Acting
Juliet awakens from a fever dream. How did we get here? The lines between hallucination and memory blur as cinema and dance collide in a kaleidoscopic journey of queer belonging, defiance, and self-discovery. A vivid retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet brought to life by Scottish Ballet.
This new production, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s much-loved tale, brings life and colour to the story, transporting audiences to a place of wonder. From the bustle of a winter’s market to the shivers of a fairy-tale forest, the enthralling production breathes life into a colourful cast of characters. Take a journey to the Snow Queen’s palace and find her surrounded by the icy fragments of an enchanted mirror. The production was filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and celebrates the company’s 50th anniversary year.
In 1960, American dancer and actor Gene Kelly created for the Paris Opera Ballet an original choreography that was highly acclaimed at the time, yet rarely performed thereafter; a genius work that the Scottish Ballet, accompanied by the stirring and evocative score by composer and pianist George Gershwin, epitome of orchestral jazz, brings back to life sixty years later.
A romantic wee ballet – Matthew Bourne’s acclaimed reworking of the classic romantic ballet La Sylphide. Highland Fling tells the story of James, a young Glaswegian who is lured from his nuptial bed by an unearthly siren. As his love for this beautiful ‘Sylph’ becomes an obsession, he embarks on a journey that takes him from the mean streets and nightclubs of Glasgow into a magical world beyond. This gothic fable of winged fairies and kilted ladies - filled with all the wild excesses of romanticism - has been given an ingenious make-over by Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and is packed with all their trademark wit, magic and wicked humour.
The lake is a pool of light. The strong, graceful Odette captivates us, surrounded by arching backs, spiralling arms and mesmerising formations. David Dawson’s daring, visceral choreography from Swan Lake is perfectly paired with the rich, romantic Tchaikovsky score in this short film, The Swan, directed by Eve McConnachie. With an all-female cast led by Constance Devernay-Laurence, The Swan is a powerful showcase of our dancers’ strength and connectivity.
