Cork City Ballet to mark 80 years of ballet in Cork in 2027

Celebrations will run throughout 2027 to mark the 80th anniversary of ballet in Cork, beginning with a launch event on 28 January at the Firkin Crane.

The milestone dates back to 1947, when the Cork Ballet Company gave its inaugural performance at the Cork Opera House. The company was founded by Joan Denise Moriarty, who believed in decentralising the arts and famously asked, “why should everything always be in Dublin?”

Alan Foley, founder and artistic director of Cork City Ballet and a former student of Moriarty, discovered the 1947 date while reviewing the ballet archives two years ago. He says the finding prompted the decision to celebrate the anniversary with a year‑long programme.

Board members including ballet mistress Patricia Crosbie, youth ballet director Sinead Murphy, chief choreographer Yuri Demikov and Japanese prima ballerina Chika Temma are working together to deliver events such as a March youth production, “Miss Moriarty is a Legend”, and an 80th‑anniversary gala on 17 April at the Cork Opera House featuring excerpts from Swan Lake, Giselle, and new works by Crosbie.

Further highlights will include an August summer school, a September “Evening Behind the Scenes” at the Firkin Crane, and a November performance of Sleeping Beauty at the Cork Opera House.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Cemrecan Yurtman / Pexels.