Orlaith Ní Chearra is an Irish performer, choreographer and movement director based between Kildare and Galway.
Her work spans across theatre, dance and screen working in Ireland and abroad.
She is also co-founder of the creative collective Fizz & Chips, and at the core of her artistic vision lies a passion for storytelling through movement-led, collaborative work.
Recent credits as Choreographer and Movement Director include An Fathach Leithleasach (2025) at An Taibhdhearc; Ireland’s National Irish Language Theatre, Deirfiúr (2024), funded by Kildare County Council and presented at Smock Alley Theatre and Juno and The Jetpacks (2023) which won awards at Colchester Fringe in the UK and the San Diego Fringe Festival, USA.
Screen credits as Choreographer include the short film BÁ, selected for the Galway Film Fleadh Generation Fleadh Programme and to be screened at the East Coast Dance Arts Festival (2026).
She performed in Dance Emergency, directed by Deirdre Mulrooney and choreographed by Jessica Kennedy of Junk Ensemble. She has also acted in the Irish language television series Ros na Rún and been nominated for a Best Actor Award at the New York International Film Festival for her performance in the short film Butter directed by Emma Brennan.
With a strong commitment to Theatre and Dance for Young Audiences, Orlaith completed a mentorship under the Arts Council Professional Development Award with Marc Mac Lochlainn of Branar whilst working on her show for young audiences Never Mind The Weather (2020-2022). Orlaith was one of the Baboró International Arts Festival for Children’s “Breaking Ground” Artists exploring work for children with additional needs. In 2024 she was awarded a Culture Moves Europe Grant to undertake a mentorship with De Stilte in the Netherlands, deepening her choreographic practice in dance for children and families. She has previously participated in the European Union funded PUSH+EU project with The Ark in Dublin and was selected for the Creative Europe project Babel in association with Baboró.
She was also part of the 2023/2024 “Young Curators” programme working with six venues across Ireland to curate the Lasta Festival. Orlaith originally trained at the College of Dance in Dublin under Joanna Banks, toured nationally with the Monica Loughman Ballet Company and was a member of the National Youth Theatre before going on to complete a three year BA Degree in Theatre and Dance at London Studio Centre on a Leverhulme Scholarship.
She has also completed an MA in Education with her research thesis focusing on Dance In The Irish Primary School Classroom.
Her professional artist development has continued as Orlaith was one of the Axis Assemble as Gaeilge Artists in 2024, an Irish Street Arts Circus and Spectacle Network Emerging Producer grantee and chosen as one of 20 emerging artists in Ireland under the 20×20 Artists development scheme with The Abbey Theatre Dublin.
She has been further supported by The Arts Council Ireland, Creative Ireland, Shawbrook Dance, Roscommon County Council, Axis Ballymun, Fringe Lab Dublin and Galway Dance.