Off Kilter

I don’t know how familiar you are with the idea of a concept album but that’s essentially what this is – a concept album in dance. There are 10 different pieces all showing a different aspect to Scottish life and culture, from Atmophere to multiculturism and surreal humour. It’s basically about showing off the diversity and the joy of dancing alive in Scotland today.

We’ve got some great music by Tom Bankcroft as well as a brilliant mix from DJ Dolphin Boy of tunes from Calvin Harris, The Rizilos, Franz Ferdinand and others plus rarely heard pieces by Beethoven. We’ve also got a new piece of art from John Byrne on stage which I think will surprise and delight the audience.

This is the first time this type of show has been performed and I think it will be entertaining, exciting and eye opening for the crowd and give a flavour of the wonderful dance culture we have here in Scotland.

This show will flag up the power of dance to bring people together

You’ve got some very big names involved in this project (Mark Morris, Ashley Page) – What do you think drew them to participate?

Well Mark has been the Artistic Patron of Dancebase for 10 years now and his style, ability, his way of working and challenging the convention always inspired me. He’s very fond of Scotland and he relished the chance to put these Beethoven settings of Scottish Folk tunes to dance. It’s fascinating and rarely performed music which although not sounding overtly Scottish has these little hints in the words and certain flourishes which are so clearly Scottish in tone. I think it’s a tribute to Dancebase, this show and Scotland that, not just Mark but, so many people have been willing to combine on this project.

Do you think there’s still a tendency to pigeonhole dance styles as high and low art?

I think it’s actually the opposite people have probably never been more open to dance than now. That might be partly to do with it’s exposure over recent years on TV, for example Diversity winning Britains Got Talent and of course Strictly. From my own observation I’ve seen the same people attending ballet, B-Boy and contemporary dance shows and clearly enjoying themselves at each. Which is what I think this show will flag up, the power of dance to bring people together.

You’ve been quoted a couple of times as saying Scotland is going through a renaissance of dance at the moment, what do you put that down to?

Not to seem arrogant but I’d say Dancebase has a great deal to do with it. Before this building existed there was nowhere in Scotland that provided the opportunity for people to try different styles of dance. There were places for professionals and specialist dance training but nothing for the man or woman in the street. Now aunties, grannies and whole families can attend classes and give dance a try. From dancebase there was a kind of Chinese whisper of dance across the country and now there are centres in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and hopefully soon in the Highlands and borders as well – dance is taking over the country. And it’s that joy of dancing not the intellectualising of movement – which is great and interesting of course – but the sheer pleasure which this show represents. 

I’ve travelled to many countries over the years and I’ve never seen a place where dance is so central to the culture as it is in Scotland. Every weekend around the country you can probably find a ceilidh and of course no wedding or celebration is complete without taking to the floor. I think that’s what Off Kilter is all about, it celebrates our love affair with dance but also hopefully expands on it to show just how wide and exciting the choices and styles are out there.