Entrepreneur brings joys of dance to Fermanagh and further afield

Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre, situated at Old Scotch Stores/Old Henry Street, is, in many ways, an enterprise that’s on the move.

Whether it’s baby boogie sessions for kids aged 0-3, gentle dance for people over 80, or jiving, salsa or Zumba dance fitness lessons for everyone else, Dylan Quinn and his committed team provide dance offerings to classes to suit all ages and abilities.

And aside from delightful dance lessons, Artistic Director Mr. Quinn feels his business – which he founded way back in the year 2,009 – serves a bigger purpose within the local community.

“We provide a wonderful space for communities to come together in a non-traditionally aligned form,” he explained.

“Creative arts is how we identify ourselves as human. The first thing we do when we come out of the womb is kick and scream and move.

“It’s what makes us human and different from animals. It’s how we enquire about who we are.

“I believe that creative arts is a positive strong factor in helping communities find their cultural confidence, and helps us answer some of the more complicated and challenging questions we have to face.”

Mr. Quinn, who is now 50, knows all too well the life-changing power of dance. He has always had a passion for his craft, and from a young age knew that he wanted to make the world a better place through dance.

But, as any business person will know, turning one’s passion into a viable business is a major challenge - and for Mr. Quinn, the road from initial idea to fully-functioning business has been long and winding.

Having first discovered youth dancing at the age of 15, Mr. Quinn saw first-hand the benefits that it could have within local communities.

Such was the impression of dancing in those early days, he embarked upon professional dance training in Leeds. This led to work across the island of Ireland, internationally, and later to studies on the subject of peace.

But while Mr. Quinn’s dance exploits saw him travel the world, he admits that his heart has always been in Fermanagh.

As such, 22 years ago he moved back to his home county to realise his dream of starting his very own dance company.

“I suppose the vision was to always to engage the local community in participatory dance,” said Mr. Quinn, outlining his inspiration to start the business.

“It had humble beginnings, much like any business. It started off with a few projects in Enniskillen, supported through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and from then we went on to make regular performances and run small workshops.

“Before long, we secured funding to deliver a regular yearly programme, and we were recently awarded money from the Arts Council in Ireland to deliver a programme on the Border between Cavan and Fermanagh.

“As the old saying goes, big trees grow from small acorns. We work all over the place, from the Lakeland Forum and West End Centre to theatres across Ireland.

“Overall, I am proud to have done a range of interesting projects that give local people the opportunity to engage in high-quality arts practice and activities.”

While Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre operates as a viable business, it is perhaps unique in the sense that it functions as a non-profit.

As the only employee ‘on the books’, so to speak, Mr. Quinn is ably assisted by a Board comprising Sally Rees, Louise Cullen, Janes Styles and David Lowe.

In addition, a roster of freelance dance tutors – not to mention his wife, Hannah, who delivers the company’s adult learning disabled classes and current rural programme, Living Apart Dancing Together – are also involved and provide assistance as and when required to deliver different projects in Fermanagh and beyond.

The strong team of Board members and freelancers, combined with Dylan’s expertise and passion, have seen the business thrive in rural Fermanagh.

As a result, it is the only area in Northern Ireland, outside of Belfast and Londonderry, to have a professional dance presence.

“Seeing the business as it is today fills me with pride and joy,” Mr. Quinn remarked. “It’s all down to having a supportive Board, and a community that engage in what we do.

“Of course, grit and determination come into it, but on the whole, we are here because we have the support from the local community.”

The success of Mr. Quinn’s business is not only evident by its longevity, but also the scores of positive experiences from those who take part.

“We believe, wholeheartedly, that people see a value in engaging in dance,” he explained. “Our jive classes have proven popular, and there has been a resurgence in line dancing recently.

“As a result, we have worked with a number of local dance facilitators to create more opportunities for people to dance.

“People enjoy the dancing, and they get physical and social benefits from it. It’s a collective shared experience, which in a post-conflict society such as ours, is a major positive.

“In a deeper sense, it also provides an outlet for people to explore their sense of self and belonging. Dance is a universal language - it’s something anyone can do.

“We all move in some way. Whatever your age, or ability, we can all feel the power of movement.”

However, Mr. Quinn admits that getting to this point hasn’t been without its challenges.

One challenge, he said, stems from the rural nature of the county in which he operates. “We are operating in a completely different environment than in urban areas,” he explained.

“Professional dance isn’t generally something that is seen in such a rural county. Places such as Belfast or Dublin are much better connected, and people leave their work for an hour for a dance class and then go back.

“This is more difficult in Fermanagh, where everything is more spread out. Travel costs are greater for both ourselves and those attending our classes.

“Anything we do is that bit more difficult - but we make it work.”

Other challenges, according to Mr. Quinn, revolve around reduced funding within the arts sector.

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is an important funder to allow us to deliver our projects, but it’s an economically challenging time when it comes to funding.

“The arts have been decimated by a lack of funding and a lack of government. The government likes to boast about how fantastic the arts sector is here, but they aren’t willing to fund it appropriately.

“The funding is vital, as it enables us to provide a much needed service to a community and to make it accessible to those on low or limited incomes.

“It enables us to provide activities that normally would not be economically viable.

“Overall, running a business is an expensive business. In order to run things we need that funding; but the benefits are there as what we bring in through funding, we generate more on top with people paying for our services.

“However, the fact that this business has sustained itself for so long, despite limited funding, shows that the interest is there, and that there is a benefit to the community. That makes it worthwhile in my eyes.”

With this, Mr. Quinn said he is optimistic about the future of his business.

“Overall, we have to be optimistic,” he concluded. “We see the value of what we have to offer, and we are committed to delivering work of a high quality.

“We believe there is a need and a want out there for what we do. As long as that is there, we will continue to do what we do.”