LuailDance

“The Fifth Sun for me is an encounter with grief and with the process of mourning, and how these things move through us (…) What I hope to offer the audience here is a space to feel, to recognise something of themselves, and to sense that even in loss, there is a form of connection. That grief, in a way, is something we never carry alone.” - Mufutau Yusuf. The Fifth Sun by Mufutau Yusuf, presented by Luail 14-16 May at 7.30pm Samuel Beckett Theatre as part of the @dublindancefestival 2026 Info & Bookings: #linkinbio Luail is funded by @artscouncilireland

★★★★★ “A beautiful, touching interpretation of the nature of being alive and what it is like to grieve.” “A rare artist creates something so moving that they seem to be channelling a divine universal truth.” — @irishtimesnews “Transporting the audience into a wild and dangerous world... the choreography is precise and powerful” — No More Workhorse Only 2 performances left, don’t miss out. The Fifth Sun By Mufutau Yusuf, presented by Luail as part of the @dublindancefestival 15 & 16 May | 7.30pm Samuel Beckett Theatre Luail is funded by The @artscouncilireland Photos: @luca_truffarelli

The Fifth Sun "Know before you go" guide is now available to read ahead of Luail's performances as part of @dublindancefestival this Thursday 14th -16th May. The document will provide you with a bit more information to prepare yourself in advance of the performance. You can read this guide by following the link in our bio or clicking on the link in our stories. AUDIO DESCRIPTION & CREATIVE ACCESS 🤘 Luail will be providing audio description by Access Artist, @mo.harte_mo.chroi on Saturday 16th of May. At 6.30pm ahead of the performance, Dance Artist @helenhallarts will be providing a creative access and sensory experience for visually impaired people, for people who identify as neurodivergent or for people who wish to connect to dance in a deeper way. The creative audio will be taking place at the Player's Theatre Lounge at Trinity College Dublin and you can register your interest by sending us a message here! 📩 Photo: @luca_truffarelli

The countdown has started: 4 days to the premiere of The Fifth Sun, as part of the @dublindancefestival 2026. The Fifth Sun by Mufutau Yusuf presented by Luail — Ireland’s National Dance Company 🗓️ 14–16 May 🕰️ 7:30pm 📍 Samuel Beckett Theatre Merging dance, ritual, and lament, The Fifth Sun unfolds as both a eulogy and a renewal, a ceremony that reflects on humanity’s past, confronts our turbulent present, and leans cautiously toward an uncertain future. Dancer in the video and thumbnail: @robin.red.breast Video and thumbnail by: @luca_truffarelli Luail is funded by the @artscouncilireland

What a beautiful performance of The Arc of a Heart Shaped Curve today at the Enniscorthy presentation arts centre as a part of SpringMoves Dance Festival 2026. Performed by Cindy Cummings, Sighile Hennessy, and Dave Boyd, and directed by Steve Batts, this tender and deeply human work invited us to slow down and connect. Presented by Luail as part of the festival, we’re hugely grateful to everyone who came and shared the experience with us. Looking forward to the rest of an inspiring weekend of dance. Photo: @sasha_bratkovaphotography

As part of Luail’s Open Floor inclusive dance programme, live audio description will be provided for the Fifth Sun performance on Saturday.. For those who are interested, there will also be a creative audio and sensory experience available for visually impaired and neurodivergent people ahead of the show. ➺ Audio Description provided by access artist @mo.harte_mo.chroi Happening live on Saturday, 16 May ➺ Creative Access Workshop facilitated by dance artist @helenhallarts Start time: 6.30pm Saturday, 16 May Location: Players Lounge at the Samuel Beckett Theatre For more information, visit The Fifth Sun performance page by clicking the link in our bio. And to register your interest, please email [email protected] Thumbnail photo: @luca_truffarelli

This new dance and music trio performed by dance artists Sighile Hennessy and Cindy Cummings with live music by composer/musician Dave Boyd and directed by dance artist Steve Batts is a work with a patient rhythm that takes a path into the deep connection of friendship. Allow your body clock to be set to slow and let the honest meeting of two hearts draw you in. The Arc of a Heart Shaped Curve By Cindy Cummings and Sighle Hennessy Music by Dave Boyd Directed by Steve Batts presented by Luail – Ireland’s National Dance Company as part of the @springmovesdancefestival Following the performance, as part of Luail’s Open Floor inclusive dance programme of events, artists will be joined by Bobbi Byrne, to discuss the artists’ approach to making and sharing inclusive work; the importance of creating opportunities for inclusive practice, the relevance of language and some of the issues and barriers surrounding access. This project was originally supported by the Arts Council of Ireland Dance Project Award, Rehab group Kilkenny and an ArtLinks Bursary (Kilkenny County Council), 2025.

