‘In Germany, it’s a different lifestyle and a different standard of living ... it’s possible to live by yourself’In 2022, Tara Bredemeier moved to Dublin, moving into her grandmother’s home in Coolock, Dublin with her father. Photograph: Barry Cronin
“He hadn’t really raised me in that kind of a way – I actually wanted to spend that time with my dad. He was always in Ireland. Obviously I’d see him, but full-time living with someone, it’s definitely different,” she says.
“I wanted to understand my Irishness and my Irish heritage and my Irish family, because I feel like as an educator, you need to know where you’re from and what your values are in order to share them to the next generation, or your future dancers that you’re creating, and also as an artist, the Irish are crazy artists – there’s so much great poetry and music being made by the Irish,” Bredemeier says.
She does not feel that Germany and Ireland are too far apart, however. “They’re still kind of connected in a way, they’re both very open countries.” Since coming to Ireland, she has been teaching Pilates and dance classes, doing work with Dublin Dance Company, Cois Céim and Dance Ireland, and is involved in the Irish Youth Dance Festival taking place on July 6th and 7th.“This time in Ireland has been very good, but I know that I can’t really build anything here.
There are not many social options for young people in Ireland, Bredemeier has noticed, that do not involve consuming alcohol.