3 contemporary dance workshops in Galway Dance studio, organised by Galway city dance artists-in-residence testing ground projects.

testing ground projects are Galway city dance artists-in-residence for 2026/2027. Our program includes inviting other national dance artists to share their practices in Galway city.

Each workshop is 2 hours long and you may arrive 15 mins before for sign in/ settle in. These are open to people with some physical movement experience, whether you 're a dance enthusiast, pre- professional, love to move in daily life, creative professional in dance or any other discipline.

If you have any worries or questions, feel free to give us a message on Instagram. We aim to open the space for everyone to participate in their own capacities and to learn something new together.

The workshops are free of charge as this has been funded by Irish Arts Council and supported by Galway Dance, however, registration is required due to limited room capacity.

Monthly dance workshops for this part of the year include;

September 20th, with tetsing ground projects

October 18th, with Jessie Thompson

November 15th, with Mufutau Yusuf

Details about each workshop and artists below.

testing ground projects - September 20th

testing ground projects was formed in early 2025 by Galway city based dance artists Fionnuala Doyle Wade & Roberta Ceginskaite. As individual dance artists, Roberta & Fionnuala have collaborated on numerous projects over the last number of years. TGP was formed with the intention of growing engagement with dance in Galway city, supporting dance artists locally, & empowering folks through movement. Care for each other & the spaces we inhabit is at the core of how we work & what we produce. TGP is a space for our artistic community projects.

Content of the workshop -

In the two hours, we will share our individual physical practices focusing on how we prepare and train our bodies for creative experimentation. This will include mobility and agility exercises, stretches, sensory exercises and improvisation. We will then continue to some partnering exercises.

Jessie Thompson - October 18th

Jessie Thompson is a Dublin based Dance artist with a practice in Experimental Contemporary and Hip Hop freestyle dance. Based in Dublin she is working as a professional Dancer, Emerging Choreographer and movement director in Live performance/Film and facilitation, Jessies work explores collaboration with Musicians and Multidisciplinary Performance Artists. She has presented work at Dublin Dance Festival, Top 8 Street Dance Festival, Dance2Connect Festival, Culture Night, Liberty Vibe Festival and Made in Darndale festival and has created several short site specific solo works including ‘ BENCH’ and ‘CRAWLER’ as well as working with companies such as United Fall, Cois Ceim Dance Theatre and more. Jessie is the founder of Irish street dance platform ‘Battle of Zen’. Recently Jessie Choreographed and performed in “This Solution” written by previous Project Artist Shaun Dunne as part of Dublin Theatre Festival and underwent residences with Galway Dance, Dance Ireland and DanceBase Edinburgh to develop her Choreographic practise further. In 2024 Jessie will be choreographing a piece for Limerick Youth Dance Company and begin creating new work as well as continuing to produce events and opportunities with a focus on community within Dance in Ireland.

Content of the workshop-

Jessie will share her experience and growing artistic practice through a combination of physical exercises, musicality, improvisation and creative tasks.

Mufutau Yusuf - November 15th

Mufutau Yusuf is a Nigerian-Irish performer, choreographer, and teacher based between Ireland and Belgium. He has collaborated with leading dance and theatre companies, including Ultima Vez, Liz Roche Company, and Irish Modern Dance Theatre. His choreographic work explores identity, memory, ancestry, and representation. His recent work, Impasse (2024), premiered at Dublin Dance Festival and continues to tour internationally.

Mufutau is a resident choreographer with Luail, Ireland’s national dance company, where he created Invocation (2025) and The Fifth Sun (2026). An Associate Artist at Solstice Arts Centre, he has received numerous awards and grants from the Arts Council of Ireland. In 2024, he received the Golden Afro Artistic Award in Belgium, and in 2025 he was elected to Aosdána in recognition of his contribution to the arts in Ireland. Through performance, choreography, and teaching, he builds connections across cultures, geographies, and generations.

Content of the workshop-

“Your Own Groove” is an improvisation workshop that invites you to explore your unique movement vocabulary and imagination in fresh, dynamic ways. Through a variety of tools and playful challenges, you'll push past personal limits while connecting with others and sharing your dance. The emphasis is on embracing your own groove, honouring what feels authentic and expressive to you. En

Description supplied by the event organiser.