About Us

Tara Brandel (Artistic Director, Co-founder)

Tara is a contemporary choreographer and performer originally from West Cork, Ireland. She trained at the Laban Centre, London and with Steve Paxton, Nigel Charnick and Lloyd Newsom. She studied Integrated Dance with Axis Dance Company and Alito Alessi, and in 2005 had a year's residency at Beaumont College, a college for people with disabilities in Lancaster, England,. Her work has been performed at Firkin Crane, Triskel Arts Centre, and Cork Opera House, Cork; Project Arts Centre, Dublin; Stukke Theatre and Ponderosa Festival, Germany; 848 Community Space, Jon Sims Centre, San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Dance Festival, Sky Dancers, Dance Mission Theatre, and Performance Showcase, San Francisco; and Spring Loaded, The Place Theatre and Chisenhale Dance Space, London. She has danced for Ka Rustler (Berlin), Emilyn Claid, (London) Jo Krieter(SF), and Kim Epifano(SF) and has has won numerous awards from the Irish Arts Council, London Arts Board, Zellerbach Foundation and Theatre Bay Area. She was a Co-Director of 848 Community Space, San Francisco from 2002-2004. Dance Theatre Journal writes, "Brandel's work has a startling raw honesty...ambitious and oblique"

Rhona Coughlan (Dancer, Co-founder)

Rhona is taking this year out from working with the company and will make her return in 2011

Rhona Coughlan started dancing in secondary school at the age of 15 with performances in Father Mathew Hall and Cork Opera House. At 17 she ran her own Integrated Dance company, Wheels in Motion, with several performances in Cork City, including a performance at the Cork Opera as a part of International Dance Week. In her previous role as education director of Croi Glan she taught community level integrated dance classes. Rhona also performed at the Dublin Fringe Festival, and was involved in a Making Spaces research residency in England, as well as attending CanDoCo's summer intensive 2007. She is currently taking up Yoga, and finding new and beautiful ways to fall out of her wheel chair. Rhona says, "Dancing has always been a very strong presence in my life. It's in my blood and it is one of many elements that defines who I am as a person."

Dawn Mulloy (Dancer)

Dawn graduated from Sallynoggin Senior College Dublin in 2003 before moving to Austria to complete her training at The Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance in 2006.Where she studied with teachers such as, David Hernandez, Douglas Becker, Libby Farr, Ori Flomin, Kate Mattingly and Milan Kosanek. Dawn has performed all over Europe, including Poland, Italy, Austria and Germany. A decision to move back to Ireland in 2008 lead Dawn to find Croi Glan with whom she has worked and trained with for the past year.

Dawn in Fall performed during Cork Midsummer Festival, 2009. Photo by Dragan Tomas

Mary Nugent (Dancer)

Since moving to Cork in 2000, Mary has become a radio presenter with Cork Campus Radio and a DJ in Cork City. She has in been involved in organising and publicising various events including the Cork Women's Fun Weekend and Pride. Mary and her life long side kick, the bat mobile, joined Croi Glan in 2007 and has not looked back!

Mary in On the Wall performed during Cork Midsummer Festival, 2009. Photo by Dragan Tomas

Julie O'Leary (Dancer)

Julie O' Leary first performed with Croi Glan in the summer of 2008. She is a dancer with Cerebral Palsy and enjoys pushing her body beyond it's limitations. Julie is currently studying a Masters in Journalism in NUI Galway and holds an honours degree in Applied Psychology from UCC. Julie adores being creative and trying new things, Croi Glan makes her heart sing!

Sharon Heffernan (Admin)

  This is Sharon's second year working with the company as administrator. Now living in Cork city, Sharon has worked in various roles in arts administration following completion of the Advanced Arts Adminstration course in Staofan Naofa.