Liz Roche
Liz Roche is Artistic Director and choreographer with Liz Roche Company. In 2020 Liz was elected to Aosdána in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the creative arts in Ireland.
The company has produced over 25 of her works, performing throughout Ireland and internationally at prestigious venues and festivals including the Baryshnikov Arts Centre New York, South Bank Centre London, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Meet in Beijing Festival and Powerhouse Brisbane.
Recent commissions include Yes and Yes for Solas Nua in Washington D.C, Dēmos for The Abbey Theatre, Dublin Dance Festival and New Music Dublin 2021, The Here Trio for Maiden Voyage Dance Belfast, I/Thou for Cork Opera House in partnership with Sirius Arts Centre which saw a major new production for the Opera House and Naher… closer, nearer, sooner in collaboration with theatre-maker Shane O'Reilly for Goethe-Institut Ireland.
Other commissions include Pilgrimage for the One Here Now Brian O'Doherty/Patrick Ireland Project 2018 at Sirius Arts Centre Cobh and Totems for the reopening of the Milltown and Dargan wings of the National Gallery of Ireland in 2017. In 2016 Liz directed Embodied, a series of 5 choreographed female proclamations for the Dublin Dance Festival, commissioned by An Post/GPOfor their 2016 celebrations and in 2015 the company premiered Bastard Amber, commissioned by the Abbey Theatre, Dublin Dance Festival and Kilkenny Arts Festival. This was a historic moment for dance in Ireland,as it was the first time ever for an Irish choreographer to be commissioned to create a full length dance work for the main stage of the Abbey Theatre.
Between 2009 and 2012 Liz was choreographer-in-residence at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at University Limerick, and is a former recipient of Peter Darrell Choreographic Award, Bonnie Bird U.K. New Choreography Award and the Dublin Fringe Festival's Jane Snow Award.
As a dancer, Liz has worked with world renowned choreographers and companies: Rosemary Butcher (UK), Jodi Melnick (USA), John Jasperse Company (USA), Les Carnets Bagouet, Cathala & Ramalingom, (France) and Christine Gaigg 2nd Nature (Vienna) and has performed at Montpellier Danse, Paris Biennale, Festival De La Nouvelle Danse, Impuls Festival and the Viennale. In Ireland she has danced with John Scott’s imdt, Cois Ceim Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Ireland and Daghdha Dance Company.
Liz has an extensive teaching career. Her teaching has brought her to Tanzquartier Wien, FORM Dance Projects Sydney, Dance Ireland, Catch 8 for Attic Projects, Scottish Dance Theatre, Cois Ceim Dance Theatre and Dance Exchange Birmingham. She teaches regularly on the BA and MA courses in Contemporary Dance at The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at University of Limerick.
Her work for opera includes choreographies for Irish National Opera, Wexford Festival Opera, National Opera of Korea, Rossini Opera Festival, Opernhaus Zurich, Opera de Nice and Opera Ireland.
Choreographies for theatre and other dance companies include The Abbey Theatre's Anna Karenina, DrumBelly, King Lear, Alice In Funderland, The Government Inspector; New Electric Ballroom, Constellations, Once Before I Go, The Red Shoes, Festen and The Mariner at The Gate Theatre, Dancing at Lughnasa for the Lyric Theatre Belfast, Cold Dream Colour for Arcane Collective, co - choreographed with Morleigh Steinberg and Oguri performing in the Pavillion Theatre Dublin and Red Cat Los Angeles 2009 and Catalyst for the National Ballet of China & China Ireland Cultural Exchange performing at the Great Hall of The Minorities at the Meet In Beijing Festival 2004 amongst others.
Liz was also a selected artist for Modul Dance, a European network for dance artists from 2011 – 2014 and a board member of Theatre Forum and Dance Ireland.
