Zoë Ashe-Browne is a dance artist and maker from Dublin. She graduated from English National Ballet School in 2009 and has danced with The National Ballet of Ireland, English National Ballet and Opera Ballet Flanders (formerly the Royal Ballet of Flanders) and guested with Company Eastman Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Her choreographic work is informed by her performance career, bringing in classical, contemporary and multi-disciplinary practices to her creations. Zoë has recently showcased two of her works at the What Next Festival 2022 in Limerick.

What did you do with your Bursary award?

My bursary afforded me the time and space to create a movement text with 3 dancers initially and later 4. As the R&D took place during the pandemic, I omitted partnering and physical closeness, working with two couples either side of imagined corridors. These parameters made me focus more on the movement language for the singular dancer which is where I did most of my artistic stretching with this bursary. The completed work was eventually programmed at the Gent Festival in September 2020 and later with Opera Ballet of Flanders in Antwerp. The same work was seen in Ireland at the What Next Festival in Limerick 2022.

What has receiving a Bursary award meant to you as an artist/for your career?

Receiving the bursary has meant that I am afforded valuable time to engage with my practice in a way that wouldn’t be possible without. Having the chance to create a short term infrastructure to work with artists in a dance space, exploring tasks, themes and pathways as a collective allows for me to develop on my existing knowledge.

Receiving this support provides me the space and time to re-engage with my practice in tandem with my professional performance career. With every year that passes my physical knowledge evolves, and receiving bursaries while I still dance allows me to creatively strike while the iron is hot.

How would you describe your creative process?

There is a lot of unpredictability despite my preparation leading up to a creation process. If I give myself tasks and clear instructions to follow through for the day then more often than not an interesting idea is organically born in the studio. Nothing ever happens off the cuff for me.

What would you say is your biggest challenge as an artist?

Over thinking the work.

What is the best piece of advice you received as an emerging artist?

Keep making work, don’t be too picky when you’re starting out. The only way to do it is to do it.

What or who has influenced your practice the most?

There are many people and for different reasons. There are makers with incredible visions, wonderful communication styles, and infectious studio energy.

My biggest influences so far have been Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Alain Platel, Bryan Arias and Crystal Pite.

What are you doing next?

I’ve just completed work as a movement director on an independent Irish film (as yet untitled) and on a music video with an Irish band which will be released later this year.

I’m in the final stages of completing a podcast mini-series with Makeshift Company. This is supported by the 2021 Markievicz award. I’ve interviewed 6 female Irish choreographers on their choreographic practice and life’s work for the pod.

Working with Opera Ballet Flanders (as a dancer) towards a premier of two works by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Pina Bausch.

I’ll be attending Avignon Festival this summer in a creation by Belgian choreographer Jan Martens.