project Arts Centre).
Soon after she choreographed “We Couldn't Fake It” for prominent Irish Rock band The Coronas and was selected to participate in the 2017 Dublin Theatre Festival and Theatre Forum's Next Stage professional development programme. 2018-19 Justine's work included site specific solo A-Tone for Dublin Unitarian Church (commissioned by Pipeworks Festival); The thing is?... curated by THEATREclub's THEATRE MACHINE TURNS YOU ON, Vol 5 (Project Arts Centre) and The Elusive Apple of My "I" for the Lighting Design for Dance curated by Liz Roche Company in partnership with Dance Ireland and The Lir. She was awarded an Arts Council 2018 Travel & Training Award, 2019 and 2020/21 Bursary, 2020 Professional Development Award, 2020/21 Project Award, 2021 Agility Award and a 2021 Next Generation Award. Residencies include Dance Limerick, Shawbrook, Dance Ireland and axis Ballymun.
In 2019 Justine worked on Northern Ireland Opera's production of The Chronic Identity Crisis of Pamplemousse as Associate/Movement Director, directed by Caitriona Mclaughlin and her work The thing is?... was programmed for Irish Modern Dance Theatre's Festival of Irish Choreography (Project Arts Centre). Following this her work in development, Contrapunctus III, was selected for a work-in-progress showing at the Co-Motion: Dance and Borders Conference, Belfast (0ctober 2019).
June 2020, Justine presented a reimagined Contrapunctus III - CORVIDAE online, commissioned by Irish Modern Dance Theatre's Dancer From The Dance: Festival of Irish Choreography 2020, curated by John Scott. CORVIDAE was selected for Red National de Arte's 5th edition of the Festival Internacional de Videodanza de la Ciudad de México September 2020. A Piece of my Heart, was commissioned the following year by Irish Modern Dance Theatre and presented at Dancer From The Dance Festival 2021 and subsequently this year, Is there balm in Gilead? , in collaboration with Luca Truffarelli and company was commissioned and presented at Dancer From The Dance Festival 2022 in partnership with the Irish Film Institute. 2023 has seen screenings of the film at Dance Camera West (US), Covent Garden Film Festival (UK) and Oz Indie Film Festival (AU), supported by Culture Ireland.
Justine's work dyad, a dance performance film in collaboration with Luca Truffarelli was presented digitally as part of Dublin Dance Festival's Summer 2021 Edition and live at Dance Limerick January 2022. Justine is currently an Irish Modern Dance Theatre Associate Artist, Tipperary Dance International Residency Exchange Grand Studio Brussels, Shawbrook, axis Ballymun and Dance Ireland residency 2022 recipient. Recent work includes choreography for the Abbey Theatre's and Eilene Davidson's co-production of Edna O'Brien's Joyce's Women, directed by Conall Morrison as part of Dublin Theatre Festival 2022.
In addition, Justine has experience teaching a selection of dance disciplines to all ages and abilities. She has been a resident dance artist in schools for County Councils. She has worked for Liz Roche and John Scott as assistant choreographer and dance captain for The Abbey Theatre (David Bolger and Muirne Bloomer). She was also responsible for the Junior section of Dublin Youth Dance Company (12-17yrs) led by Artistic Director Mariam Ribon, September 2016 - July 2022.