Creating Dance performances that sit somewhere between the traditional and the contemporary worlds.
As a choreographer/dance artist Kristyn Fontanella focuses her past knowledge of Irish step dancing and presents it in a contemporary context. Having toured for many years with Riverdance, Lord of the Dance & as lead soloist in Gaelforce Dance, her current mission is to show another side of the complex world of Irish Step dancing to future generations. Kristyn’s duet with Sibéal Davitt, ‘As We Know It’ was an early success, showing in NYC, Dublin Dance Festival, Marseille New Danse Festival, & Tanzmesse Germany. Her ensemble work, IN LiMBO, has had continued support from the Arts Council, and has completed its seven venue Irish National Tour in February 2020. Kristyn was involved with two projects for Galway 2020; Plurabella, a solo dance film commissioned by Ríonach Ní Néill (Hope it Rains) and a site-specific dance piece with Dansnest (NL) through Galway Dance Project. Her second ensemble staged work was an interactive online dance piece ‘The Competition… an interactive feis’ in April 2021, again with support from the Irish Arts Council.
Kristyn has a new outdoor solo work, Miss Mary, which tracing the steps of the travelling dance masters of Ireland and her dance/family tree, with support from Town Hall Theatre Patrons Donation Award, Galway International Arts Festival Elevate Bursary and a Bursary Award from the Irish Arts Council. She premiered the work through the BEaltaine Touring Award, Cairde Arts Festival and Earagail Arts Festival in 2025, then went on to perform on the main programme of Fira Tárrega in Spain.
Kristyn resides in Co. Galway where she has recently been appointed Executive Director of Galway Dance.
www.kristynfontanella.com
Artist Statement: Kristyn Fontanella continues to evolve an instantly recognizable style which focuses on exploring her vast knowledge of Irish Step dancing within a contemporary context. Fontanella Dance Company’s mission is to show another side of the complex world of Irish Step dancing to future generations of Irish dancers. Kristyn wants her work to be a new way of thinking about Irish Step dancing and for the audience to find the familiar of the old within the new.
LINKS TO WORK
MISS MARY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXOdXUQobiI&t=67s
Plurabelle https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/477313260
IN LiMBO https://vimeo.com/kristynfontanella/inlimbopromo
As We Know It https://vimeo.com/151765809
REVIEWS
https://nomoreworkhorse.com/2021/05/04/the-competition-fontanella-dance-company-review/
https://nomoreworkhorse.com/2020/02/17/in-limbo-project-arts-centre-review/
Dance, Street Theatre
Additional Areas of Focus
Community Engagement, Cultural Diversity
