Join Scotland's flagship dance company in an evening where past and present move together. Scottish Roots – a new triple bill by Scottish Dance Theatre invites you to experience the thrill of bodies in motion and the pulse of music that bridges tradition and innovation - from the haunting O Chiadain An Lo (with music by Skye piper Brìghde Chaimbeul), to the wild joy of Moving Cloud (with music by folk groupTRIP), and the premiere of Off-Season, a brand-new creation by Edinburgh-based choreographer Tess Letham. A celebration of four decades of passion, creativity and connection. 

O Chiadain An Lo 

Blending dance with Scottish folk music, O Chiadain An Lo (by Scottish Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Joan Clevillé) delves into themes of memory, ancestry, and hidden truths. Inspired by ancient melodies unearthed from 18th-century manuscripts, the piece reflects the haunting beauty of Scottish Highland bogs and wetlands - landscapes shaped by time and layered with stories of the past.  

Off-Season 

Off-Season explores the space before the next thing happens - an elastic moment of time that stretches, contracts, and loops back on itself. Created by Tess Letham, the piece moves through the in-between places, where vulnerability meets imagination, sincerity weaves through the surreal, and the search for meaning becomes unpredictable. Growing from the fertile ground of collective play, Off-Season invites performers and audiences into a shifting landscape of embodied stories, physicalities and shared rituals. 

Moving Cloud

Rounding off the evening, Moving Cloud is a joyous and exhilarating meeting of contemporary dance and traditional music, showcasing choreography by internationally acclaimed choreographer Sofia Nappi, and an irresistible musical score of Scottish folk music by Glasgow-based folk band TRIP. 

O Chiadain An Lo creative team 
Choreography Joan Clevillé  in collaboration with the performers  
Music Brìghde Chaimbeul  
Costume Design Zephyr Liddell   
Lighting Design Scottish Roots tour Michaella Fee
Original Lighting Design Gary Ebdy

Off-Season creative team
Choreography Tess Letham 
Costume Design Cleo McCabe
Lighting Design Michaella Fee

Moving Cloud creative team
Choreography Sofia Nappi   
Composition Donald Shaw & TRIP  
Costume Design Alison Brown  
Choreographer’s Assistant Glenda Gheller 
Lighting Design Scottish Roots tour Michaella Fee
Original Lighting Design Gary Ebdy
 

O Chiadain an Lo and Moving Cloud were originally created in collaboration with Celtic Connections and supported by the Scottish Government’s Festival’s Expo Fund