Spectrum Breakdown: The Breakdown stemmed from the earlier work Spectrum Breakdown, a live dance piece conceived, choreographed and performed by Beryl at a MART event in the Twisted Pepper Club, Dublin, 2009.

The location for Spectrum Breakdown: The Breakdown came about by Beryl’s desire to activate a slack space in the city, utilising a highly visible site to engage with a wider audience. The space at Smock Alley, accessed through Temple Bar Cultural Trust, was the group’s first communal base and became a temporary hub for their collaborative practice.

Spectrum Breakdown: The Breakdown evolved from footage of the group’s rehearsals in the lead up to their Twisted Pepper performance. Intended for their own private use to practice and ‘perfect’ their moves, the recordings show the development of their amateur dance routine. In reviewing this footage at a later stage the group realised its potential as a new incarnation of the work.

As part of this self-initiated residency, Spectrum Breakdown: The Breakdown was screened every evening for a period of five weeks. The work was created with hopeful intent to enliven a spirit of nondefiance in the face of adversities, "The grass is green everywhere! We are committed to hoping." (Beryl, 2011)

Radio mention on The Ray Foley Show, Today FM 25/02/10 (Audio available below project images at http://berylbreakdown.blogspot.com/)

Blog review on Alternative Dublin

Beryl are a splinter group of PALLASADES collective. They worked under the name PALLASADES until the original line-up reformed in late 2010. Beryl are Rachael Gilbourne, Michelle Hall and Tracy Hanna.

People in the area - residential, business, homeless, tourists. Invited viewers - friends and professional contacts.

Temple Bar Cultural Trust