What’s On Friday: Dublin Dance Festival, Arthur Russell’s Instrumentals, Misfit and Mndsgn

PICK OF THE WEEK

Dublin Dance Festival has already kicked off its shoes (see what we did there? Oh never mind) with a glittering array of local and international acts.

On Friday, expect pulses to race (see what we... okay, okay) at Jockey, in which WillFredd Theatre and Emma O’Kane explore her family’s horse racing heritage. Eva Meyer-Keller will also be reminding us that Death is Certain with a performance that takes a frightening and funny approach to cherries. Not for the faint of fruit.

You can also catch Fragments: Volume 1 on Friday or Saturday, in which Canadian choreographer Sylvain Émard presents three solos and one duet, focused on human vulnerability. Emard also gives a masterclass on Saturday.

On Saturday and Sunday Smithfield will be hosting an afternoon open air contemporary and hip hop dance off, when all-male youth dance group Company B present Inclusion of Exclusion and Alexis Fernández and Julio César Iglesias give them a run for their money with Drown the Road. After that, it’s the turn of Fernández and Caterina Varela with Ven (above), and German crew Renegade lead an open B-Boy Jam with DJ Dragon, featuring all ireland hip hop champion Tobi Omoteso and members of Dublin’s Raw Edge Crew. We might go along and show them what we’ve got (nothing, if we’re being honest).

And heading into next week, Bastard Amber is the first time an Irish choreographer has been commissioned for the Abbey main stage. Liz Roche Company’s new show returns the favour by taking inspiration from Abbey founder WB Yeats and painter Patrick Scott.

See dublindancefestival.ie for more.

MINIMALIST

Arthur Russell's Instrumentals
Triskel, Christchurch, Cork 8pm €24
triskelartscentre.ie

This acclaimed work of American cellist and composer Arthur Russell (who died, barely known and virtually penniless, in 1992) is regarded as his most important ensemble piece for concert, and is presented in an extremely rare outing by his regular collaborator, Peter Gordon.

HOUSE

Misfit
Thompson's, Belfast 9pm €8/€6
soundcloud.com

Aalborg may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think about house music's hotspots, but the Danish city is home to René Kristensen, a man who has been consistently firing up dancefloors as Noir. Tracks such as Around and Found Out are what have made his reputation for deep, dark twisters, while his Noir label has become a great guide for those seeing house thrillers. Support from the Misfit DJs and Montel.

HIP-HOP

Mndsgn
The Sextant, Cork 9pm €12
stonesthrow.com

Irish debut for the Stones Throw dude behind last year's well-received Yawn Zen album. The man behind the vowel-averse Mndsgn is Ringgo Ancheta, a chap with a colourful family backstory (involving the Aum Shinrikyo cult) and a superb take on hip-hop's kaleidescopic, psychedelic wild side. Support by the Lee from Stink, ApolcalypsE and Midnight Marauders, with BOT, Hennessy and the Well Known crew on call in Dublin.