Helga Deasy (Ireland/Germany) is a choreographer, dance artist, choreologist and teacher.
Her creative practice spans choreography for solo and ensemble work, performance, socially engaged dance and cross-disciplinary collaborations including theatre, music, film and visual art.
She is a specialist in Choreology (Rudolf Laban's contemporary developments for the performing arts), an analytical approach to movement which informs and inspires her work in all areas of her practice.
Helga has performed and presented her work at a variety of national and international festivals and venues including Dance Umbrella (UK), Bonnie Bird Theatre (UK), Theater an der Universität Regensburg (Germany), Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (New York), The Yard Theatre (UK), Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement (Northern Ireland) and in Ireland at Cork Midsummer Festival, Cork Opera House, the Firkin Crane and Dublin Dance Festival.
Latest collaborations include film writer and director Oonagh Kearney, theatre director Eoin O hAnnrachain (Lantern Productions), composers David Duffy and Peter Power (Eat My Noise Productions), choir conductor Susan McManamon, writer Arnold Thomas Fanning, theatre director Michael Sheridan and visual artists Marie Brett, Joanna Kidney and Tess Leak.
Socially engaged dance forms an integral part of Helga's artistic practice. She regularly facilitates projects in a range of health care and education settings. Helga worked on the Learning and Development Programme of CandoCo Dance Company, a pioneer and leading exponent of inclusive dance practice. She trained with Rosetta Life in the facilitation of dance and movement work in dementia and end of life care settings and has since worked extensively in dance and health. This includes a one year residency at Marymount University Hospital and Hospice in Cork (2013-2014), work as lead artist for dance and project manager on the 'Fuse Arts and Health' Programme with MusicAlive (2014-2016) and artist in residence with MusicAlive (2019-2020) in collaboration with choir conductor Susan McManamon on the Creative Enquiry - Arts and Older People Programme (Arts Council Invitation to Collaboration Scheme).
Helga has received numerous awards including an Arts Council Dance Bursary (2019), Cork City Council Project Awards (2020, 2019, 2018 & 2015), the Arts Council Dance Artist in Residence Award with Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre (2018 & 2017) and a Cork City Council Arts in Context Award (2013). In 2018 she was awarded a grant from Culture Ireland to tour her latest ensemble work Helica to New York for a performance at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies 40th anniversary celebration and conference.
Helga trained at Trinity Laban, Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, where she completed an M. A. in Creative Practice with distinction (2012), a Specialist Diploma in Choreological Studies with distinction (2018) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Community Dance (2011). She also holds a degree in Social Work with a focus on music and movement studies (University of Applied Sciences, Regensburg, Germany, 2008) and is a qualified yoga instructor and yoga therapist.