Rainbow Ballroom, July 2022
40 Digital Prints each 20cm x 25cm & 2 channel audio, 30 x headphones, radio transmitter
On March 20th 2022, I made an ambisonic recording of the first social dance in the Rainbow Ballroom (Ballroom of Romance) since Covid-19 restrictions were first introduced in 2019. The recording includes conversation, the movement of people, the music and heartfelt reflection on the significance of the occasion. While making the audio recording I also made a series of approx. 40 drawings of movement of dancing couple in the ballroom. They are a simple attempts to follow the movement of bodies anti-clockwise around the dancefloor to the rhythm of music by Sprig of Heather (voice, accordion, keyboard, & drum machine).
The recording (in silent disco format) and selection of prints from the drawings were presented in the Rainbow Ballroom in July 2022 as part of Silent Waltz, a project with filmmaker Roisin Loughrey.
![](http://mmcloughlin.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/mmcloughlin_first-dance-setup-view_2022-1024x701.jpg)
![](http://mmcloughlin.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/mmcloughlin_first-dance-action-view_2022-1024x576.jpg)
![](http://mmcloughlin.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/mmcloughlin_first-dance-install-view_2022-1024x623.jpg)