Common Ground

A percussive dance workshop with Carlye Cunniff

What to Expect

Details

July 22 and 23 // 6:00- 9:00 PM

Kerry Hall // 710 E. Roy St. Seattle, WA 98102 // Room 301 // Entrance to the building is on the corner of Roy St. and Harvard Ave

What dancers should wear

Wear comfortable clothing that you can move in easily. No specific shoes are needed, we will be working barefoot. If it’s uncomfortable for you to move barefoot, dance socks are also ok.

A two-evening intensive for experienced dancers curious about what happens when percussive traditions meet. Rooted in body percussion and the vocabulary of step dance, but without shoes, and without allegiance to any single form, Common Ground draws from Irish step, Appalachian clogging, tap, and traditional drumming to explore the rhythmic and expressive possibilities of the body as an instrument. Participants will work across movement patterns from multiple traditions, building a shared physical language that is rigorous, experimental, and genuinely collaborative.

Seattle Irish Dance Company and this workshop are supported by Shunpike and ArtsWA.

Who This is For

Dancers with a strong movement foundation, regardless of which tradition you come from. You don't need a background in Irish dance or tap; you need a body that knows how to move and a curiosity about where that work can go.

Cost

The total cost to participate in this workshop is $50. Financial aid is available. To apply for financial assistance, please fill out this form by June 30. Financial assistance will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Performance Opportunity

Participants have the opportunity to perform the work created in this workshop as part of the Seattle Irish Dance Company ( SIDC) Choreography Showcase. Performing is entirely optional. Performers will need to commit to a small number of additional rehearsals in Seattle prior to the showcase date. For interested dancers, the showcase is September 26, 2026 at the Erickson Theater in Capitol Hill.

Questions

For any questions about this workshop, please reach out to Carlye directly at carlyecunniff (@) gmail.com

About Carlye

Carlye Cunniff is a professional dance artist, performer, and teaching artist based in Hood River, OR. She founded the Seattle Irish Dance Company in 2012 and has toured throughout the US and Ireland performing with artists including The Chieftains, Gaelic Storm, and Eileen Ivers. She continues to perform and tour across the Pacific Northwest as a dancer and musician, and is trained in brain-compatible dance education through the Creative Dance Center in Seattle.