DUBLIN — 16-days of truly jam packed ecstasy in Dublin Dance Festival, was give a grand finale’. Audience voiced their views as one of them stated the Irish performance different and unique.

Over 10 years have passed and the blending of “Dance” and “Ireland” has dished to world, the synonym of “River Dance” or Foot Drumming Dance. As compared to other dance forms of Ireland, only this form has been able to make a substantial mark on the world amphitheatre. Moreover, the gentry of Ireland also least supports these less prevalent dance forms.

The popular dance festival originated in the year 2002 as “The biennial International Dance Festival Ireland” and from the very beginning of its origination, had top international dance companies participating in it. However, to an amaze, the event has not been able to corner much recognition and reputation. Many of the experts out there in Ireland feel that the dance festival will earn good amount of popularity, once Laurie Uprichard, the acclaimed former executive director of Danspace in New York City, takes on the role of artistic director of this prestigious event.

In its renovated form, the festival opened on April 17 with Forsythe Company, and ended on Saturday with Tere O’Connor’s “Rammed Earth.” It was a true realization of what Laurie Uprichard intended to do with the entire nature and character of the festival. All was the outcome of the rich 15-years of experience at Danspace, for her in-depth experimental work and presentation in not so popular European dance troupes.

This year she took the lead of not going for regular big and popular European Dance Groups in the festival, but instead, presented 24 artists or companies from 14 countries. There was a balanced mix of popular dance troupes such as The Forsythe Company, Ballet Preljocaj etc. with the more generic Betontac from Slovenia, Kitt Johnson from Denmark and Reykjavik Dance from Iceland. Amongst the performances, were appreciable solo Irish presentations by Jenny Roche’s program consisting John Jasperse, Jodi Melnick and Liz Roche; and Colin Dunne’s “Out of Time.”

“One of the missions of the festival is to nurture Irish work,” as Ms. Uprichard opined. Further on, she also expressed, “I took that very seriously. The one thing I can do for artists here is make introductions. We had 21 international presenters here this year. I’m very conscious of not having only Americans.”

A female of Irish descent, Laurie Uprichard had an ever liking for Irish dance and that is the reason why this tall willowy woman took the job last year and moved to Dublin, this July. “I wanted to live in Europe,” as she opined on a breakfast at Avoca Café. She also voiced that, “I had been at Danspace for 15 years, and the problems at a place like that are like the problems of the church: nothing changes. When this came up, it just seemed right.”