Scottish Dance Theatre will celebrate four decades of groundbreaking dance with a special 40th Anniversary Gala on 31st October 2026, bringing together current artists, celebrated alumni and audience favourites for a one-night-only celebration of the company’s extraordinary history and lasting influence. 

Spanning four decades of creativity and collaboration, the Gala will celebrate Scottish Dance Theatre’s past, present and future through a programme of landmark works, fresh voices, returning artists and performances created especially for the occasion. 

At the heart of the evening will be 40 by 40, an improvised, one time only performance, bringing together 40 former and current Scottish Dance Theatre dancers from across the company’s history. Accompanied live on the Rep stage by Glasgow-based musician Jer Reid, the performance will reconnect artists from different generations in a unique and heartfelt celebration of the dancers who have shaped Scottish Dance Theatre over the past four decades. 

The Gala programme will also revisit highlights from Scottish Dance Theatre’s repertoire, with excerpts from O’ Chiadain an Lo by Artistic Director Joan Clevillé, Moving Cloud by Sofia Nappi, and the recently premiered Rotten Work, by internationally acclaimed choreographer Emilie Leriche.  

A series of special guest performances will shine a light on artists whose careers have been closely connected with Scottish Dance Theatre, including Matthew William Robinson, now Artistic Director of ŻfinMalta, National Dance Company Malta, who will present an excerpt of his latest choreography The Bull, the Princess, and the Hero - inspired by the myth of Theseus and the Labyrinth. Now a renowned international choreographer, Robinson’s return to Scottish Dance Theatre in this capacity represents a particularly poignant homecoming as a former company dancer and rehearsal director.  

The evening will also feature not for glory by Charlotte McLean, Jack Anderson and Malin Lewis - a rebellious unravelling of traditional Celtic dance and music, which recently featured in Dance Base Festival’s programme to critical acclaim and earned a five-star review from The Herald. McLean’s connection to Scottish Dance Theatre began as a member of its Youth Dance Company before she went on to establish herself as an independent artist in her own right. Her return to perform as part of the Gala is the perfect celebration of the wider legacy of Scottish Dance Theatre and its commitment to nurturing the next generation of dance artists. That commitment will also be represented by the cast of RECollect. Inspired by Scottish Dance Theatre’s archive, the piece was developed by Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre’s ENGAGE dance tutors and community participants, led by choreographerand Dance Artist Bridie Gane.  

Beyond the performances, audiences will also be able to explore a walkthrough archive exhibition. Created in collaboration with researcher Dr Andy Henry and Queen Margaret University and bringing to life 40 years of artistic innovation through photography, costumes and archive materials: from the company’s roots in Dundee to the artists, audiences and communities around the world who have shaped its story. First opened in June, the exhibition will tour with the company across the UK this autumn. 

The Gala will also mark the launch of Memory in Motion, a new book written by Dr Henry, drawing on this newly assembled archive to tell the story of Scottish Dance Theatre from 1986 to its place today as Scotland’s flagship contemporary dance company.  

Following the performances, audiences will be invited onto the stage for a disco with Dundee-based DJ Peace & Jam, bringing artists and audiences together to continue the celebrations into the early hours. 

The Gala forms part of an ambitious 40th Anniversary year for Scottish Dance Theatre. Celebrations across 2026 have included three world premieres, 34 performances across Scotland, participation in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, and the ZANT Festival in Germany, and a UK tour taking place this autumn. Alongside its performance programme, the company continues to create opportunities for people to experience and participate in dance through workshops, open rehearsals and summer intensive activity at Dundee Rep Theatre. 

The anniversary year also follows further recognition for the company, which was recently named Best Mid-Scale Company at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, highlighting Scottish Dance Theatre’s continued contribution to dance in Scotland and beyond. 

To help make the Gala accessible to as many people as possible, a limited number of £15 tickets will be released through a ticket lottery scheme, with further details to be announced soon. 

Joan Clevillé, Artistic Director of Scottish Dance Theatre, said: 

“This Gala is not just a celebration of 40 years of Scottish Dance Theatre, but of all the people who have made the company what it is. It feels particularly special to bring different generations of artists back together on the Rep stage, alongside the dancers and communities shaping the company today. It is a chance to celebrate where we have come from, while looking with excitement towards what comes next.” 

Tickets for the 40th Anniversary Gala are available to buy now at Scottish Dance Theatre 40th Anniversary Gala | Dundee Rep.