Helga Deasy Ceist Residency

During her Ceist Residency, Helga will examine fashion as a mirror of the social zeitgeist reflecting women's roles in society. Through the moving body she will investigate how fashion trends - both historic and contemporary - are imposing restrictions on the female body by distorting posture, adding weight, causing discomfort and limiting movement.

Helga will create an original movement vocabulary derived from the immediate physical impression fashion trends imparts on the female wearer. In a choreographic context, the restrictive nature of clothes will serve to explore bodily constraint but it will also be considered an opportunity to discover creative movement possibilities within the imposed limitations. Her aim is to shine a light on how women's clothing encourages stereotypical sexism and gender roles by enforcing the importance of what is considered feminine appeal over practicality and freedom.

Helga Deasy is a choreographer, dance artist and dance facilitator.Grounded in choreology and somatics, her practice spans performance making, cross-disciplinary collaboration and socially engaged dance. She has performed and presented work in Ireland, Germany, the UK and the US and received awards from the Arts Council, Cork City Council and Culture Ireland among others. Her latest credits include Built on Bridges (Cork Midsummer Festival 2023), Cura (Dance Cork Firkin Crane 2022) and Of Bluebells and Butterflies (Dublin Fringe Festival, Cork Midsummer Festival and Barboró International Arts Festival for Children 2022).

Helga feels passionate about the empowering and transformative potential of dance. She works in arts and health settings, is a lead-facilitator on the Teacher Artist Partnership Programme and an early-years practitioner with Graffiti Theatre Company. Helga was Dance Artist in Residence with Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre 2017-18, Dance Cork Firkin Crane 2021-23 and Graffiti Theatre Company 2023-24.