Dublin Dance Festival 2021/Mermaid Arts Centre 2020
In collaboration with Alice Maher

Award-winning dance innovators Junk Ensemble collaborate with acclaimed visual artist Alice Maher to present the long-awaited premiere of The Misunderstanding of Myrrha, a solo dance work that reawakens and reimagines an ancient Greek tale.

Myrrha, cursed by Aphrodite to fall in love with her own father, soon falls pregnant with his child. To escape his wrath, Myrrha flees Arabia and begs the gods to take pity on her. Her prayers left unanswered by the gods, she is transformed into a myrrh tree, her tears of shame and sadness forming the resin that seeps from the tree’s bark.

 In this bold retelling of the tale, Myrrha’s plight is told through her own, once-muted voice, and cycles through the trauma of her curse, the acceptance of her fate, and the rebirth of hope. Presented through intricate choreography, text, music and stunning visual design, Myrrha’s existence becomes a thing of beauty as she spits out her fate and declares herself new a being; beyond woman, man or tree. 

Commissioned by Dublin Dance Festival and supported by Mermaid Arts Centre, Dance Ireland, Project Arts Centre and Shawbrook Dance. Funded by The Arts Council of Ireland | An Chomhairle Ealaíon Arts Grant Fund and Dublin City Council.