Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson called one of his earliest works “Useful Information for Potential Basketball Referees.” Now the former dancer and choreographer is in the middle of opposing sides as the director of the new DanceHouse in Dublin. Managed by Dance Ireland (formerly the Association of Professional Dancers in Ireland) and located in Dublin’s north inner city the centre’s use was contested even before it opened it’s doors with nearby community groups claiming it as a local resource and dance professionals advocating a national remit.

Johnson has so far appeased both sides, not just to make his job easier, but because he fervently believes that dancemakers should be as entwined with society as possible, rather than protected within DanceHouse shiny glass walls. December saw a staggered series of openings, although dancers had slowly infiltrated the studios over the past few months. The bright, comfortable studios are a sharp contrast to the makeshift spaces around the city that they have used in the past, but Johnson doesn’t believe that work created in DanceHouse will lose its edge and become mainstream. Instead it will reflect positively on the professional and make choreographers feel ...