Madam, – I agree wholeheartedly with Arminta Wallace’s article on Culture Ireland’s foray into the US (Culture, June 3rd). Imagine Ireland is a brilliant idea.
I recently performed at Dance Theatre Workshop in New York, under its umbrella. I found New Yorkers very receptive and supportive and did my utmost to promote a 21st-century image of both Irish Culture and Ireland. Several people said to me that they would love to visit here.
During my visit, I took the opportunity to see Paul Taylor Dance Company. One of the pieces, “Phantasmagoria”, detailed a drunken Irish man falling around the stage for several minutes. I checked the programme afterwards, fully convinced that it had been created in the 1960s. To my horror, it was Mr Taylor’s latest piece. If Imagine Ireland does nothing but even slightly amend this view of the Irish, then it will have been a success.
Culture Ireland is to be commended on its efficiency and focus. As an artist, dealing with it was a pleasure. – Yours, etc,