Scotland’s flagship dance company Scottish Dance Theatre is being recognised once again for its outstanding work, now securing a National Dance Awards nomination in the Best Mid-Scale Company category. This nomination marks Scottish Dance Theatre’s

fifth time being recognised in the past seven years in this prestigious category of awards which celebrates excellence in professional dance in the UK.

This exciting nomination is especially significant as it comes during a momentous 40th anniversary year of celebrations, marking the company’s four decades of bold, innovative dance. Founded in 1986, Scottish Dance Theatre is an award-winning international repertory dance company led by Artistic Director Joan Clevillé. As one of the few full-time dance companies in the UK, Scottish Dance Theatre has grown from its grassroots beginnings to become a vital part of Dundee’s cultural fabric with a reach that extends far beyond the city. Touring nationally and internationally, the company continues to place community at the heart of its work.

The 2026 season is packed with work that showcases the rich artistic legacy and influence of the company’s first four decades. June sees the world premiere of Rotten Work & The Game of Life, pairing Emilie Leriche’s intimate, poetic choreography with Edouard Hue’s bold, high-energy physicality. Following this, the company will present RECollect, a new community-driven work created and performed with local participants inspired by Scottish Dance Theatre’s rich archive.

In August, the company will collaborate with internationally acclaimed visual artist and choreographer Florence Peake on a performance part of her sculpture exhibition across the gardens and historic house of Hospitalfield in Arbroath. Your Meaning Not Your Materiality explores the intangible and temporal nature of the body, and in this way is a memorial to loss.

In September, two intimate and personal performances will celebrate the power of movement and dance to bring us together Rayand Little Ray. Originally created by Meytal Blanaru for Scottish Dance Theatre in 2022, Ray has since been reimagined with the support of Starcatchers as Little Ray, an early years companion piece designed for children aged 3-5 and their caregivers. The season will also see the launch of Scottish Dance Theatre’s 40-year archive, developed in collaboration with Dr Andy Henry from Queen Margaret University.

A special Anniversary Galawill take place in October at Dundee Rep Theatre, bringing together artists, audiences and communities to honour the company’s artistic achievements and lasting civic impact, with an UK autumn tour of Rotten Work & The Game of Life continuing on to Inverness, Manchester, Leeds and London.

 Joan Clevillé, Artistic Director of Scottish Dance Theatre, said: "Receiving five nominations in the past seven years, is in itself a truly amazing recognition of the work of Scottish Dance Theatre. But it is even more special to receive this news in the year of our 40th anniversary. I am immensely proud of the team and incredibly grateful to our audiences, stakeholders and followers."