Any debate on dance criticism in Ireland will usually expose the name of Diana Theodores. At present writer-in-residence at the Institute for Choreography and Dance at Firkin Crane, she is also remembered for her work as the Sunday Tribune dance critic from 1984-92. Arriving in Ireland, she was anxious to continue the dance criticism that she practised in the US. What she somewhat proudly refers to as her "nag-ability" persuaded the Sunday Tribune to employ her.

Her weekly column revealed the rich breadth of practice that defied the occupational poverty of the dance community. It was a highly turbulent time.

"Eighteen dance companies, four 'national academies' of dance training, a host of dance forums, conferences, schools programmes, mini-festivals and performance projects, arts council funding policies, a national dance magazine and a national dance council all went through birth, burial and/or reincarnation during the life of my column," she says. The most visible of these was the axing of Irish National Ballet and Dublin Contemporary Dance Company in 1989, a defining moment in Irish dance culture. A collection of these writings is planned for publication next year.

As well as engaging in the practice of criticism, she is fascinated by the study of criticism and her book, First We Take Manhattan, traces the development of what she terms the New York School of Dance Criticism. As part of her residency at Firkin Crane, she has taught workshops in dance criticism to both experienced critics and newer writers, a process which she sees as vital in order to investigate how we see and reflect dance.

Interaction with the creative process is the main part of her work at ICD, relecting the centre's programmes in choreographic research. This second legacy to dance in Ireland has begun with the publication of Writing Dancing: Righting Dance and is set to continue for the forseeable future.