At Home in Dundee
Rooted in Dundee, Scottish Dance Theatre has always made work from a place outside the usual cultural centres in Scotland. Dundee gave the company its home at Dundee Rep Theatre, its audience and a clear sense of purpose: a base from which artists could train, make, tour and return, carrying the city’s creative energy into wider contexts.
Scottish and Rural Touring
Across Scotland, touring was not only about presenting finished performances. In the Highlands, islands and smaller towns, Scottish Dance Theatre brought contemporary dance to communities with little regular access to live performance, often combining performances with workshops, residencies and local participation. Village halls, schools and community spaces created opportunities for audiences and performers to meet at close range, sharing dance in ways that were immediate, personal and deeply memorable. Some of those relationships have lasted 40 years and continue to this day!
We were really busy, always doing something, always away somewhere.
– Winifred Jamieson, Dundee Rep Dance Company Dancer
National Touring
As Scottish Dance Theatre consolidated itself under the direction of Tamara McLorg in the 1990s, national touring became central to the company’s growing profile across the UK. From Edinburgh and Glasgow to London, Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle, the company has performed on some of the country’s major stages, building a reputation as one of the UK’s leading contemporary dance ensembles. This artistic excellence has been recognised by multiple awards including the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Company Repertoire (Modern) in 2003 and Best Mid-Scale Company in 2026, affirming Scottish Dance Theatre's place at the forefront of British dance.
International Touring and Recognition
During Janet Smith’s time as Artistic Director, international touring became a defining part of Scottish Dance Theatre’s growing reputation. Since then, work made in Dundee has travelled to audiences in Europe, India, China, South Korea, the USA and Latin America, responding to invitations by international festivals and curators, and with the support of funders, programmes and organisations such as the Creative Scotland, The Made in Scotland Showcase and the British Council. These journeys have expanded the company’s outward-looking identity and confirmed its place as one of Scotland’s creative ambassadors.
Beyond the individual work, there was a recognition that the company was of quality.
– Matthew Robinson, former dancer and current Artistic Director of National Dance Company of Malta
