Despite the long-established reputations of both Russia and the United States in the field, Europe is now producing some of the most thought-provoking and well-crafted choreography around. Evidence of this here can be found in the success of Dance Theatre of Ireland's productions of work by Dominique Bagouet, and more recently the Finnish contributions to last year's Dublin Fringe Festival. Tonight at the Tivoli Theatre in Dublin, DTI will premiere two new works by Philippe Saire and Charles Cre Ange, well-respected choreographers who until now have worked in an Anglocentric blindspot.

Consequently, DTI's Robert Connor and Loretta Yurick had to seek out both men, discovering the work of Cre Ange at a well-known "shopping place" for producers, Dance Umbrella in England. Then, last year they were invited to a showcase of Swiss dance, which is where they came across Saire.

"The platform featured about 15 companies," explained Robert Connor, "but we were very taken by Philippe's work, both as a performer and a choreographer. We immediately empathised with his vocabulary, his use of the body, and how he constructed the piece." Creating a new work for another company was a novel experience for Saire, who had turned down offers to set works for classical companies in Switzerland. "I knew that I would not have enough time to do the work properly," he says. "The companies offered me about three hours a day, which is useless. I usually spend four months creating a new work for my own company."

Working in his own 150-seat theatre space in Lausanne, Saire can devote the first month to experimenting with ideas, many of which are discarded. "It's not only important, but essential, to have time to lose when creating something. If you don't have time to lose, you only do what you know you can do."

The phrase "time to lose" spoken in broken English seems perfect to describe the essential element in creating choreography. Actors can come to rehearsals with texts, musicians with scores, but dancers must develop the raw material with the choreographer in time and space.

Although Dance Theatre of Ireland allowed as much time as possible for the two works, it could not provide Saire's customary four months, and ideas were worked on in the abstract as much as possible before rehearsals commenced.

But all choreographers working with a new company must spend time conveying their way of moving. "Sometimes you can be lucky with the dancers and they understand you," explains Cre Ange. "But every choreographer has their own language and must explain this language. We must explain how we think and how we move. I would say the `how we move' bit comes first. It's often better not to think too soon. Just let the body learn and then ask questions."

Cre Ange's piece is called Cha-Cha-Cha d'Exil, and he describes it as fun, fast and wild. "The idea came from the feeling of being in exile, which is a very personal thing, and it was interesting to go to a country where exile is ever-present in history. Some of the dancers here are also from different countries - Spain, Italy, Australia and the United States - and are `in exile' themselves. I wanted the contradictions between being in exile and the cha-cha-cha, a very silly, old-fashioned dance. I thought the contradiction of these two things would be an interesting new departure for me."

Although he has no problem describing his work as fun, he adds that it is "not superficial". Saire is also anxious to stress that there is no earth-shattering message in his work. Inspired by Edward Hall's book The Hidden Dimension, A Question of Space, he explores space between beings. "Animals have this critical distance between them," he says, "which describes the point where you either attack, or, if you're attacked, you can still get away. As animals ourselves, we have integrated this. Every human being has his or her own personal space and sometimes that is invaded, such as when people come too close while they are talking to you."

Although exploring space has been a part of all of his choreography to date, this is the first time it is the principal idea. "In choreography, it has to be an important issue. How do you use the space, and how to you use the interspace, the space between people? I just want to ask questions around these issues. There is no heavy message. I actually think that there are too many heavy messages in contemporary dance, and not enough choreographers love movement itself, but get caught up in theories and notions.

"I don't want to make abstract dance, and I don't want to make narrative dance. The in-between is interesting for me. If you are too abstract you lose the audience, and if you use narrative, you can be too prescriptive. I want to give the audience their own way in. Dance is not good at making things clear - theatre can do that. But that's also why dance is so strong. We work on the basis that you are in your own body watching another body and this resonance or empathy is what makes it so vital."

Both choreographers are using a variety of music, from Marin Marais and Nat King Cole in A Question of Distance, to the sounds of the Buena Vista Social Club's cha-cha-cha and Jimi Hendrix and Leftfield in Cre Ange's work.

Contrast between musical styles is important to them, and reflects an openness to influences that was once the preserve of the American melting pot. With multiculturalism now a global phenomenon, the debate over national styles seems void. But perhaps, by being away from critical glare, contemporary choreographers in Europe can happily "lose time" and create works that couple unpretentiousness with critical appeal.

Cha-Cha-Cha d'Exil and A Question of Distance open tonight at The Tivoli Theatre, Dublin at 8 p.m. Booking at 01-454-4472.