A Concrete Song

“... All at the same time nothing / the adrenaline future / small town / generational cellular imbalance / hail to the dot / an inward shove / fucking Belfast love.” In A Concrete Song we hear a voice over of the Belfast-based choreographer and artist Oona Doherty reciting her poem of the same title as she dances in a worn out leather jacket through a night club, a billiard hall and on the streets. The brusque, aggressive movements and grimaces that break out of moments of reflection portray the reality of life in the city. The video directed by Dave Tynan serves as the prologue to Doherty’s four-part dance piece Hard To Be Soft – A Belfast Prayer, which illuminates the internal state of northern Ireland between patriarchy, religious belief and economic disparity.