@dancelimerick is delighted to announce the five participants who will take part in the 16th edition of @stepupdanceproject Aine kidney @ainekidney Alison O’Shea @alisonoshea_dance Mayara Pessanha @itsmayarapessanha_ Jyoti Soni Martha Tribe @martha_tribe02 The five dancers will participate in a performance project with choreographer Mufutau Yusuf, developing new work to be presented at different locations nationally, including Limerick and Dublin. Curated by Director of Dance Limerick @marywycherleydance and delivered under the guidance of Rehearsal Director, @luciakickhamdanceartist , the programme features a host of guest teachers and artists and is focused on developing artists as performers while recognising the creativity necessary in the performer’s work. This year, the Step Up dancers will once again enjoy a placement with Luail during the autumn, giving them the chance to delve deeper into the company’s work, approaches to performance, choreography and creative process. Watch this space for more on the #Stepup2026 participants & team. Read more at dancelimerick.ie (link in bio) Step Up Dance Project is a partnership between the @artscouncilireland , @dancelimerick , the @irishworldacademy at the @universityoflimerick and @danceireland_di . Step Up’s participation in the placement programme is possible thanks to a partnership with @luaildance - Ireland’s National Dance Company

Inspired by the tradition of Irish keening, The Fifth Sun unfolds as both a eulogy and a renewal. It reflects on humanity’s past, confronts our turbulent present, and leans cautiously towards an uncertain future. The Fifth Sun by Mufutau Yusuf, presented by Luail 14-16 May at 7.30pm Samuel Beckett Theatre as part of the @dublindancefestival 2026 Dancer in the centre of the video: @seanlammer video and thumbnail by @luca_truffarelli Luail is funded by the @artscouncilireland

Merging dance, ritual, and lament, The Fifth Sun unfolds as both a eulogy and a renewal, a ceremony that reflects on humanity’s past, confronts our turbulent present, and leans cautiously toward an uncertain future. The Fifth Sun by Mufutau Yusuf, presented by Luail 14-16 May at 7.30pm Samuel Beckett Theatre as part of the @dublindancefestival 2026 In this new work with Luail, Mufutau Yusuf responds to the grief and awe stirred by our planetary crisis. The Fifth Sun becomes a vessel for ritualising that grief, transforming it into movement and imagination. Drawing from the understanding of dance as ancient archive, one that stores memory, culture, and spirit, the performers embody ceremony itself: moving to mourn, to honour, to listen, and perhaps, to heal. Elements of the piece invoke collapse, laying bare the delicate structures that hold our world together and how swiftly they can fall away. Other elements emerge from deep listening; to the Earth’s shifting rhythms, to ancestral knowledge, and to the possibility of futures still forming. video and thumbnail pic: @luca_truffarelli Luail is funded by @artscouncilireland

During rehearsal, we caught up with Joanna Banks & the Luail Ensemble for a quick Q&A, sharing some thoughts, life in dance, and moments from the process behind TROJANS. TROJANS TOUR 2026 Final performances this week: 29 April — limited availability 30 April — limited availability 📍 Island Hall, Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn Originally produced by @companyphilipconnaughton and @onceoffproductions (2023).

Merging dance, ritual, and lament, The Fifth Sun unfolds as both a eulogy and a renewal, a ceremony that reflects on humanity’s past, confronts our turbulent present, and leans cautiously toward an uncertain future. 
The Fifth Sun by Mufutau Yusuf, presented by Luail 14-16 May at 7.30pm Samuel Beckett Theatre as part of the @dublindancefestival  2026

The Fifth Sun does not offer resolutions. Instead, it creates a space where grief can be witnessed, shared, and reshaped. It invites the audience into a collective contemplation, asking with urgency and tenderness: What kind of ancestors do we choose to become?

Choreographer: Mufutau Yusuf Composer & Sound Designer: @tomlanecomposer Lighting Designer: @lee.curran Costume Designer: @alisonbrownthreads Set Consultant: @niallmckeeverdesign Rehearsal Director: @gloriarosabellana Photography & Video: @luca_truffarelli Luail is funded by the @artscouncilireland