Oona Doherty

The fearless young choreographer Oona Doherty guides us into the nervous system of a dirty city, into a patriarchal society characterised by religiosity and economic deprivation. Her four-part dance performance “Hard To Be Soft – A Belfast Prayer” is based on the experiences and realities of the people living in Belfast today. Doherty illuminates the condition of Northern Ireland from various perspectives. She musters a group of young, self-confident women, puts two men to wrestle with one another for consolation and assurance, and effortlessly unifies opposites like longing and toughness, hopelessness and utopia.