Oona Doherty is an Irish choreographer, dancer, and performer known for work that fuses raw physicality with social observation. Born in Belfast, she draws deeply on the landscapes, tensions, and working-class communities of Northern Ireland, creating performances that are both confrontational and tender. Doherty’s choreography often explores masculinity, power, ritual, and identity, blending street movement, contemporary dance, and theatrical intensity. Her internationally acclaimed works include Hope Hunt and the Ascension into Lazarus, Hard to Be Soft – A Belfast Prayer, and Navy Blue. In 2021, she was awarded the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale for Dance, recognising her distinctive voice and impact on contemporary performance worldwide.
“I am honoured to work with VERVE, a company whose very existence carries meaning. In a time of severe cultural cuts, VERVE stands as one of the only postgraduate dance companies left in the UK. That fact alone speaks volumes about the fragility of arts education and the resilience required to sustain it. VERVE is not just a training ground for emerging artists; its survival is an act of resistance. To continue creating, questioning, and moving together under these conditions makes VERVE a living protest for the value of dance, education, and collective imagination.”
